ã€ŠPath of Blood.ã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Day to day.

    ¡°Hey Solmo, stop dawdling and come help out.¡± shouted a broad chested middle aged man.

    Solmo ignored the shout and continued chatting with a fairly beautiful young lady in a corner of the restaurant.

    ¡°Ah! That useless son of mine, he doesn¡¯t even respond when his father calls him. Zilan! Take these dishes to the customers.¡±

    ¡°Right away, Uncle!¡± responded Zilan.

    From the kitchen area, came a rather skinny boy who looked no older than fifteen and could be regarded as average in looks. However, the one thing that made all the people in the restaurant stare at him was his clear, glistening ink black hair. It was so beautiful and clean that one felt that if they were close enoughthey would be able to see his own reflection.

    Not only was it long but it was also uncut and bound twice over.

    The young boy ran towards his ¡°uncle¡± and effortlessly lifted a huge tray filled with various dishes and drinks.

    ¡°Serve the customers on the lower floor and then take Mr. Shiur his usual upstairs. For some reason he insists on only you serving him.¡±

    ¡°Mm..¡±nodded Zilan.

    The restaurant was called Dual Winged Sparrow. It wasn¡¯t all that big to begin with but what it lacked in size, it made up for in service and class. The walls were covered with exquisite paintings, light harmonious music sounded out giving an air of luxury.

    The seats were all top class as was the tables and pretty much everything else. Even a fool would be able to figure out that this establishment was an exclusive place, reserved only for the deep pocketed.

    Zilan quickly served all the customers on the lower floor andthe remainingdish on the tray was only a small bowl of custard. He then put the large tray down and slowly began to walk up the spiralling stairs that led to the upper floor.

    As he moved higher and higher, Zilan suddenly stopped as he was just upon the door.

    In a clearly practiced manner, he pulled a single strand of his hair and thoroughly mixed it in the custard.

    ¡°Hopefully this can satisfy him!¡±

    Zilan opened the door and inside was a rather tiny room that even five people would have a hard time squeezing into.

    In the middle of the room, a middle aged man who wore a luxurious green robe with the words ¡°shade¡± embroidered onto the sleeves sat on a large cushion.

    ¡°You¡¯ve finally come.¡± exclaimed the man ashe clasped his hands.

    ¡°Sorry for the wait Mr. Shiur, my uncle wanted to make sure that the custard was perfect.¡±

    ¡°Haha...No need to apologise, have a seat.¡±

    Zilan placed the small bowl of custard in front of Mr. Shiur and then slowly backed away until his back was against the wall. Only then did he sit down.

    Mr. Shuir didn¡¯t seem to mind at all as he grabbed the bowl and took a whiff. Surprisingly he didn¡¯t eat the custard but instead put it in a small pouch on his side that seemingly sucked it in.

    Hmm..So he bought a new void sack.

    ¡°Zilan, you know who I am right!¡± asked Mr. Shuir as he smiled.

    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re the nephew of Flaming Shade Sect¡¯s Third Elder! I doubt there¡¯s anyone in Morning Dew city that hasn¡¯t at least heard of Young Master.¡±Zilan responded monotonously as this question was asked many times already. He sighed, knowing what was to come.

    ¡°Good answer! Now, have you considered my offer?¡± said Shiur as he narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to accept, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of my situation. There is simply no way that I can be of assistance to you.¡±

    What an idiot! As if I would fail to see your true purpose but no matter, as long as it doesn¡¯t directly affect her then I¡¯ll put up with this pitiful fellow.

    ¡°Ah! I see, but you know that there¡¯s no one who would bully you in all of MorningDew as long as you mention my name. So....¡±

    Zilan swiftly interrupted,

    ¡°Please understand, this isn¡¯t a matter of being bullied but rather my pride talking. The heavens didn¡¯t deem me worthy enough to absorb spirit power therefore there is no need for me to cling and long for that life.¡±

    Mr. Shuir stared at Zilan as if hesitating to say something,

    ¡°I..yourcousi-_¡±

    Zilan raised his hand up to stop the stuttering old man.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but you need to leave, I¡¯ll let my uncle know that the upper floor is now vacant.¡±Zilan stood up and bowed.

    Mr. Shiur deeply frowned however he didnot refute, he calmly stood up and left the room. Just as the door was closing, a frustrated voice grumbled, ¡°Hmph! What can a cripple do for Halim that I cannot.¡±

    A smile immediately formed on his face,

    You ask me what I can do? Isn¡¯t the fact that you have to hold your tongue before me prove that I can do something?

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.What you don¡¯t know is that you are just one of my many experiments and with just a little more time, I¡¯ll be able to start conducting tests.

    The reason Mr. Shuir held his tongue was entirely because of the custard, he was one of hundreds of influential people in the city who would come and pay to have a taste of it.

    This dish transformed the Dual Winged Sparrow from a moving restaurant to the premier luxury establishment it currently is.

    Zilan had realised his family was in trouble and so he devised a plan to sell the custard and add a little something that would make cultivators addicted. Having it once was enough to make you come back for more.

    Of course, it¡¯s price reflected this at a ¡°reasonable¡± fifty thousand gold coins.

    Zilan sighed as he stared at the ceiling, although he had dealt with the fact that he was a cripple for many years, it still hurt when someone mentioned it.

    Ten years ago, my parents disappeared. Uncle tried to take care of me but the cost of caring for three children as well as himself was just too much.

    Zilan chuckled as he remembered the time he laid out an entire business plan for his Uncle including telling him about the secret ingredient that turned the custard into a heavenly tonic.

    I wonder why he still treats me as a child when he¡¯s the only living person on this earth that knows my true self.

    Three stars suddenly appeared in his pupils.

    He stretched out his hand as if he was grabbing onto something,

    Hmph! A pitiful 55th level practitioner and he thinks he can talk down to me. If it wasn¡¯t for your uncle....

    Hmm... Traces of divine power in the air, so his bloodline isn¡¯t completely trash.

    The three stars disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared.

    Zilan quickly got up, headed straight down the stairs, through the crowd of people and into a room located behind the kitchen area.

    The room was actually pretty large. It had two beds on each side, a small table in the corner and in the middle of the room was a giant cabinet filled with various books.

    Zilan walked over to the large cabinet and bent down. He fixed his hand underneath the cabinet, and after a short search he pulled out a small tattered book.

    He took the book and sat at the table.

    Shiur Helman- 55th level, blue core and traces of divine power in the air.

    Probability of success in experiment ¨C Very low.

    Zilan wrote a lot of information on Shiur in the book. After he was done, he thoroughly looked over it.

    When will I find it.

    He stared at the book and began flipping through pages when suddenly his hands stopped on a page with the heading, ¡°Halim Frius.¡±

    This page was different from all the others, there was no information on it only a large question mark.

    I only wish that you don¡¯t come to hate me for my actions.

    Suddenly, just as Zilan was lost in thought, the door to the room slammed open. He quickly hid the small book, stuffing it into his chest pocket.

    ¡°Shi-lan!..Zi-ran....¡± shouted Solmo as he stumbled about, clearly intoxicated.

    ¡°You really need to slow down with the drink and women, otherwise in the future....¡± Zilanrepreimanded.

    ¡°Shur up and helep me to bed...¡± barked Solmo.

    Zilan sighed as he stood up and grabbed hold of Solmo¡¯s shoulder. Slowly but surely the two moved closer to the bed until finally when they were close enough,Zilan threw him onto the bed.

    ¡°Ey..gentry, gentry!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not your helper, I¡¯m your cousin.¡± Stated Zilan.

    As if annoyed by Zilan¡¯s words, Solmo¡¯s eyes widened and for an instant it looked as if he had sobered up.

    ¡°Who cares about any of that! You and I will remain in this place forever unable to travel the world. The only hope we have is that my sister succeeds in her training at the Flaming Shade Sect, but until then we¡¯re weaklings in this city.

    So you better know your place! If it wasn¡¯t for my uncle taking you in then you would probably have ended up as a slave by now. Never forget that!

    You¡¯re lucky this place is going good otherwise...¡±

    Solmo stopped talking as he turned around and slept.

    Zilan simply shrugged at Solmo¡¯s words. He had gotten used to his threats since childhood, therefore he wasn¡¯t bothered by them.

    I wonder what would happen if Uncle told you the truth. Ah! How I wish I could see your face but too bad that won¡¯t happen.

    In order for you to live your life peacefully, the less you know about me the better. For in the future, who knows what hell I will cause!

 Chapter 2 - Insights.

    The cold winds of morning blew by as the sun rose.

    ¡°Zilan! Wake up.¡± whispered Solmo as he nudged Zilan awake.

    ¡°Wha... is it!¡± murmured Zilan as he slapped Solmo¡¯s hand away.

    Solmo then stood up and opened the curtains of the room, allowing the bright sunlight in.

    ¡°I need a favour.¡±

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll do it but please, leave me be.¡± Barked Zilan as he threw his blanket over his head, quickly drifting into a deep sleep.

    Sighing in relief, Solmo then placed a note by Zilan¡¯s bed before heading back to bed.

    A few hours later.

    Zilan¡¯s eyes slowly opened when suddenly he heard a *krr* sound. He looked to his side and raised his hand, only to find a crushed small note under it.

    Before picking up the note, Zilan first sat up straight and began stretching. He then stood up and walked out of the room.

    The Dual Winged Sparrow only opened in the late evenings therefore currently it was both empty and deathly quiet. A huge contrast to the bustling atmosphere of last night.

    After the time it would take one to finish a light meal, Zilan entered the room once again. His hair wet, and a small towel around his waist.

    He grabbed the note on the bed and gave it a glance. However what he saw caused him to burst into laughter.

    Dear cousin, Uncle has hidden all the wine in the house and he already contacted all the merchants in the market telling them not to sell me any.

    Please do me this favour and I promise I¡¯ll repay you in the future.

    ¡°It looks like Uncle was extremely angry with Solmo¡¯s playing around yesterday!¡± thought Zilan as he threw the note aside and continued to dry and bind his long hair that almost reached his knees. What Zilan didn¡¯t know was that the true reason his Uncle did this was because he had happened to overhear Solmo¡¯s words yesterday.

    Once Zilan was done grooming, he proceeded to dress himself in a light blue robe that made him appear more like a scholar than a restaurant manager.

    ¡°Time to get to work!¡±

    Zilan grabbed the notebook and headed out of the restaurant, calmly strolling about as he basked in the warm embrace of the morning sun.

    Morning Dew City wasn¡¯t really that big, therefore almost everybody took to footing including high ranking officials. Only those wishing to stand out travelled in carriages.

    The reason for this was because almost eighty percent of Morning Dew City was part of the Flaming Shade Sect¡¯s territory. The remaining twenty percent was owned by the Governor and was divided into three parts.

    The governor¡¯s mansion which was the largest.

    The people¡¯s Market which was completely run by the Governor¡¯s mansion and the Flaming Market which was shared between the governor and the Flaming shade sect.

    Morning Dew City was actually at one point in time part of the Flaming Shade Sect. However, various internal power strife led to a massive battle and in the end, the Kingdom had no choice but to intervene. They appointed a Governor and gave him land which was to be governed by him but owned by the Kingdom. In return for the land and the peace, the Flaming Shade Sect was honoured with the title,Middle Ruby.

    What this meant was that the Flaming Shade Sect would be given a higher ranking in the Kingdom¡¯s Jewel system.

    The Jewel system was introduced thousands of years ago, by the founder of the Penlai Kingdom. Basically all sects, military forces, and institutions were ranked based on their contributions, value and loyalty to the kingdom.

    There were five levels in the jewel system.

    First level ¨C Diamond (Which is also divided into sub-groups)

    Second level ¨C Emerald (Also divided into sub groups)

    Third Level ¨C Ruby. (Also divided in Sub-groups)

    Fourth level ¨C Sapphire.

    Fifth level ¨C Quartz.

    Although being a Middle Ruby might sound bad but in actuality that was quite an accomplishment. In fact, in the entire Penlai Kingdom there is only one Diamond level jewel and three Emerald. As for Ruby there are only five of them, commonly referred to as the Five Gates.

    This simply represented the fact that it was one of the Five Jewels that surrounded the Capital of Thirot. In order to enter the capital, one had to pass through one of the Five Gates which meant that the markets of Morning Dew City although not comparable to that of Thirot, still had a lot of rare gems waiting to be discovered.

    In fact, Zilan had discovered quite a few of them in his time here. Purchasing them for a shockingly cheap price and since he had no need for them, there were obviously no hard feelings when it came to putting them up for auction where they sold for a stupid amount of money.

    ........

    After a short walk, Zilan had finally arrived at his destination. Before him stood a fairly large spear shaped tower that gave of an air of ancientness.However, despite that, it still stood upright without any cracks on its exterior. Probably the only thing visible to the naked eye that made it seem old, was the thousands of vines and other vegetation that surrounded it, almost as if it were inside a giant green shell.

    Two imposing guards stood at the entrance, guarding the tower from intruders. However, as soon as they spotted Zilan, smiles of pure joy bloomed on their faces.

    ¡°Zilan, you¡¯re rather early today!¡± chuckled the older of the two guards.

    ¡°Ha! That¡¯s probably because he¡¯s going to meet up with Miss Hula later.¡± teased the other who looked quite a bit younger.¡±

    ¡°Enough of that talk, Seniors please accept this as a token of gratitude for your continuous help.¡±

    Zilan suddenly grabbed the hand of the older guard and forcefully shoved something into it. Before the two guards had a chance to react, he had already passed them by and without looking back, he headed into the tower.

    ¡°What did he give you?¡± asked the other guard.

    The older guard stretched out his palm and as soon as he saw the contents, his eyes widened and his hands began trembling.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.*Ting*

    A single purple coin fell on the floor spiralling around.

    The younger guard quickly stepped on the coin. His head moved around in every direction possible, making sure that no one else was watching.

    ¡°Kros, quickly pick up the coin!¡± whispered the younger guard.

    Kros instantly woke up from his trance. He threw down a piece of metal and while pretending to pick it up, he grabbed the coin from under the other guard¡¯s foot.

    He then stuffed into his pouch before grabbing it and placing it inside his chest plate.

    ¡°Guil, it looks like I can finally retire.¡± said Kros, his face turning completely red.

    ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t forget my share.¡±  chuckled Guil as he threw his arm around Kros¡¯s shoulder.

    The two stared at each other for a few minutes before finally breaking into loud, hearty laughter. If it were not for the fact that they were on duty, then they would have probably ran into a nearby brothel to celebrate.

    The small purple coin Zilan had given them could be said to be the greatest treasure the two guards had ever come across in their entire lives.

    An amethyst coin.

    In the Kingdom of Penlai, the currency used was mostly,

    Copper.

    Silver - worth 100 Copper coins.

    Gold ¨C worth 1000 Silver coins.

    Amethyst ¨C worth 10,000 Gold coins.

    In the Kingdom an average family would need at most five hundred silver coins to cater for all their needs for an entire year.

    ................

    Inside the spear tower, at the very top of a long flight of stairs stood a giant jade stacker door.

    Zilan calmly pushed the door open and proceeded to enter. Inside, lay a fairly large chamber that was filled with clutter.

    Tens of tattered, worn out books were spread out on the floor, various contraption and metals were hung on the wall. All of which seemed rather ancient.

    In a practiced manner,Zilan made his way through a small carved out path that passed safely through mountains of books and paper without coming into contact with any of them.

    He then made his way to the one spot in the room that seemed like it had come straight out of a painting.

    In a corner of the chamber was a small stained glass window, the only place from which sunlight could enter the room. Rays of light passed through it making out an image of a man with a lion standing behind him.

    If one looked close enough, they¡¯d find that the glass wasn¡¯t actually painted but was instead embedded with thousands of tiny multi-coloured priceless jewels.

    Zilan unblinkingly stared at the window for a while, almost as if he were admiring it. However, once the clouds covered the sun and its rays grew dim, Zilan nodded in satisfaction and quickly opened the window.

    Four tiny blue stars appeared in his eyes.

    He then took out the book from his chest pocket and began writing at a frighteningly quick speed. The peculiar part of it was that he didn¡¯t look at the book even once, his eyes glued to the market place in the distance.

    Just as Zilan was caught up in writing, the edge of the sun began to creep out from the clouds¡¯ shadow. Noticing this, he suddenly closed his book and shut the window tightly. His forehead covered in beads of sweat.

    He moved away from the window and took a seat on old dusty arm chair, his chest rapidly rising and falling.

    Zilan raised the book up onto his head and began shifting through pages when suddenly he stopped on the very first page of the book.

    The Life of Zilan Year 998 of the Slem Regime ¨C Written by Zilan.

    Today I asked Mama and Father, why some people can¡¯t cultivate?

    They laughed and asked me what I thought?

    Of course, me being the Great Zilan who will become the greatest cultivator in the world answered them to the best of my capability.

    ¡°I have seen that many people in the world aren¡¯t able to cultivate but then I wondered why?

    So I looked at the Town guard, Jivu who¡¯s at the 50th level, or so he says.¡±

    They laughed at this part.

    But I continued.

    ¡°The spiritual power was being accumulated around his body however I noticed that whenever he breathes, slowly but surely the spiritual power is absorbed.¡±

    Father slightly frowned, and his face became pale when he heard me say this but I thought he was just shocked at my ingenuity so I continued.

    ¡°I then began examining the farmers in the fields outside of town, and what I saw was surprisingly almost the same exact thing, spiritual power accumulating around their bodies.

    The only difference being that none of it was being absorbed thus they couldn¡¯t become cultivators. However, I didn¡¯t stop there, I continued examining all the people in the town until I found out that the older non-cultivating people, although slightly, had still been able to make a certain part of them absorb spiritual power.

    That¡¯s what gives them that air of wisdom.¡±

    .................

    Zilan suddenly closed the book, throwing it far away. He covered his eyes with his palms, a single tear escaping through a tiny gap.

 Chapter 3 - Invitation

    The tower chamber slowly grew darker as the sun began to descend.

    Zilan, still in the same position stared at the plain white ceiling, lost in deep thought.

    He suddenly remembered something and almost unwillingly decided to get up. He walked towards where he threw the small book and after a short search, picked it up and with trembling hands, he stuffed it in his chest pocket.

    He then took a deep breath before heading out of the chamber and leaving the tower.

    As soon as he came out, the two guards were prepared to give him a magnificent thank you speech filled with overwhelming praise and admiration. However, once they saw the gloomy and almost detached expression on Zilan¡¯s face, they both simultaneously looked the other way, not daring to even glance back from the corner of their eyes.

    They feared the possibility of their words having the opposite effect, resulting in the amethyst coin being taken back and that was one thing they definitely could not allow to happen as they had already budgeted on how they were going to spend their newly acquired funds.

    Zilan paid no attention to the guards¡¯ actions, quickly passing them by, much to their relief. He then moved towards a small brothel in the market and purchased a large bottle of fine wine, placing it in his void sack.

    Before he left though, Zilan took a look around and saw that hardly anyone was on the streets, with store owners closing shop.

    ¡°So the nightly auction has begun.¡± thought Zilan as he fastened his pace towards the Dual Winged Sparrow.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Zilan to arrive home however this time instead of heading in through thefront entrance, he instead passed through the kitchen door, located at the back of the restaurant.

    Once he entered, it was almost like he had stepped into another world. Loud yet soothing music played, reaching every corner of the fine establishment.

    The sounds of cooks shouting, clouds of steam from boiling pots obstructing his view and best of all, the sweet aroma of rare delicacies forcing its way into his nostrils.

    Zilan quickly ran into his room, closing the door behind him. He placed the bottle of fine wine on Solmo¡¯s pillow and then jumped onto his own bed, immediately closing his eyes.

    His breathing quickened and his body began to faintly jerk as he clutched his head, crying, ¡°No, No!¡±

    Images of two people, whose faces Zilan couldn¡¯t make out appeared in his mind but from what he could tell one was male and the other female.

    ¡°Mama, Father!¡±

    A third figure appeared running towards the two people screaming and laughing as he carried a small spear with him.

    That person was someone Zilan knew very well. It was him as a child but for some unknown reason, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t make out the faces of the other two figures who he assumed were his parents.

    The three of them were at a shallow stream, his mother washed clothes as she sang a weird melody,

    Once came, once went

    Too far he ran, Oh why can we not follow~

    We strive and fight to catch all but a single drop,

    The future is bright and we shall rise so rejoice the people of Zaum.

    For some reason whenever he heard this tune, he would always feel a sudden urge to sleep and this time was no different. His father caught him dozing and threw him into the river before shouting,

    We didn¡¯t come here to play, now grab your spear, it¡¯s time to earn your food.

    Zilan¡¯s mother giggled when she saw the two of them. However, she did not say anything.

    Suddenly,Zilan¡¯s body began to violently shake, the images of him and his parents grew distorted and blurry until it finally disappeared, only darkness remainining.

    Come here, little one. There¡¯s someone who really wants to meet you.

    From the darkness, fiery flames that rose so high that even the sun was blocked out appeared. An outline of a face could be seen within the flames, a fiendish smile that spread from cheek to cheek, dark cold narrow eyes and a frightening laugh all combined to make it seem like the devil himself had appeared.

    Zilan¡¯s eyes abruptly opened, he slowly sat up as beads of sweat dripped down his face. He grinded his teeth together and clenched his fists so hard that his finger nails were digging into the skin on his palm.

    ¡°That man, he did this to me....¡±

    Just as Zilan was lost in thought, the door of the room suddenly opened.

    ¡°Zilan, it¡¯s almost time to open....is something the matter!?¡±

    Zilan¡¯s uncle walked into the room shouting however, once he saw him, he couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback.

    Zilan was lying face stuffed into his pillow as he quietly groaned.

    ¡°What do I do? What do I do?¡± causing his Uncle to be alarmed.

    ¡°Nephew, what¡¯s wrong? Did something happen at the market?¡±

    Zilan shook his head as he mumbled through the pillow,

    ¡°I promised to meet with Hula today but I ended up forgetting!¡±

    His Uncle sighed as he moved closer towards Zilan,

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Hula¡¯s a good girl, I doubt she¡¯ll think too much of it. Now dress up, customers will be arriving soon and I need you upstairs in the Lounge of Joy.¡±

    Zilan nodded and his uncle left the room in a rather happy mood. However once the door locked his face turned dark.

    ¡°Uncle, this is something I must never let you find out. Never!¡±

    After the time it would take one to drink a cup of tea, Zilan came out of his room. He had changed into a pale blue changshan</a> and his hair was now unbound, flowing all the way to his waist.

    He then headed towards a certain corner in the kitchen where only three items were placed. A fairly large pot of custard, a bunch of bowls and a serving spoon.

    Stolen novel; please report.He placed the bowls and the serving spoon on top of the pot and then carried all three with him up the spiralling stairs and into the Lounge of Joy.

    Zilan placed the items in the middle of the room and proceeded to sit at the absolute back of the room with his back against the wall, closing his eyes to rest.

    A few moments later, faint knocking sounds came from the lounge door.

    Zilan rubbed his eyes and smacked his face a few times before saying,

    ¡°Enter!¡±

    As soon as he said that, the door opened and in walked a rather old man with a huge well-groomed beard, dark brown hair, blue eyes and wearing clothes that were only fit for nobility. Behind him, a beautiful young maiden with deep blue eyes, wearing a loose top and a rather long skirt that only served to showcase her slender, svelte figure.

    Zilan stared wide eyed at the pair and couldn¡¯t help but stand up,

    ¡°Mr. Laus, Miss Hula....Why have you come here today so suddenly?¡±

    Hearing this, Hula¡¯s brow slightly twitched while Mr. Laus simply chuckled as he stroked his beard,

    ¡°How many times must I say to call me Uncle, who is this Mr. You keep referring to...hmmm? As for why we¡¯re here, is this not a business that thrives on its ability to attract PAYING customers, or am I somehow mistaken?¡±

    Zilan quickly regained his composure as he gestured to the two of them to take a seat.

    ¡°How many bowls would you like?¡± asked Zilan in the politest tone he was capable of.

    ¡°Just one, I¡¯ll be leaving soon anyway.¡± replied Mr. Laus as he raised one finger up.

    Zilan filled a single bowl with custard and passed it to Mr. Laus who quickly placed it in his void sack, stood up and left the room.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two to talk!¡±

    Haa~...Just how did this all happen.

    A few years ago, Zilan and Hula were really close friends. They would run around the market causing mischief together and for some reason were always together.

    However, once they grew a bit older, reality finally struck. Zilan was the nephew of a small time merchant who owned a small noodle stall by the side of the road while Hula was the daughter of a noble who also happened to be of royal blood, which really didn¡¯t mean much.

    After all, who could count the number of small town nobles the royals had played around with throughout their lives but nevertheless that did not change the fact that they were still of Royal blood and as such were of a different class.

    Time came for Hula to attend lessons on etiquette and manners which as expected caused a drastic change to happen within her. She was no longer the wild, free spirited Hula that Zilan knew, replacing her was the typical noble lady, nose held high, perfect posture, classy speech. Basically, the old Hula was gone or so Zilan had thought.

    More time passed and Hula began to open up to Zilan about life and how boring it had become, and with that their old relationship had been rekindled. However, Hula¡¯s father caught wind of Hula¡¯s strange behaviour whenever she was around Zilan and so using various means found a way to keep the two apart.

    This was also around the time that the Dual-Winged Sparrow was swiftly rising to popularity.

    Surprisingly something unexpected happened, Laus came up to Zilan one day and was extremely nice to him. Showering him with praises and in the end even proposed an engagement between Hula and him.

    Zilan didn¡¯t know how something like this happened and no matter how hard he thought about it, the answers continued to elude him.

    Unable to come to an understanding of the situation, Zilan just shrugged it off, assuming that the sudden rise of the Dual-Winged Sparrow was the cause of this.

    He turned down the engagement proposal of course, despite Laus¡¯s advances with the excuse of not being worthy enough for Hula and that the two were merely close friends.

    ....................

    Zilan and Hula sat silently within the room, no sound whatsoever being made.

    A few minutes passed and still no one said anything but then suddenly a loud yet sweet sounding sigh sounded out,

    ¡°Ahh~ Why do you always have to be like this? Am I really that bad?¡± pouted Hula as she stared at Zilan unblinkingly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t care for you but right now, I cannot be bothered with any matters that will distract me from my duties.¡± replied Zilan as he smiled.

    ¡°You always say that...duties, duties.... What duties are these that are so important?¡± Hula began moving closer to Zilan, crawling on all fours as her deep blue eyes focused on Zilan.

    ¡°......¡±

    Zilan didn¡¯t reply.

    Just as her face was only a finger¡¯s length away from Zilan¡¯s, Hula¡¯s movements stopped. She then sat down and pulled out a small golden card from her void sack, placing it on Zilan¡¯s lap.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s an invitation to tomorrows nightly auction, Father insisted that I invite you. So there....¡±

    Zilan picked the golden card up and immediately passed it back to Hula,

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll have to decline!¡±

    Hula rolled her eyes as if expecting this, she then grabbed hold of Zilan¡¯s hand, placing it on her cheek,

    ¡°Are you really going to leave poor Hula alone with those boring old men?¡± gasped Hula in a manner that caused even Zilan¡¯s face to flush red.

    My God, is this what all noble girls are taught?

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll accompany you.¡±

    Hearing this, a rather innocent smile graced Hula¡¯s small face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go tell Father!¡±

 Chapter 4 - Business.

    The next morning, Zilan went about his usual daily routine. He spent half of his morning at the tower recording all the notable things in his small book before going back home to help out with the restaurant and to deliver Solmo his wine.

    Once the sun was right above the city, shining at it¡¯s brightest. Zilan left home headed back to the market.

    This time however he didn¡¯t just stop at the outskirts, instead pushing deeper into the market. Tens of people walked by paying no mind to one another, with more and more of them appearing as Zilan ventured further into the heart of the market.

    The sounds of bells ringing and merchants cursing along with the sights of flies and mosquitoes grew louder and more frequent with every step he took. It wasn¡¯t until he arrived at the heart of the market that Zilan finally took a full breath.

    Unlike the long narrow road he had just come from, this part of the market was widely spaced and from above appeared like an ¡°0¡± thus was commonly known as the ¡°Merchants egg¡±. No small stalls could be seen in this area, with only exquisitely designed medium sized buildings appearing.

    Zilan went into one of these buildings that had a sign with ¡°Three brothers beyond¡± written on it. Inside, was a large hall with dozens of merchants and their luxurious mats laid out on the floor, on top of which were various artifacts ranging from mere shiny trinkets to dangerous weapons.

    This wasn¡¯t an uncommon sight as almost all citizens of Morning Dew knew the rules of the Merchant¡¯s egg.

    All merchants are forbidden from selling their goods as individuals.

    All merchants are required by law to join a guild of their choice in order to sell their wares.

    Those who break these rules will have their wares stripped and will also be banished from the city.

    If one thought about it, they would find that this wasn¡¯t such a bad deal after all there were reasons for such laws to be put in place. The most important of which was security.

    If merchants sold valuable merchandise on the side of the road by themselves then it would be nigh impossible to control theft in the area which would then lead to them avoiding Morning Dew City on their travels. However, by joining strong guilds that could guarantee protection in exchange for a small commission the merchants need not worry for their merchandise and the Governor is spared from spending large amounts of the city¡¯s income on Security.

    The other reason was convenience. By joining one of the guilds, there was no longer any reason for merchants to fight for ¡°spots¡± in the market as all merchandise was showcased at the same place. This also helped customers who didn¡¯t need to go all around searching for particular goods.

    All one had to do was go to the Merchant¡¯s egg and look for the specific mark. For example, for those interested in weapons and arms. On the sign of any guild housing such items there will be a dagger symbol.

    The ¡°Three brothers beyond¡± had two symbols on it¡¯s sign, a dagger and a leaf which represented both arms and foreign items could be found inside.

    ..........

    Crowds of people moved around the hall, but the noise level had greatly reduced compared to the outside. Many merchants who knew of Zilan tried to call out to him but were simply ignored.

    Zilan passed by all of them and arrived at a corner of the hall where only one mat laid. There was neither merchant nor buyer in at least a ten meter radius of the mat however that didn¡¯t stop Zilan from calmly approaching.

    He stopped when he was about two arms length away from the mat and began looking around.

    ¡°Flesc...come out.¡±

    As soon as Zilan said those words, a figure rose from the mat like a giant bubble from soapy water. It rose to a height of about seven feet before stopping and taking form.

    Zilan unblinkingly watched as the inky figure took the form of a wolf, sharply dressed in merchants clothing and a badge with the symbol of a leaf on it.

    The wolf had the posture of a human, standing straight and walking on two legs however apart from the fur and claws, the one thing that truly made him incomparably different from humans was those dark pitch black eyes that seemed to depict death.

    ¡°Hoho..you finally come back, young one.¡± smiled Flesc, exposing his terrifyingly sharp rows of milky white  teeth.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t take it to heart, I only delayed because I didn¡¯t know when you would pop up again.¡± replied Zilan, scratching his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s not my fault! Besides me, I doubt there¡¯s any of my kind who would do business in this land. Having to hop around from guild to guild only to be kicked out once they realise my presence is chasing customers away. Not to mention that....¡±

    Zilan waved his hand, not wanting to speak more on the subject as it would only attract unwanted attention.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Beasts were discriminated against almost everywhere East of the Brivata Range. This was a fact in all of the Human lands, after all most beasts were unable to cultivate usually having been born with already set limits on their talent and strength whereas man walked the perfect path of ascending the heavens.

    ¡°Oh! That reminds me, I managed to obtain some of the things you wanted.¡± exclaimed Flesc, smirking with pride.

    Zilan seemingly shocked by those words, widened his eyes and immediately grabbed Flesc by the arm, pulling him closer towards him.

    ¡°Are you certain that what you have is what I requested?¡± whispered Zilan.

    Flesc raised his head up high, pushed Zilan off and proceeded to roll up his wears along with the mat and placed it in his void sack.

    ¡°Come and confirm with your own eyes if what I say is true.¡±

    Zilan quietly followed Flesc out of the ¡°Three brothers beyond¡± and into a small inn that wasn¡¯t too far from the Merchant¡¯s egg.

    ¡°This is where I¡¯ll be staying for the next day, so if you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to ask!¡± said Flesc as he invited Zilan into his room.

    Zilan didn¡¯t hold back whatsoever, quickly entering the room and finding a seat for himself.

    ¡°Explain yourself!¡±

    Flesc didn¡¯t seem to mind Zilan¡¯s sudden harsh tone, instead seeming rather pleased by it.

    ¡°No rush, no rush! Let¡¯s have some tea first.¡±

    Zilan furrowed his brow as he pondered on something. The room quickly fell into silence once again.

    ¡°If you truly obtained the items then that means....¡±

    Flesc laughed as he poured Zilan a cup of tea.

    ¡°Why do you ask when you already know the answer?¡±

    Zilan¡¯s eyes widened, veins of varying colours popping out of his head.

    ¡°Then why did you come here! Do you not fear death?¡± barked Zilan as he suddenly stood up.

    Ignoring Zilan, Flesc relaxedly sipped his tea whispering,

    ¡°These human drinks never disappoint when it comes to flavour.¡±

    Seeing his calm attitude, Zilan was just about to burst into a rage when suddenly Flesc put his cup down and stared into Zilan¡¯s eyes,

    ¡°Human, you and I may have a relationship but I owe you no explanation when it comes to my own actions! This will be the last time our paths cross, so show me the payment and let¡¯s be done with this. I¡¯m sure you understand that time is of the essence.¡±

    Zilan sat down and sighed, his face slightly pale.

    ¡°I won¡¯t ask anymore. Here, if this isn¡¯t enough then please let me know.¡± He said, as he threw a rather small void sack towards Flesc.

    Flesc picked up the sack and after carefully going through it¡¯s contents, he threw it back towards Zilan saying,

    ¡°That¡¯s not enough, but it¡¯ll do for now. The rest should be delivered to this address.¡±

    A small piece of paper was placed within the void sack but just as Zilan was about to open it, he was stopped by Flesc.

    ¡°Open it once you leave.¡±

    Once he said those words Zilan couldn¡¯t help but tear up, seemingly as though he had grasped an idea as to what was really going on.

    ¡°In the future....¡±

    Flesc raised his palm, urging Zilan not to speak anymore.

    ¡°What¡¯s shall happen will happen, it has happened before and will continue after me. I¡¯m just luckier than most that are in my situation. I pray that you will abide by the pact.¡±

    Zilan immediately nodded. He tried to say something but it was almost like a sour lemon had been shoved down his throat, making it almost impossible to discern what he was saying.

    ¡°Take them and leave.¡±

    An even smaller void sack was thrown towards Zilan. He caught it and without even inspecting it¡¯s contents, placed in his chest pocket.

    ¡°It¡¯d be rude for me to leave if I didn¡¯t at least finish a cup of tea served to me by a dear friend.¡±

    ¡°Hoho, very well then! With this our two years of doing business together has been concluded.¡±

 Chapter 5 - Morning Dew Auction house

    *Tuk,Tuk*

    ¡°Wh...who is it?¡± asked Zilan as he stood up from his desk.

    A light sigh was heard coming from behind the door.

    ¡°Zilan, I know something happened yesterday in town. Let me in so we can talk.¡±

    Zilan stared at the door for a while before sitting back down and resuming his work. His hands moved at a speed that would shock anyone who saw it. With each breath, at least half a page had been filled with words written in a very strange language.

    Some time passed and Zilan was still scribbling down things in his book, when suddenly he heard a knock on the door once again.

    *Tuk,Tuk*

    Annoyed by the constant nagging, Zilan couldn¡¯t help but lash out,

    ¡°Leave me be! Must I report all that goes on in my life to you!? Just leave me be.¡±

    *Silence.*

    No sound could be heard from the two but you could still feel Uncle¡¯s presence behind the door.

    ¡°A message from Miss Hula was sent to the restaurant, she said that you should be at the Auction House by sunset. I came to ask if you would still attend or should I cancel.¡±

    Zilan pondered for a moment before finally speaking,

    ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡±

    With that ,his Uncle also walked away from the door, not saying anything more.

    ¡°If only, I could do something. However, truly the heavens are fair. But it is from that fairness that comes this life that I, no, that all like me are forced to live.¡±

    Zilan stood there with a smile that seemed to show more sorrow than happiness, plastered on his face.

    He walked towards his desk and picked up his book, and four stars again appeared in his pupils.

    He turned to the front cover of the book where thirty names were written in blood red, all with the same surname.

    Trios Zaum.

    Lilo Zaum.

    Hensro Zaum.

    .........

    All the way to the final name,

    Zilan Zaum.

    Written at the bottom of the page were these words,

    ¡°Keep this story and treasure it, for without this tale, we would never have truly opened our eyes.¡±

    Zilan turned the next page and on it was a story that was only a page long,

    Life of Zaum.

    In a place plagued with dying land, dried up rivers and where even the heavens divine light did not shine.

    A single tribe of people lived. They supported each other and through perseverance were able to somehow survive.

    Each year, the tribe could only have one child as that was all they could support.

    On the five hundredth year of the tribe¡¯s existence, a child was born and he was named Zaum which meant Star in their language.

    The child was born frail and weak unlike previous children so a meeting was held on whether or not to kill the child. After much debate, it was decided that after five years, the child would be slain and eaten as that would benefit both the tribe and the child¡¯s parents.

    Time passed and after three years, the child had only grown a fifth of what a normal three year old should look like. However, despite this his parents didn¡¯t care and still loved him. The child could now crawl and whenever it could escape his parents, he would head to the hilltop and stare at the stars, stretching out his hand and laughing by himself.

    These strange acts caused the tribe elders to believe the child to be mad however, that didn¡¯t change the fact that in two years he would be no more.

    Another year passed and the child had stopped going to the hilltop. In fact, the child had stopped talking altogether, spending most of his time alone staring into the distance.

    One night when the sky was clear, and the moon was at it¡¯s brightest.

    Five giant stars seemed to appear out of thin air, slowly revolving inside the moon. The villagers woke up and once they laid eyes on the five stars, their brains turned to nothing and their bodies dissipated, except for the child¡¯s parents who frantically searched for their child.

    However, what they saw shocked them, in the child¡¯s eyes were five stars slowly revolving. At first the parents thought that they were just a reflection of the stars in the moon however upon closer examination, they realised that it was actually the moon that was reflecting what was in the child¡¯s eyes.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Three days and three nights passed with the child not moving from that spot, his eyes open throughout. It wasn¡¯t until the fourth night that the child passed away, still in the same position. His parents wept and cried out to the heavens but in the end, their child was gone and so they buried him.

    The next day the parents killed themselves out of sorrow.

    Thousands of years passed and finally Zaum rose once again, he had not died that night but only that his body couldn¡¯t contain his soul¡¯s power therefore it died but his soul survived.

    Zaum despised his fate, he had spent thousands of years unable to do anything as he recalled the scene of his parents committing suicide.

    He then decided to spend the rest of his life on the path of revenge. Revenge on the heavens. However, after venturing into the vast world and exploring it, he finally understood that the heavens are truly fair and unfathomably deep.

    He was stripped of his gift, no longer able to see, stripped of his freedom, turned into a cripple and finally he was slain by a common practitioner in a tiny realm who knew nothing of the workings of the vast world.

    However, before his death, Zaum had left a book along with a descendant who was the only one who could comprehend the things within.

    The book was titled PATH and held the last remaining bits of knowledge that Zaum had gained from his three night enlightenment. Depending on it¡¯s owner, the book would guide him on their respective paths until they ultimately died.

    Only those of the line of Zaum are worthy of following a Path and knowing of this tale.

    .................

    Zilan closed the book and turned to the cover where written in bold blood red was the words,

    ¡°Path of Blood.¡±

    It looks like no matter how much I try to deny it, this truly is the path meant for me.

    Zilan threw the book on his bed and with conviction said,

    ¡°So be it!¡±

    The MorningDew Auction house.

    Carriages of varying shapes and sizes filled the road to the Auction house with waves after wave of people, all dressed in luxurious attire moving in.

    The Morning Dew auction house was located on the outskirts of the city. The main reason for this being it¡¯s sheer size. It would be absolutely impossible for a structure such as the auction house to be built within the city.

    Although it was called ¡°Auction House¡± the Morning Dew Auction house was actually much more than that. It resembled a giant triangle from above but in truth was actually six separate smaller buildings packed closely together.

    Each building housed a different type of entertainment gathering but because of the mass popularity and need for an auction house; the structure was dubbed the name Morning Dew Auction House.

    ......

    At the front of the main building, a luxurious carriage with a saber crest on its body pulled up.

    The driver, quickly opened the carriage door and from within two people walked out.

    ¡°Hula, make sure you entertain Zilan. I¡¯ve been summoned by the Brave of the second sector so I won¡¯t be able to join you.¡±

    Hula gracefully walked out of the carriage, dressed in a faint violet gown that dropped down to her ankles and was adorned with various tiny jewels and gems that glittered when exposed to the gentle light rays of sunset.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry father, I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    Laus nodded in satisfaction before vanishing into the sea of people.

    ¡°I wonder if Zilan has arrived yet.¡± Thought Hula as she also went her own way.

    In a different part of the Auction House.

    A middle aged man stood in the middle of a large arena, a large charismatic smile on his face.

    ¡°Welcome all to tonight¡¯s Damned Duel! As always, we will have two sides competing, the one who seeks glory and the one who seeks salvation.

    From the side of glory we have the quickly rising Janam, an inner disciple of the Flaming Shade Sect who has won all nine of the fights he¡¯s taken part in.¡±

    As soon as the man finished announcing, a loud uproar filled the arena. Deafening chants of ¡°Bloody Janam¡± rained down from above.

    ¡°Calm down, calm down. This time, we have a rare sight in the duels. Charged with smuggling and spreading the plague of the beast, the freshly captured dog from the Brivata range, Flesc the trader.¡±

 Chapter 6 - Damnation and Salvation

    On the upper floors of the arena, in the corner of the room, sat a young man who unlike the rest of the spectators, did not seem amused at all. In fact, his current expression was so rigid and firm that one would get the feeling that it was forced, almost as if he was trying his best to hold something back.

    This youth was none other than Zilan who had arrived here not too long ago.

    The day before.

    Zilan sat alone in his room, intensely staring at the void sack before him.

    Three stars suddenly appeared in his eyes.

    ¡°This truly is from a Beast!¡±

    The void sack before Zilan was actually one of four things that he had requested Flesc to acquire for him long ago, known as a voidless item.

    The voidless sack, a very rare item in the human territories, could only be made by a highly evolved beast.

    Beasts in general are unable to cultivate and thus were looked down upon by Humans. However, that only applied to normal beasts. Among beasts, there were those who were born with the innate ability to continuously and naturally evolve as they grew older thus called evolving beasts.

    This is also the reason why a human void sack and a beast¡¯s voidless items were so different.

    The void sack could only be created by a cultivator who managed to break through the initial absorption stage and successfully enter the soul-compression stage which is where the soul of a practitioner and his element such as fire, lightning, water, are fused together into one. Once this process is complete, an empty space known as a void is left in the practitioner¡¯s core which then becomes a storage unit for them.

    Some high level soul-compression practitioners who specialise in the study of the spirit are then able to use their void to create the spirit tools known as void sacks.

    For beasts however, the process is much simpler but the downside being that voidless items are much rarer compared to the human void sacks.

    This is because voidless sacks of beasts do not contain a void but are actually innate gifts of beasts who are descendant of the goddess of time and space.

    The weakest of these beasts, the infinite scarlet turtle are the most commonly hunted specifically for their shells which have the ability to store a large amount of things without even feeling the slightest bit of weight. Once obtained, the shells are then broken down into numerous tiny pieces which can be placed on rings, bracelets and many other ornaments.

    One can only imagine the space contained within an entire voidless sack which takes roughly an entire shell to create.

    The reason Zilan wanted a voidless sack was not only because of this enlarged space, but also because it would be much easier for him to use unlike a cultivator¡¯s void sack that slowly sapped spiritual power from its user in order to work efficiently.

    Of course, this was no problem for a cultivator as the amount sapped was akin to taking a few drops of water from a lake, negligible to the extreme. But for non-cultivators, it was very straining to use, with many restrictions in place which included but not limited to; the weight which although reduced could still be clearly felt, the storage capacity was even more diminished and the responsiveness was slow.

    ..................

    Zilan picked up the voidless sack and carefully flipped it,

    *ting, ting, puff*

    Three items landed on the table.

    A small spherical yellow ball, a fairly medium sized container filled to the brim with what seemed to be blood and an old, wrinkled, tattered book with loose, stained pages hanging out of it.

    Zilan¡¯s eyes seemed to glow with an unprecedented shine as he glanced over each of the items. However, just as he was about to dive further into examining them, a small note fell from the voidless sack, causing Zilan¡¯s mood to take a complete turnaround.

    He hesitated to pick it up but in the end still unfolded it,

    ¡°Young Zilan,

    You¡¯re very sharp for a human, so by now I believe you already have an idea as to what might be going on.

    None of what happens is your fault! This is business and in my line of work, things like this are a common occurrence.

    I thought you were crazy the day you came up to me and shoved an amethyst coin in my pocket, asking if I had any information on three rare items. Despite giving me the money, you still pleaded saying that you would give anything you could if I could just deliver to you any information on them.

    Of course, acquiring those items by myself was a dream within a dream, so I planned to ask around the guild at home and then come back to this cursed human city to report that I found nothing but who could have thought that the mere mention of just one of those items would cause my guild master to shiver.

    Which brings me to the real reason I¡¯m writing this note to you.¡±

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    Zilan paused at this point slightly panicking,

    ¡°Does he know? That¡¯s impossible, what I¡¯m trying to do....¡±

    He stopped himself, forcefully calming himself down before continuing,

    ¡° I was offered a deal by the guild master, one that quite frankly was impossible for me to refuse. I¡¯ll spare you the details of it and skip right to the point.

    I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to leave the city with my life! But you don¡¯t need to worry about this too much as this is something that I prepared myself for when I left Brivata.

    The reason I¡¯m telling you this is because of the promise you made, the promise to grant me anything in exchange for delivering you those items.

    At the bottom of this note is an address, go there in a week¡¯s time and deliver my payment. The rest of my requests will also be shared with you once you get there. You must hold true to your end of the deal.

    Finally, what I¡¯m about to ask you to do for me is entirely optional. Whether you do it or not, I will bear no resentment towards you.

    I¡¯m entirely aware that recovering my body from you humans is impossible so I won¡¯t ask you to do that. What I wish for though is for my core to be returned to my family in Brivata.

    I cannot compensate you for this, so think carefully before putting yourself in danger because if you die, then my life will have been lost in vain.

    Of course, you can disregard all of this if I do manage to escape, except for the payment. You absolutely have to go to the address in a week¡¯s time.¡±

    Zilan folded the paper back up and placed it back into the voidless sack. There were no tears, nor could any hint of sorrow or sadness be seen on his face.

    Instead a large smile that conveyed both crazed desire and genuine happiness at the same time was plastered on his face.

    ¡°It happened again!¡± he whispered. ¡°Is this all? I apologise but it¡¯s going to take much more, to derail me from my path.¡± Zilan chuckled evilly .

    Back at the arena.

    Zilan watched on as large square openings appeared on two opposite sides of the arena. On the left opening, a platform that had a single youth standing on it was slowly being raised up.

    The same thing happened with the right opening only this time, three guards appeared. Two of them held large chains that were attached to an unconscious Flescs¡¯ limbs and the other one who was dressed in an all black robe that had a hood which hid his appearance from the audience held a strange leash that was covered in various inscriptions, tightly wrapped around Flesc¡¯s neck.

    Observing this with a grim expression, Zilan¡¯s eyes slightly widened but he still managed to control himself. What he saw next however, caused his heart to tighten and blood to rise up, filling his throat.

    Once the platform had been fully raised, the announcer signalled for Flesc to be woken up. The hooded guard obediently nodded and a strange greenish light transmitted from his hands, through the leash and onto Flesc¡¯s neck. As soon as it reached, Flesc¡¯s whole body jerked up, the tattered cloth covering his lower parts falling to the ground.

    If one who was familiar with Flesc¡¯s appearance were to see him now, they would most definitely swear upon the heavens that the person below was not Flesc.

    His face was so swollen to the point that his eyes could not be seen, a reddish-greenish slime dripped from his dislodged muzzle and a tight wheezing sound could be heard with every breath that he took. On his chest, the words ¡°dog¡±, ¡°mutt¡±, ¡°trash¡± were branded several times over.

    Zilan couldn¡¯t take it anymore and instantly stood up, cursing with all his might towards the announcer and the guards but whether through good fortune or bad, the wild cheers of excitement from the crowd made Zilan¡¯s sudden outburst sound like the buzzing of a single baby bee in a hive of thousands, impossible to single out.

    Zilan tightened his fists in absolute rage as he stared at the figure of the person, who just yesterday was chatting happily.

    This feeling, this feeling of being unable to do anything at all but watch. I despise it! I despise myself for accepting to be put in this situation time and time again.

    Zilan fell back onto his seat, his head raised staring at the ceiling that had an illusionary board hanging. Two categories were placed on the board, Damnation and Salvation.

    ¡°Damnation and Salvation....¡± read Zilan.

    ¡°Damnation and Salvation....Haha....Damnation and Salvation...What better terms exist to describe my current situation? You are the damned beast and I the saved cripple.¡±

    ¡°DAMNATION AND SALVATION!!¡± he shouted, making sure everyone heard his roar.

 Chapter 7 - The first lesson of the past (i)

    9 years ago.

    At the base of the Eastern Mountain which separated the human territories from the Beast territories, a small but thriving town could be seen. The town was rather damp as it was almost always covered by clouds which not only obstructed the sun but also constantly poured down rainfall almost everyday like flood gates which would periodically open and shut.

    A short distance away from the town, a small stream flowed down from the mountain and right beside it, an ordinary hut could be seen.

    A young boy came running out of the hut, gripping a small dagger in his hands.

    ¡°Father, hurry or we¡¯ll miss them.¡± shouted the young boy as he paced around anxiously.

    A sweet calming voice, sounded out from within the hut,

    ¡°Don¡¯t rush your father Zilan, he needs to prepare before going out. Not everyone can do what you do.¡±

    Zilan took this as a compliment rather than a scolding, thinking to himself,

    ¡°Sigh~ Sometimes I forget just how much of a genius I am.¡±

    Just as he was in the middle of praising himself, a muscular man stepped out of the hut. He was dressed in light leather armour, fully geared with knives, a bow and two quivers filled with hand-crafted arrows. He looked more like a soldier than a hunter about to search for his prey.

    Noticing that his father had finished preparing, Zilan quickly turned around and sprinted  into the forest.

    ¡°Wait!¡± shouted the man.

    Zilan didn¡¯t listen and instead continued running. The man sighed, asking himself where this child got all this stubbornness from.

    He bade farewell to his wife inside the hut and quickly gave chase as the forest was not a place to let a child roam alone.

    ..........

    Not long passed and the father-son pair were now walking together side by side. Zilan seemed rather upset as he periodically rubbed his bottom. His father on the other hand was too focused on his surroundings to bother with Zilan.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to hit so h...mp..mhpf_....¡±

    Before Zilan could finish lamenting, his father put his hand over his mouth.

    ¡°They¡¯re about to come out, keep it down!¡± he whispered.

    Zilan nodded and only then did his father remove his hand. He then signalled Zilan to crouch down on the ground as slowly as possible.

    ¡°How many stars are you capable of removing now?¡±

    Zilan confidently raised two fingers up, smirking as he did so. This immediately shocked his father, who if not for where they were, would most likely shout out in excitement.

    ¡°Sh..Show me!¡± he said as he attentively stared into Zilan¡¯s eyes.

    Zilan closed his eyes for a few seconds and when he opened them, three stars could be seen within his pupils. Just as his father was about to say something, the ground began shaking and about fifteen metres ahead of them, small holes began to pop out from the ground.

    ¡°The moles are here!¡± exclaimed Zilan.

    The moles he was referring to were the mountain shredder moles. These creatures lived in underground caverns usually located in hilly and mountainous areas. The majority of them living in herds that could stretch up to the hundreds and fed on almost anything thus, the name shredder moles.

    One mole popped out of a hole in the ground and then another and another until fifteen moles were above ground. They all appeared the same at a height of about sixteen centimetres , covered in a thick blackish-brown coat of fur, large scaled feet, a long tail and it¡¯s most distinctive feature, a circle of twenty two razor sharp tentacles at the end of it¡¯s snout.

    Four stars suddenly appeared in Zilan¡¯s father¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Father is what you see different from what I see?¡± asked Zilan.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what you see and I¡¯ll let you know if it differs from me?¡±

    Zilan nodded and with an unexpectedly serious expression stared at the relaxing beasts,

    ¡°I see their composition, their bones, their core and all of their meridians. I can see the falling spiritual power go out of it¡¯s way to avoid the beasts.¡±

    His father nodded after hearing up to this point thinking to himself,

    ¡°That is already above and beyond me.¡±

    However, what he heard next sent him reeling,

    ¡°I can also see a barrier in the sky, but it has small holes punched into it. Through those holes, an unfamiliar force is falling down and the beasts are absorbing it. Father, do you know what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Zilan¡¯s father remained silent for a long time before finally patting Zilan on the head and handing him his bow,

    ¡°There are some things that even Father doesn¡¯t know so for now why don¡¯t we shift our concentration to lunch before they run away.¡±

    Seeing the expression on his father¡¯s face, Zilan took the bow and quiver from him. He then slowly backed away, making as little sound as possible until he reached the moles¡¯ blind spot.

    He then stood up and got in a ¡°T¡± stance perpendicular to his prey, took an arrow from his quiver and nocked it. He then took a short breath before drawing the bow in one perfect fluid motion and aiming at his target.

    He calculated using the information from his eyes the best way to fire and after considering them all, injected some spiritual power into them before relaxing his fingers, letting the arrow fly.

    *Puchi, Puchi, Puchi*

    The arrow flew in a ¡°)¡± curve and used a timely gust of wind to increase its speed and manoeuvrability, piercing three moles before it finally landed on the ground.

    This happened so fast that the moles had no time to react and by the time they came to their senses trying to flee, another arrow was fired.

    This time it flew in a straight line,

    *Puchi, Puchi*

    Two more moles lost their lives.

    Zilan watched as the moles scattered about, jumping into their holes and he couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to kill anymore, we¡¯re through!¡± said his father who approached carrying seven dead moles, two of which had large blade cuts on them.

    Zilan nodded and the two left the hunting ground, satisfied with their hunt.

    ¡°Your skills are getting better!¡± praised his father.

    Zilan smirked with an arrogant expression plastered on his face. He then asked,

    ¡°Father, where did you learn to shoot and hunt?¡±

    ¡°Me...Well, that¡¯s in the past. Who taught me doesn¡¯t matter, all that matters is that you have to learn them. All men must have the skills to fill their own stomach, anything more is just unnecessary! Speaking of which, did you managed to have a break through?¡± He replied.

    Zilan frowned when asked this. He had been blessed with the gift of sight but yet when it came to cultivation no matter how hard he tried, his progress remained slow.

    ¡°I¡¯m still at the 8th level.¡± he whimpered. ¡°But just you wait, I¡¯m definitely going to reach the tenth level by the en....What¡¯s wrong Father?¡±

    As Zilan was explaining his situation, he noticed that his father had stopped paying attention.

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    ¡°Zilan, look in the direction of the town and tell me if you see any patches of spiritual power.¡±

    Puzzled by the sudden change of attitude, Zilan wanted to ask what was going on. However, before he could open his mouth his father shouted out,

    ¡°Hurry and do it!¡±

    Now frightened, Zilan activated the three stars in his eyes and looked towards the town¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Wh..What is that? There¡¯s a huge cloud of a force much stronger than spiritual power over the town.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Zilan¡¯s father patted him on the shoulder and handed him their captured prey,

    ¡°Go to the training house up the mountain and under no circumstances should you come down. I will fetch your mother, so wait there. Do you understand?¡±

    Zilan immediately nodded, mostly out of fear of being scolded.

    ¡°Good!¡± said his father before bolting down the mountain, moving in a straight line towards their hut.

    ...................

    Zilan remained at that spot unmoving for a good amount of time as he stared at the sky above the town, completely captivated by the cloud of green energy he was seeing. Sometimes it would ripple, shudder and then vanish altogether before reappearing much stronger than before.

    Suddenly another cloud of energy popped up above the sky. This cloud however, differed significantly from the green one as it lacked its calm beauty. The cloud was fiery red, much larger than the green one and astonishingly it seemed to expand, quickly moving towards Zilan¡¯s home.

    ¡°Should I warn father?¡± wondered Zilan as something within him told him to stay as far away from the town as possible.

    Zilan hesitantly turned around and ran up the mountain. He had made his decision.

    However, before he could even cover five metres, a series of loud explosions sounded out. Zilan instinctively turned to look and above the town, trails of smoke could be seen spiralling.

    ¡°I have to go...Something¡¯s not right.¡± was the first thought that came to mind.

    Before when it was only the strange energy, Zilan could listen to his inner fears and do as he was instructed, as he had neither an inkling to what it was nor if it posed any danger, but now it was obvious from the explosions and the smoke that something bad was going on in the town.

    Zilan carefully and hastily began moving down the mountain, following the same path his father took.

    As he ran, the surroundings became quiet and the only sound he could hear was that of his own heartbeat, fiercely pounding.

    ...............

    ¡°Ngh...ha...ha...ngh.¡±

    The sudden sound of groaning alerted Zilan who instantly drew his dagger and crouched down, cautiously moving forward.

    The closer he got, the louder and much more clearly could he hear.

    ¡°That..bloody monster took my arm!¡± lamented the voice which sounded gruff and raspy.

    Zilan was now only a single large stride away from the owner of the voice when he caught a glimpse of him, immediately causing him to jump up in fright and alerting the owner of the voice.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± he barked as he struggled to stand up.

    The owner of the voice was a rather skinny man, dressed in a torn up long black robe that had the symbol of a green spear on it¡¯s chest. A plethora of cuts and bruises could be seen on the man¡¯s body, the most gruesome of which was his left shoulder which was now independent, connected to nothing but air.

    Surprisingly though, there wasn¡¯t that much blood leaking from the wound.

    ¡°Yo..You¡¯re hurt!¡± replied Zilan pointing towards the gap where the man¡¯s arm used to be.

    Although Zilan was no stranger to the sight of blood, there stood a big difference from seeing it flow from animals and from humans. A sight he had not seen before.

    ¡°Where did you come from?¡± asked the man in a softer yet still hoarse tone, clearly he had lowered his guard at the sight of the child before him.

    Zilan pointed towards the direction he came from saying,

    ¡°I was hunting with my father!......Mister are you going to be ok?¡±

    The man froze as soon as he heard Zilan¡¯s words, if what he was thinking was true then the loss of his arm was worth it.

    ¡°Your father? Did he give you that dagger you¡¯re holding?¡± he asked while staring at the dagger unblinkingly.

    Zilan looked at his dagger and wondered why the man was asking him such a question. It was indeed his father who gave him the dagger but what did that have to do with anything.

    Zilan was no fool and soon he questioned the man¡¯s situation, no longer flustered by the gruesome wound.

    First of all, there were no powerful beasts this close to the town so how did the man get so heavily injured?

    Also there was the strange clothing that seemed more like a uniform, one which Zilan had never seen before.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± inquired Zilan as he slowly backed away.

    ¡°Hmm..You¡¯re not as stupid as you look, boy!¡± stated the armless man grinning from ear to ear. ¡°As for who I am, all you need to know is that this is destiny. You can either come with me pea-....¡±

    Before the man could finish, Zilan threw the dagger at the man¡¯s legs and without looking back, ran in the opposite direction, jumping from side to side as he did so.

    The man easily grabbed the dagger from the air and shouted,

    ¡°Spirit Flame!¡±

    Nothing happened.

    ¡°F*ck!¡± cursed the man.

    Just then, he had intended to use his left arm to attack, forgetting that he no longer had such a thing and due to his other severe injuries it was virtually impossible for him to give chase especially after seeing how fast Zilan was travelling thus the armless man decided to give up.

    Surprisingly though, he had a smile on his face,

    ¡°No matter, no matter. Although my reward will be less, I¡¯ll just let the captain handle all of them!¡± thought the man as he pulled out a small jade tablet.

    .......................

    Zilan ran with all his might and without realizing it he was now close enough to the town to see it in the distance.

    His pace decreased as he got closer to the town until finally he came to a complete stop, unable to believe what he was seeing.

    Almost all the buildings and houses had collapsed, completely destroyed.  Flames that seemed to have originated from hell were everywhere to the point that the ground itself appeared to be burning. There were dozens upon dozens of bloody charred bodies, some which were incomplete scattered everywhere. Zilan recognised some of those whose faces were still intact.

    His stomach tightened and he began to feel something rise up, until finally it burst out from his mouth. A mixture of vomit and blood poured out, seemingly unending.

    ¡°Wha..Wha...What¡¯s going on?¡± coughed Zilan as his gaze erratically shifted from body to body.

    ¡°Father! Father!¡± he shouted, yet no response came.

 Chapter 8 - The first lesson of the past (ii)

    Zilan walked through the town while making sure to avoid the flames and crumbling buildings. He tried his level best to keep his eyes fixed forward in an attempt to avoid seeing the remnants of the slaughtered men and women. However, despite his best efforts the thick stench of death that permeated the air still reminded him of where he was.

    As he drew closer to the town square, Zilan began to notice something. Mixed in with the charred bodies, were those of men who wore similar uniforms to that of the one armed man. Their bodies were not burnt to a crisp either, instead they were littered with cuts and blade marks similar to those on the one armed man.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± was the one phrase that repeated itself in his mind.

    With each step forward, Zilan found himself more and more confused.

    ¡°Where did all these people in unfamiliar uniform come from?¡±

    ¡°Why were they here?....Why?....were they dead?¡±

    Zilan needed to know what exactly was happening!

    Suddenly just as he was beginning to lose himself in fear and despair, he took notice to a faint sound in the distance. At first he thought he had heard his own things, a trick played on him by his own mind, but then there it was again, only this time much louder. He instantly recognised it as the sound of metal clashing, a rather familiar tune that he listened to everyday during training with his father.

    Zilan then halted his steps and quickly turned, bolting towards the direction it was coming from. Fortunately or perhaps unfortunately, it seemed that he would find its origin sooner rather than later as the noise seemed to be growing louder which could only mean, that it was coming closer.

    ............

    Soon, Zilan was in position. He had decided running directly towards the sound of people who were engaged in combat would be foolish and so he broke into one of the still standing houses that was on a direct collision course with the approaching people.

    He patiently waited, his ears and eyes on full alert.  So far, apart from the suspicious one-armed man, he had only seen the dead. This would be his chance to see who exactly was responsible for all of this.

    Zilan had no idea why he was doing this at all. He understood that even if he knew all the details of what was going on, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to stop it. However, it was something to do, probably the only thing he could in this situation.

    *BOOM*

    Something suddenly came flying towards Zilan¡¯s direction. It barrelled through an entire building before coming to a stop. Wood, dirt and glass flew everywhere.

    ¡°Hahaha.....¡± A crazed laugh could be heard from within the cloud of dust.

    ¡°Do you truly think you can escape us?¡±

    Zilan¡¯s eyes widened as he realised that the voice belonged to a woman however her face still eluded him. Four stars suddenly appeared in his eyes and that was soon remedied but what he saw completely shocked him.

    The lady was indeed very beautiful with pitch black hair that dropped to her thighs and a face that exuded seduction, but that was not the shocking part. A thick cloud of green energy was surrounding her, her every breath causing it to ripple and grow stronger.

    ¡°She is the green cloud!¡± thought Zilan as he covered his mouth with his palm.

    ¡°Velman! You can¡¯t kill hi_..........¡±

    Before the lady could finish her sentence, a flying dagger suddenly barrelled through her stomach leaving a small hole. An instant later and a man appeared before the lady and shoved another dagger into her throat.

    The lady struggled to breathe as her own blood began to choke her. She grabbed the man¡¯s hand trying to force the dagger out with her own strength but unfortunately it didn¡¯t work. The man then sliced the dagger upward and blood gushed forth with frightening force as her head was divided in half.

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    Zilan watched all this unblinkingly, however his eyes did not focus on the brutal killing but rather at the man.

    He jumped out of the window which was more or less just a frame now and called out,

    ¡°FATHER!¡± a stream of unending tears pouring down his face.

    Velman stared at his son running towards him, he could see from the child¡¯s eyes that he was suffering. Not physically, but mentally!

    He wasn¡¯t angry that Zilan had disobeyed him by coming here, on the contrary, he was actually relieved as it saved him precious time.

    Zilan ran straight into his father, causing him to take a step back. He hugged him tightly, completely forgetting about the blood stains.

    ¡°Wh..Wher..di-ju..go?¡± cried Zilan.

    Velman patted him on the head and told him,

    ¡°You need to be strong for me and listen carefully to what I¡¯m about to say.¡±

    Zilan nodded and looked up at his father; he squinted as tears still flowed from his now red eyes.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you about exactly why this is happening because we don¡¯t have the time.¡± Said Velman, his heart aching the more he looked at Zilan.

    ¡°I need you to take this and keep it safe. It has all the answers you want.¡± He said as he handed Zilan a small book with the title Path.

    Once it was in Zilan¡¯s hands, the title extended now showing, ¡°Path of Blood.¡±

    Velman bit his lip as he stared.

    ¡°Where¡¯s mother?¡± asked Zilan, wiping some of the tears from his face.

    Velman froze, he looked away from Zilan before taking a deep breath and saying,

    ¡°She is no longer with us!¡±

    Zilan didn¡¯t understand. He comprehended the words and what they meant but how? Just how?

    His mouth moved to say something but before he could even blink he was flying through the air.

    ¡°Eh!?¡±

    Velman had thrown him across the street but right before he crashed he saw a horrifying scene.

    An old man in a red cloak, whose face Zilan couldn¡¯t quite make out was gripping a spear that was now halfway inside his father¡¯s chest.

    *Bang*

    He crashed into a half destroyed house. His body easily passed through the charred wood of the house which in turn helped to both slow him down and break his fall.

    ¡°FLEE! ZILAN, FLEE!¡± groaned Velman as he held onto the old man¡¯s leg, keeping him in place.

    Zilan jumped to his feet, as he turned to run.

    A single stride later and the old man was before him. He stroked his long grey beard as he stared at Zilan, who could feel the old man¡¯s gaze penetrate into his very soul. A moment later and the old man punched him in the stomach, slightly beneath his navel.

    A cracking sound could be heard as Zilan¡¯s eyes and mouth both widened. A collection of blue gas then slowly rose from his stomach and eventually dissipated.

    ¡°The Heavens do not accept you!¡± proclaimed the old man, his voice reverberating through out the house.

 Chapter 9 - The rumblings of a calm sea begin

    The punch from the old man sent Zilan flying across the room.

    He tried screaming however only a faint high pitched squeal could escape his mouth. The pain so excruciating, that his body erratically flailed around and the shock of having his spiritual power dissipate in a matter of seconds combined to send Zilan¡¯s mind reeling to the brink of madness.

    A chuckle escaped the old man¡¯s lips as he watched Zilan¡¯s conditions, clearly amused by what he was seeing. Zilan noticed the chuckle and for a brief moment his eyes showed some clarity as he glared at the old man.

    ¡°Oh! Your mental fortitude is commendable but that rage, that is what makes you devils pests that require eradication.¡± said the old man as he calmly made his way towards Zilan.

    ¡°The cycle continues, Vellman! Were you not taught this? And yet here we are, it almost saddens me to bare witness to your stupidity.¡± continued the old man.

    By now he was already upon Zilan who was spitting out one mouthful of blood after another.

    ¡°Do not worry child, I will cleanse you of all your impurities now.¡± said the old man as he grabbed Zilan by the neck, effortlessly lifting him into the air.

    ¡°Those eyes are what you devils are cursed with but do not fret for I will rid of your burden before you grow possessed by it¡¯s evil.¡±

    The old man moved his free arm towards Zilan¡¯s face and stretched his fingers out, with the aim of plucking his eyes out.

    However, an unexpected sound suddenly sounded out.

    *Ting*

    The sound of metal clanking onto the ground, could be heard from behind the old man. He immediately let go of Zilan, causing him to fall lifelessly onto the floor.

    ¡°It looks like I have no choice but to end you, for the evil within you to truly be destroyed!¡± stated the old man as his expression grew cold.

    ¡°Leave my son be!¡± in a hoarse yet determined voice was the only reply that came.

    Now enraged, the old man quickly turned around to face Velman but the difference from what he expected and what he saw before him was like the difference between heaven and earth.

    A few meters ahead of the old man laid Velman who could barely sit up, blood gushing out of the hole in his chest. However the thing that shocked the old man was the fact that Velman¡¯s eyes were completely black and a mysterious yet shockingly powerful energy swirled around him.

    ¡°You Heretic! You dare defy the heavens any longer!? Have you not learned that you cannot fight it¡¯s will!?¡± shouted the old man as he fiercely glared at Velman.

    If gazes could kill then Velman would most certainly be a corpse right now but fortunately that was not the case, in this instance.

    ¡°Did I not teach you better? You foo_...¡± Before the old man could finish his sentence, a single word spoken from Velman caused him to disappear.

    ¡°Begone!¡±

    The old man instantly disappeared without a trace. Unexplainable, supreme power is the only way such a feat could be possible and much like every other supreme power, it came with a price and in this case that would be Velman¡¯s life.

    Unexpectedly though, he didn¡¯t hold many regrets as he would have died from his wounds anyway. At the very least, he could take solace in the fact that he already passed on the book that would guide Zilan to his future.

    Velman¡¯s eyes slowly turned back to normal and soon after he plopped back onto the ground, one foot already in the grave.

    Zilan who witnessed most of what transpired crawled towards his father¡¯s side; the pain from being crippled was completely overshadowed by the fear of losing the only two people he truly loved in the world, in but a single day.

    ¡°Zilan....I can¡¯t tell you much as I don¡¯t have the time*cough* but all you need to do is trust in Zaum and you will be able to command the power of the scorched.¡± whispered Velman.

    Zilan didn¡¯t understand a word of what Velman was saying but nevertheless, he still listened.

    ¡°That man, he will be back! All I did was send him away so as soon as I die you must hurry to your uncle. Don¡¯t do anything else, just go see him!¡±

    Zilan furiously nodded as he could not speak, tears streaking down his face.

    ¡°Good!¡± were the last words spoken by the father of Zilan, Velman Zaum.

    ..........................

    Present Day.

    Back at the Arena.

    The deafening chants of ¡°Bloody Janam¡± continued to rain down with even more excitement in the air than before.

    ¡°Calm yourselves, people! The match will begin after I explain the rules, till then I urge you to control yourselves!¡± exclaimed the announcer with a wicked yet charming smile plastered on his face.

    The crowd quieted down upon hearing this however there were a few fools who continued to scream for the match to begin.

    The announcer ignored them and pointed up above him where a giant illusionary board floated,

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.¡°For those new to our establishment, the board above is a scoring method implemented by the Brave of this third sector of the auction house.

    The two sides of Damnation and Salvation, represent the Salvation for Flesc should he survive and Damnation of Janam should he be defeated.¡±

    *Boo¡¯s* spread throughout the crowd upon mention of Janam¡¯s defeat.

    This caused the announcer to release a wierd cackle before continuing,

    ¡°The rules for the match are rather simple. There will be three rounds of three minutes and in each round the fighters will be given different tools which they must use to attain victory. If the tool gets destroyed a point will be awarded to the destroyer and the round will go to him.

    Janam¡¯s objective will be to slay Flesc the trader as soon as possible as the more rounds that he survives the more points he will get and if he somehow survives all three rounds, he will be set free and Janam will take his place. However if Flesc is killed in the final round then his points mean absolutely nothing and the victor will be Janam, after all the dead cannot claim rewards.¡±

    Zilan listened carefully to all the rules and the more he heard the angrier he got.

    ¡°So basically most of the rules favour Flesc, yet this Janam still chooses to fight. No wonder they call him Bloody Janam, only a person who wishes to spill blood could willingly partake in such ¡°sport¡±.¡±

    ¡°NOW, LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!¡± shouted the announcer and immediately after a deafening roar from the crowd followed.

    Flesc was unchained and handed a shield while Janam was given a spear to use.

    The announcer and the guards all proceeded out of the stage leaving only Flesc and Janam facing each other.

    ¡°You! Get up!¡± shouted Janam in a deep and intimidating voice.

    Flesc seemed to respond to those words as he lifted himself of the ground, using the shield as support.

    ¡°Come at me!¡± exclaimed Janam with arrogance and supreme confidence in his voice.

    Flesc coughed out a mouthful of blood before smiling and wheezing.

    ¡°You...humans and..you¡¯re needless slaughter, you¡¯re day is coming....believe you me.......it is coming!¡±

    Janam laughed as he heard this,

    ¡°To tell you the truth! This is my first time killing a beast. I was looking forward to hearing what you would say before you died.

    I wondered if you would cry out about your family and plead for mercy like the humans I killed before but who would have thought you would actually threaten the human race? You! An insignificant trader spouting such grand words, it was truly worth coming here.¡±

    The crowd also burst into laughter,

    ¡°Kill that foul creature!¡±

    ¡°Slaughter that filthy dog!¡±

    Words of mockery continued to be spouted however the smile on Flesc¡¯s face just grew wider.

    Seeing this Janam¡¯s grin quickly turned into a frown as he patiently made his way towards Flesc.

    ¡°Why are you smiling? Eh! Mut?¡±

    Flesc¡¯s raised his head to look at Janam, his eyes barely visible due to the swelling. A crazed smile on his face.

    ¡°Soon....you¡¯ll know!¡±

    Janam stared down at Flesc before knocking his shield away causing him to topple to the ground.

    ¡°What will I know? Who do you think you¡¯re talking to!?¡± screamed Janam as he stomped on Flesc¡¯s face repeatedly and then finally spitting on him.

    ¡°Hmph! Allow me to put you down like the dog that you are.¡±

    Janam then raised his spear with both hands before thrusting down however just as the spear was about to pierce Flesc¡¯s head, a bell sounded out and the spear was suddenly knocked out of his hand.

    ¡°Ok~...Three minutes are up, round 1 goes to Flesc!¡± shouted the announcer as he came back onto the stage.

    He then pointed upward and two points were allocated to the board under the column of ¡°Salvation¡±.

    ¡°Now then Round 2.......¡±

    Before the announcer could finish,  Flesc had launched himself into the air his jaws wide open, and about to chomp Janam¡¯s face to bits.

    He had taken this chance to surprise his opponent and at least leave a mark to be remembered by since there was no doubt this would be the place he breathes his last.

    ¡°AAhhhh....!¡± howled Janam as he raised his hand to protect his face.

    *Crunch*

    Janam¡¯s hand was ripped of his arm as Flesc fell to the ground.

    Janam screamed and howled as the crowd went completely silent, veins of varying colours bulged on his face.

    The announcer on the other hand calmly stared at Flesc and then proceeded to look around the crowd.

    ¡°The Brave isn¡¯t going to be happy! You stupid animal, you have no idea the sh*t you¡¯ve dropped me into.¡±

    He then waved his hand and Flesc body began to burn, the stench of burning flesh spread through out the crowd.

    However surprisingly not a single sound escaped from Flesc¡¯s lips, he just laid there burning.

    The crowd once again started cheering and all but one boy seemed saddened by the passing of the Beast known as Flesc the trader.

 Chapter 10 - His path begins

    The announcer turned towards the guards, signalling them with his eyes. They immediately ran over and restrained Janam before escorting him off the stage, they also patted down the flames on Flesc¡¯s body before carrying him of as well.

    As soon as they were off the stage the announcer slowly bowed towards the crowd, lowering his head,

    ¡°Forgive my incompetence, this will not happen again. Bloody Janam is the victor of the match due to a foolish dog¡¯s actions. Please stay tuned to even more exciting matches!¡±

    The crowd responded by jeering and cursing,

    ¡°Get on with it!¡±

    ¡°What the hell was that!¡±

    Zilan on the other hand just surveyed the arena, watching all of the people.

    ¡°Why do humans take such pleasure in seeing fellow humans suffer? Even I must confess to having this same demon within me but why is that?¡± wondered Zilan as he decided to put this thought away.

    On the outside Zilan seemed fine however there are wounds that will never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that could cause bleeding.

    He didn¡¯t know why but strangely he felt that the death of Flesc would not be the end of their connection. It was a strange feeling but at the same time, one that was welcomed. Normally, he would feel constant pain like a knife was stirring his heart around digging deeper and deeper making him unable to think straight.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m finally getting used to seeing the ones I love perish¡±, was a thought that crossed his mind and caused even more sadness.

    ...

    The next matches began soon after with most of them involving prisoners fighting against soldiers or other members of the flaming shade sect, and only one other beast participated. In the end, none gained their freedom much to the delight of the blood thirsty spectators.

    Zilan stayed and watched every single match and only when people started to clear from the arena did he follow suit.

    As he was leaving, he remembered that he had to meet up with Hula at the auction house. Honestly speaking, he was emotionally drained and simply wished to go back home and rest but alas there was her father to worry about later if he failed to appear and that wasn¡¯t a problem Zilan was prepared to deal with.

    As Zilan made his way through the sea of people heading towards the auction house, he managed to catch a glimpse of the hooded guards from the arena carrying what looked like a body carefully wrapped in a white cloth.

    ¡°Could it be!?¡± Zilan thought, as he tried to pursue them but unfortunately the wave of people that constantly flooded the area kept him from doing so. Luckily, from the direction they were heading in it looked like they were going to the auction house.

    Zilan gave up on pushing his way through and instead went to where he was supposed to meet Hula.

    The auction house was the largest of all buildings and also the most heavily guarded. At every entrance there was an entire squadron of guards comprised of both the Governor¡¯s soldiers and some sect members of the Flaming Shade Sect.

    No one was allowed entry unless they had a card showing that they were worthy of going inside. The card itself held no value as it was made of plastic however; its true importance was that it distinguished the

    poor from the rich as only the wealthy could afford the items being auctioned off.

    After standing in line for a few minutes, Zilan finally arrived before the guards checking for cards. He presented the golden card that Hula had given him which caused quite the uproar among the bystanders.

    The guards¡¯ attitude quickly changed, even personally escorting Zilan into the premises, much to the envy of the people waiting in line.

    ¡°Must be the son of someone influential!¡± they thought.

    The cards that were given out were not all the same, as they varied in colour. There were three in total, Silver which was allowed access to the common seats, Gold to the VIP boxes and Platinum to the royal booths.

    Naturally, Zilan was aware of this as this was not the first time he had come here but it was the first time that he was going to be seated in a VIP box.

    The guard who was escorting Zilan eyed him from top to bottom and although he knew Zilan was in possession of the Gold card, he couldn¡¯t help but think that the young man before him looked nothing like a noble.

    Aside from his abnormally dazzling hair, there was probably nothing special about him. He did not hold the air of nobility, matter of fact, Zilan didn¡¯t have any qualities that truly set him apart from a commoner, at least in the eyes of the guard.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    He decided that his thoughts were best not to be uttered after all, the fact that Zilan was in possession of the golden card was a fact.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the two of them arrived at the entrance to the VIP box and unexpectedly Hula was there waiting for Zilan. She was the first to spot Zilan and moved to welcome him.

    ¡°Where¡¯ve you been?¡± she asked slightly upset.

    She had already waited for Zilan for at least an hour and it was safe to say that things weren¡¯t going as well as she planned.

    The guard quickly slipped away as soon as Hula arrived before them.

    Zilan half-heartedly apologised to Hula as he just didn¡¯t have it in him to do much more. Hula noticed this and decided to let the matter go, this was not the first time she had witnessed Zilan¡¯s mood swings.

    The two walked side by side through the entrance to the VIP area. Once inside Zilan could see tens of box suites lined up facing the platform below, there were also hundreds of single seats on the floor below them that were almost all filled. Above Zilan was a floor that had only two fairly large booths, one with the insignia of the Governor¡¯s Mansion and the other with that of the Flaming Shade Sect. Those were the royal booths!

    Hula then led Zilan towards their box. Once inside, even Zilan was shocked as not only were the seats much larger and looked much more comfortable than those of the commoners but the box itself seemed to be the real jewel. From the outside you could see nothing of what was inside but from within, you could see everything that was going on outside.

    Hula snickered before explaining that the box was actually a mid-level spirit tool.

    There were also some female servants within the box holding trays filled with fruits and various drinks.

    Zilan quickly took a seat in the middle of the large sectional sofa and to his surprise Hula sat right beside him, elbow to elbow.

    ¡°Press that button over there when you see something you like. The booth will light up and your bid will be recorded, but don¡¯t bid on something too expensive.¡± explained Hula as she pointed towards an opening in the chair.

    Zilan nodded and almost immediately after, the lights in the auction house dimmed and a spot light shone on the giant platform below.

    A beautiful lady dressed in a long black dress that dragged on the floor as she walked to the centre of the platform appeared. She had short red hair, curves that would put snake dancers to shame and narrow black eyes that seemed to see through anyone that dared look into them, her face was unusually pale and expression bone piercingly cold. Her beauty never the less still captured the hearts of the majority of men in attendance.

    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen in attendance, it is my honour to preside over tonight¡¯s auction. I will do my utmost to uphold the values of this auction house.¡± The entire auction house was completely silent as she spoke, only when she was done did an eruption of cheers begin.

    ¡°Sobiar! I came here today only to see you, please look at me!¡±

    ¡°No! Look at me, I spent my entire salary just to come see you.¡±

    Similar cheers could be heard through out the arena until suddenly a loud shout sounded out,

    ¡°QUIET!¡±

    A large bare-chested man with strange tattoos all over his body walked out from the shadows, his appearance could be described only as a ¡°collection of muscle¡±.

    ¡°The auction will now commence, silence will be maintained till the end.¡± he said. His voice travelling to every corner of the large building.

    Hula turned to stare at Zilan and saw him narrow his eyes as he stared at the female auctioneer, completely focused and absorbed.

    ¡°Hmph! What so good about that Sobiar? I¡¯m a hundred times better than her.¡±

    She then pushed herself subtly onto Zilan, now completely leaning against him.

    No response whatsoever came from him and this infuriated Hula as she glared at the platform below.

    <hr />

    An.

    I will continue to post a chapter (maybe more) a day on royalroad however if you want to read till the latest chapter (38) then feel free to go to silversrise.com</a>

 Chapter 11 - His path begins (ii)

    Zilan felt strange, the more he looked at Sobiar the more enveloped in her beauty he became. It was as if his eyes were glued to her body and they would not be satisfied until every corner of it was examined by them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fall for a stupid charm!¡± whispered Hula as she dug her elbow into Zilan¡¯s ribs.

    The sudden pain instantly caused Zilan to snap out of his daze and divert his gaze away from Sobiar. Surprised he turned to Hula,

    ¡°She¡¯s using a charm?¡±

    Hula glared at the platform below while saying,

    ¡°She¡¯s been using that stupid technique ever since we were children. Hmph! It¡¯s the only reason the older royals liked her more than me!¡±

    A light sigh came out from Zilan.

    ¡°I cannot even resist a ¡°stupid¡± charm from affecting me.¡± he thought.

    Hula noticed this and she could probably guess why Zilan was so down as she had seen it time and time again but then something strange occurred. Zilan smiled!

    It was not a large ear to ear grin but rather a small calm smile. However even that was enough to shock Hula greatly.

    ¡°Soon. Very soon, I¡¯ll be rid of this weakness and I will finally set upon my course. But first......¡±

    He focused on the platform below once again only this time he didn¡¯t pay attention to Sobiar herself but the man standing behind her.

    Hula continued to stare at Zilan and a strange feeling in her gut was telling her to savour this memory, of her and the one she loved together elbow to elbow, happily enjoying a night out. At least that was how she chose to view tonight, after all life never goes the way one wishes it to but what one sees and feels can be interpreted a thousand ways.

    ..........

    ¡°I¡¯m sure most of you are aware of the rules of the auction house but for those who are new I will gladly recite the most important.

    All bids must be made with the payment on-hand. Failure to do so will result in punishment!

    Once an item is sold, no more bids can me made and finally, no one is allowed to bid on anything an esteemed guest in the Royal booths bids on.¡± said Sobiar.

    As soon as she was done, one unique item after another was brought out and displayed to the audience. Some were sold in sets with most being weapons of some sort while others were sold individually like the medicinal pills and various jewellery. The only thing that was the same about all items being auctioned off was that they sold for abnormal prices that were at least triple the starting price.

    The reason for such abnormal prices was clearly because of Sobiar¡¯s experience as an auctioneer. She used her beauty and eloquent speaking to full effect, in order to make sure that even the most useless of objects made an ungodly amount of profit.

    .........

    An hour quickly went by and Zilan stopped paying attention to the auction all together. Although there were things that spiked in prices, there wasn¡¯t really anything that raised his eyebrows. This was probably because every thing that had been sold so far was bid on by only people seated in the lower area.

    Hula was also growing tired and bored which meant they would be leaving soon.

    More time passed and Zilan began to grow restless. Hula misunderstood this and asked if he wanted to leave.

    ¡°Not yet!¡± replied Zilan who clenched his fist in frustration.

    ¡°Did I make a mistake? The heavens have never shown me any grace so why would they start now? It was a waste of time coming here!¡±

    He stood and motioned to Hula that he was ready to leave however as she got up to stretch, three half naked female servants walked onto the stage with a small metallic box in hand.

    Zilan¡¯s eyes opened wide, he could feel it. That was it! No doubt about it, that was Flesc¡¯s core.

    A moment later and Sobiar¡¯s words confirmed his thoughts and immediately even before she was done describing what the item was, Zilan pressed the button and for the first time all night, a VIP box lighted up.

    Obviously Hula was caught by surprise but so was everyone else. No one knew what exactly the item was except that it was from a beast core but the fact that a bid was placed even before any description was given could only mean that it was very valuable.

    Bids started flying up left and right completely at random. Bids of a hundred gold, quickly spiked to  five hundred in a matter of seconds and no one even knew the starting amount.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± shouted Hula.

    Zilan opened his mouth but he couldn¡¯t think of a reasonable answer and so he just said,

    ¡°I must have that core!¡±

    ¡°ORDER!¡± shouted the large man who up until now quietly stood behind Sobiar. ¡°All bids made up until now are invalid.¡±

    The audience went silent.

    Sobiar quickly cleared her throat drawing eyes back onto her,

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.¡°The item on auction is a....white core obtained only a few hours ago from the arena. It belonged to a shadow wolf beast and after being examined by experienced hunters they concluded that its level of evolution was mid-teir at best.

    Therefore bidding will start at a thousand silver.¡±

    Murmurs could be heard breaking out throughout the auction house,

    ¡°That bastard almost made me lose gold over a useless mid-tier core.¡±

    ¡°Thank the heavens our bids were made invalid.¡±

    Once again Silver pressed the button and the box lit up however this time no response came. Hula quickly picked a small jade tile from one of the trays the female servants were holding and spoke into it.

    ¡°Two hundred gold for the core.¡±

    No one seemed to have any intention to bid on the core despite all the whispering going on.

    ¡°Two hundred gold. Going once. Going twi.......¡±

    Before she could finish, a VIP box not too far from Hula¡¯s lit up and a man¡¯s voice sounded out,

    ¡°Three hundred gold for the core.¡±

    Almost everyone in attendance looked up at the box in surprise. ¡°Why is a mid-tier core going for three hundred gold?¡± they thought.

    Before they had time to react, Zilan frantically grabbed the tile from Hula.

    ¡°Two thousand gold for the core.¡± He said.

    The audience including Sobiar and Hula all took a breath.

    ¡°Two thousand gold!! Are you serious?¡± said a person in the audience.

    ¡°What fool would spend that much? Hey up there, if you¡¯re throwing away money throw some my way.¡± shouted another.

    Hula wanted to say something but after looking at the desperate and somewhat sad Zilan standing before her, she decided this was one of those moments her mother had told her about. The moment when a man needs not to hear reason but rather encouragement and support.

    Zilan¡¯s eyes shifted between Sobiar and the other VIP box.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t she saying anything? Hurry up and sell it!¡±

    Seconds seemed like months to the current Zilan and the moment Sobiar opened her mouth could be described as the weight of a mountain being lifted of his back.

    ¡°Going once. Going twice........Sold to the esteemed guests in box number eleven.¡±

    One of the servants within the box spoke immediately after,

    ¡°I will escort you to receive your purchase.¡±

    Zilan ecstatically followed and Hula trailed behind him. She didn¡¯t quite understand but she too was happy.

    They followed the servant  to a room not too far from their box and were told to wait there until someone came with the core. The room was quite small with the only furniture in it being a single desk and chair.

    .....

    Zilan began to pace around the room as he mumbled to himself.

    ¡°Where were you before you came to meet me?¡± asked Hula who was leaning against the door.

    Zilan stopped momentarily and stared at Hula,

    ¡°I was at the arena!¡±

    Hula frowned but when she saw that Zilan¡¯s gaze was fixed on her and barely blinking, she blushed and looked away.

    ¡°I kno...knew the person that core belonged to. He was a friend.¡± said Zilan.

    ¡°Person?¡± asked Hula.

    Zilan furrowed his brows and while restraining his voice proclaimed,

    ¡°Yes, the Person. Not animal, not dog, someone equal to both you and I.¡±

    ¡°Hold your tongue!¡± whispered Hula.

    Zilan¡¯s expression grew sorrowful as he heard Hula¡¯s words,

    ¡°His name was Flesc. He died because he smuggled something into the city for me. I should be the one dead and not him but I cannot let that happen....I have duties that must be fulfilled.¡±

    Shock plastered itself onto Hula. No words could come to her but then she suddenly realised something, this was the first time Zilan had ever opened up to her.

 Chapter 12 - His path begins (iii)

    ¡°What was he smuggling?¡± asked Hula as she struggled to speak calmly.

    Zilan hesitated, that was the one question he could not answer at least not currently.

    ¡°I cannot tell you now but I will, soon.¡±

    Hula¡¯s thoughts grew conflicted. She was a royal and as such was taught that all who associated with criminals let alone beasts deserved to perish. For a long time, she believed this to be right or rather she didn¡¯t really care, but now Zilan someone she held close to her heart was saying something different.

    Before she could finish organising her thoughts, someone knocked on the door twice and proceeded to enter the room.

    ¡°I¡¯ve come with your purchase.¡± The owner of the voice was a short man whose appearance seemed more like a giant meat ball. His arms and legs were short and abnormally big, his face resembled a thoroughly flattened chapati</a> and his eyes were so extremely narrow that they looked shut.

    ¡°Two thousand gold was the bid. Pay up!¡± he said.

    Zilan coughed once before reaching into his void sack and pulling out an amethyst coin. The fat man quickly swiped it from his hands and while forcing his eyes open smiled and asked,

    ¡°Would you like your balance or should I add this to your account?¡±

    Zilan thought on it before pointing at Hula and saying,

    ¡°I don¡¯t have an account so please put the balance in hers.¡±

    How could he not see what the fat man was aiming for? By opening an account Zilan would have to pay a fee that was almost equal to the balance.

    The fat man¡¯s smile quickly turned into a deep frown as he pulled a small metal box from his void sack.

    ¡°This is your item. Thank you for your patronage.¡±

    Zilan carefully grabbed the box from the man¡¯s onion sized fingers. He then stared at it for a moment before opening it, slowly.

    As soon as he laid eyes on the core, Zilan felt a sharp pain in his chest, it was like a lightning bolt had fallen from the heavens and struck his heart.

    A few deep breaths later and he closed the box.

    ¡°If everything is in order then allow me to escort you out.¡± stated the fat man.

    ¡°No need!¡± Having said that Hula grabbed hold of Zilan who was still in a daze and pulled him out of the room.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s done is done!¡±

    ¡°Then was it worth it?¡±

    ¡°What was?¡±

    ¡°The price the Bea...Flesc had to pay?¡±

    ¡°Is there anything in this world more precious than a good person¡¯s life?¡±

    Hula let go of Zilan¡¯s arm and the two continued to walk in silence. Needless to say the mood had turned dark.

    As they approached the exit, a young man suddenly walked out of the shadows and stood in their way.

    ¡°Give me the core!¡± he said.

    Zilan was caught off guard, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°That foul creature harmed my brother. Therefore it¡¯s core is mine to destroy! Whatever your price, later.....¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Stated Zilan as he glared at the young man standing before him.

    ¡°What? Do you know who I am?¡±

    Janam¡¯s brother fiercely moved closer, most likely bearing no good will.

    ¡°Who you are? Who gives a sh*t who you are? Do you know who I am?¡± shouted Hula.

    She casually removed a badge with a saber crest from her void sack and showed it to Janam¡¯s brother.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me who you are then?¡± asked Hula as she contemptuously glared at the man before her.

    Zilan stood there shocked by what he was hearing and seeing. It turned out Hula wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with.

    Janam¡¯s brother coldly snorted as he turned around and walked away.

    ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re going to regret this choice, when the day comes.¡±

    Zilan felt like laughing at the scene he just witnessed.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± asked Hula.

    Zilan finally couldn¡¯t hold it in. He burst into a loud laughter that echoed through the hallway.

    Hula''s cheeks flushed red, she then kicked Zilan in the leg and strolled ahead.

    Zilan calmed down and increased his pace in order to catch up. When he did, he held her shoulders in place and told her to stop moving.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± was all he said but those words caused her heart to jump.

    She then slowly turned around intending to say something, but before she could Zilan bent down and kissed her on the cheek.

    This time, her heart beat not only jumped but started beating faster. She felt slightly lightheaded and for some reason excited and scared at the same time.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.¡°I have to go!¡± said Zilan as he let go of her and walked away.

    Hula wanted to stop him but the, ¡°This is enough for now!¡± thought made her reconsider.

    "Zilan has gone through much in one day, this is already enough¡± is what her conscience told her. And so she watched as Zilan walked out the exit and disappeared into the vast crowds of people.

    ..............

    Morning the next day.

    Hula had barely slept the night before. The image of Zilan kissing her appeared every time her eyes closed.

    ¡°My lady, you seem happy today.¡± said the maid as she helped dress Hula.

    ¡°Hmm, Do I?¡±

    ¡°Does it have anything to do with where you¡¯re going?¡± asked the maid.

    ¡°Hehe..Maybe. So then, how do I look?¡±

    She was wearing a grey jacquard sheath dress that dropped to her knees and was tight in all the right places.

    Meriem the maid looked at the playful smile on Hula and sighed,

    ¡°You look beautiful. That boy will be very happy.¡±

    Hula hugged the maid, left her room and went down the stairs where she encountered her Father.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°To see Zilan.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Good, Good....send his Uncle my greetings.¡±

    Hula happily nodded. She then got in the carriage and made her way to the Dual winged Sparrow.

    ...

    Ten minutes later and the carriage arrived. Hula impatiently got off and walked into the restaurant.

    ¡°Oh! If it isn¡¯t little Hula. What can I do for you?¡± asked Zilan¡¯s Uncle.

    ¡°Um...Is Zilan around?¡± she asked while avoiding eye contact.

    ¡°Eh...Did he not tell you?¡±

    ¡°Tell me what?¡±

    ¡°Zilan moved to a nearby inn. He said he found a new recipe for the custard and needed to be alone in order to get it right!¡±

    Hula¡¯s eyes widened,

    ¡°Do you know the name of the inn?¡±

    ¡°I do, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be wise to go and see him. He...wasn¡¯t in a good mood when he left.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I understand.¡±

    Hula confusedly exited the Dual Winged Sparrow.

    ¡°Stupid, Zilan!¡± thought the pouting Hula.

    Meanwhile.

    Zilan sat alone in his room which contained only a bed, a cupboard and a small desk in the corner.

    In his hands was the voidless sack he got from Flesc. From it, he pulled out a tattered book that was clearly missing some pages.

    He opened the book and began reading,

    ¡°This is it!¡± he whispered.

    The book spoke of the workings of the beast world in ancient times, a record of sorts.

    ¡°Before man was created, all living things in this world lived in harmony. Animals lived like animals and plants survived in their own way. However, the heavens sent a God down with the purpose of creating order.¡±

    Zilan paused, ¡° A God?¡±

    ¡°The God despised us Beasts with exception to one species. The monkeys!

    He used his power to craft them into his own image. Giving them knowledge and gifting them the ability to ascend the heavens by means of cultivation.  However he added one more thing, hatred for all beasts and the mind set that any inferior life form was theirs to use.

    Vegetation was destroyed in order to create room for their new borns and many of us Beasts perished in battles to keep our homeland.

    But all of this changed with the coming of our King. The first Divine one, born from our world¡¯s core with one mission, to rid our land of the God.

    The King taught us how to harness the power the universe and the world granted us. He preached to us saying, ¡° The Heavens are not almighty! The universe is all.¡±

    It was only a matter of time before a war broke out and our King clashed with the God. The battle took place outside the confines of this world but the sea still rumbled and the earth still shook.

    In the end our King died and the God lived but paid a hefty price.¡±

    ¡°We mourned the death of our King and promised to use his teachings to once again rise up but that thought was soon squashed. The God sealed the power of the universe from entering into this world and thus our power to fight back was lost!

    Years later, the King¡¯s Generals left this world to find their Lord¡¯s body. When they finally located it, two of them gave their life in order to destroy the King¡¯s core.

    The result caused vast amounts of his essence and divine power to spread into this world. The storm of energy caused cracks to open up in the seal placed around our world.

    That was the final day of happiness for our people.¡±

 Chapter 13 - Path to cultivation

    The more Zilan read, the happier he became.

    ¡°I was right! I knew it, all these years of research...¡± Tears of both joy and relief began to streak down, staining the book¡¯s pages.

    In truth Zilan did not have much confidence in his theory. He had done all that needed to be done, down to the very last detail however what caused the seeds of doubt to sprout was the fact that what he was attempting had never even been thought of before. Not even by Zaum!

    He borrowed a few concepts on the workings of the body from the book of Path, but aside from that everything else was done by him. He alone persevered, he alone endured tragedy after tragedy due to his weakness and he alone has finally taken a step forward towards his ultimate goal of revenge against the Heavens.

    Now all that was left was to turn the theory that was locked away in his mind, into practice. The final step was to combine the ingredients procured by Flesc and begin his path.

    Just as he thought that, Zilan suddenly remembered that he had yet to deliver the payment he promised to Flesc.

    ¡°The experiment can wait!¡± he thought.

    Just like that, he placed the book back into the voidless sack and dressed himself in fine black robes before leaving his room.

    ¡°The place should be by the East Wall.¡±

    The East Wall was where all of Morning Dew City¡¯s poor called home. It¡¯s characteristics included having the highest crime and unemployment rates, in fact almost every establishment in that area was either a bar of some sort or a house of bodily pleasures.

    Zilan had never been to the place before, by his own choice of course. However, as circumstances were currently, he had no choice. A promise was a promise!

    On the way Zilan would ask for directions to the exact address written on the note but instead of actual aid, all he received were foolish comments,

    ¡°Little boy...that is not a place for people like you. The quality of the girls there are too poor, if you want to play I¡¯ll show to Mystic Jade palace but you have to pay for me as well.¡± said one old man.

    Another person told Zilan to follow him and he would lead him there but the look on his face told Zilan, that the man was not to be trusted. Besides even if he did trust the man, the answer would have still been ¡°No, thanks!¡± After all, was he to lead a stranger to the place he was supposed to pay for smuggling services done by a Beast?

    Only after questioning five people did he finally meet one old beggar who drew a map in the ground for him. In return the beggar got a gold coin for his troubles, which caused him to continuously shout out blessings for Zilan. ¡°The heavens will definitely repay your kindness!¡±

    Once that was over with, Zilan followed the directions carefully until finally he came across an abandoned shopping area.

    The buildings occasionally creaked as the wind blew by, clearly on the verge of collapsing.

    Surprisingly though as Zilan moved deeper in, he found that no one was staying here. ¡°For a people that lacked housing, wouldn¡¯t this place be a perfect substitute?¡±

    ¡°Hello?¡± he shouted, as his eyes vigilantly surveyed the area.

    Suddenly just as he was turning into a half destroyed small shop, his ears caught onto the sound of wind whistling at high speeds towards him. Unfortunately, before Zilan could turn around he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head and soon after drifted into unconsciousness.

    ...............

    Zilan¡¯s eyes slowly opened. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed but he did know that he wasn¡¯t in a good situation.

    He was sited on a chair however, both his arms and legs were binded with rope. In front of him were three beasts and just like Flesc, they walked on two feet and were dressed in clothes.

    ¡°We came all the way here for nothing!¡± shouted the female fox.

    ¡°Calm down Jeza. We don¡¯t even know if this is the one Junior Flesc spoke of. Wasn''t he supposed to arrive a week from now?¡± said the old hare.

    ¡°Hey...what¡¯s your name?¡± asked Jeza.

    ¡°Zilan!¡±

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.¡°You see, it is him! That idiot Flesc died for nothing.¡± Said Jeza as she pointed at Zilan.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know that yet!¡±

    ¡°Oh! So you expect me to believe this kid is an alchemist?¡± barked Jeza.

    ¡°Excuse me....I came here to deliver Flesc¡¯s payment and....core¡±

    ¡°Shut up brat! Don¡¯t you dare speak his name again. We need to get rid of him Tort!¡±

    Tort the old hare, stroked the fur on his chin as he pondered something,

    ¡°Zilan, why did you ask Junior Flesc to bring you those specific ingredients?¡±

    Zilan was at a loss for words. What should he say? If his answer didn¡¯t satisfy them then it would be the end of him.

    ¡°The items I asked for was for an experiment I¡¯m working on.¡±

    ¡°Lies!¡± barked Jez. ¡°How can you possibly understand the profoundness of alchemy at your age?¡±

    ¡°Be quiet Jez, I will ask the questions?¡± said Tort.

    ¡°Child, do you know why Junior sacrificed his life to bring you those items?¡±

    Zilan remained silent.

    ¡°It was because I told him it would benefit our kin if he did so. I was the one who gave him those items to deliver to you, in exchange for your help. If you cannot do what I ask then I¡¯m afraid I will have to take your life to appease Junior¡¯s soul.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I need a small explosive capable of destroying a city gate to be made. Can you do this?¡±

    ¡°If I cannot or if I refuse?¡±

    ¡°Then you perish!¡±

    Zilan thought it through. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have any methods to create such a weapon but rather if the bomb was used to kill then blood would inevitably be on his hands.

    ¡°I can do what you want but I need time to make it...¡±

    ¡°That is acceptable.¡± Replied Tort.

    ¡°Also the use of the explosive must not lead to any death. If you intend on killing then go ahead and start with me.¡±

    Just as Tort was about to answer the other Beast, a shadow wolf with scars on his face suddenly spoke out,

    ¡°No one who doesn¡¯t deserve to die will kick the bucket. On that, I give you my word!¡±

    After he said that, the wolf turned around and left the room.

    ¡°You heard him. So prove it!¡± said Jez.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Zilan.

    ¡°Do you really think we¡¯ll just take your word for it? Prove that you¡¯re an alchemist!¡±

    A cold sweat ran down Zilan¡¯s back,

    ¡°In a weeks time I¡¯ll have your item made. As for proving my words, I can¡¯t do that currently.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± asked Tort.

    ¡°The experiment I told you about, I¡¯ve already started testing it on myself. As such, I¡¯m completely useless until a week from now. You can check my cultivation if you think I am deceiving you.¡±

    Tort moved closer towards Zilan and grabbed his wrist. He was feeling for Zilan¡¯s spiritual power.

    ¡°You...¡± Needless to say he got a big surprise.

    ¡°I can¡¯t feel anything, why?¡±

 Chapter 14 - Path to cultivation (ii)

    Beasts were unable to feel for the condition of a human¡¯s core and meridians as they did not cultivate using the same means. However they could at least feel for spiritual power and currently Zilan was still but a cripple thus Tort¡¯s actions were like those of a master prospector panning for gold in the middle of the ocean. Foolish and futile!

    ¡°What kind of experiment has this effect?¡± asked the shocked Tort.

    Zilan smiled wryly before speaking,

    ¡°The kind of experiment that takes years of perseverance to yield even the smallest of results.¡±

    Tort felt that there was a hidden meaning and profoundness in Zilan¡¯s words but with the vagueness of the response he was unable to comprehend anything.

    ¡°Mm...we¡¯ve  risked too much for this endeavour, if you are deceiving us then not even your death will be enough to compensate for the losses. We are in a position where we have no choice but to trust you to make good on your promise, at least the fact that you came all the way here to deliver Junior Flesc¡¯s core shows that you are indeed a sincere child.¡± With that Tort let out a soft sigh and walked out of the room with his hands clasped behind his back.

    Now only Zilan and the unruly Jeza remained in the room.

    ¡°Have I wronged you in some way?¡± asked Zilan as he eyed the furious fox girl.

    ¡°You humans call us beasts foolish, crude and trash but in truth you humans are the true scum of the earth. All that you people have done...tell me don¡¯t I have a right to be angry at you? Just like my brother who did nothing...and..and yet you people just killed him because you didn¡¯t like his appearance.¡±

    Zilan deeply frowned, a bitter taste lingered in his mouth. He had just come from witnessing the cruelty of humans in the arena so there was no way for him to refute Jeza¡¯s words and in truth he didn¡¯t want to refute them.

    ¡°What you speak is the truth.¡± said Zilan as he made eye contact with Jeza. ¡°But what have I done to wrong you? It was not I that did those things to your brother, it was not I that killed my friend Flesc and it was not I that created all humans and instilled in them such cruelty and hatred.¡±

    Jeza was stupefied for a split second before coldly snorting,

    ¡°So what? You are human are you not, if you were wronged by one of my kind would you be kind to the others? You humans think yourselves so clever and above everything else, always praying to the heavens, despicable!¡±

    ¡°The Heavens are not almighty!¡± was all Zilan spoke before closing his eyes.

    ¡°What!¡± shouted Jeza.

    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying? If other humans heard...¡±

    Still with his eyes shut Zilan spoke out,

    ¡°Take out what¡¯s in my breast pocket and look through it. You are not the only ones who have suffered at the hands of humans!¡±

    Jeza was slightly hesitant, ¡°Why are my still listening to him?¡± she wondered.

    However, the temptation to find out exactly what this youth was talking about still managed to sway her.

    Jeza cautiously moved towards Zilan and pulled out a small book from his breast pocket. The book was titled ¡°Path¡±.

    She then undid the binds around it and opened the book. She started on the first page, then quickly turned to the second and then thirty minutes later she was quarter way through the book and tears endlessly rolled down her eyes.

    ¡°That book holds accounts that I recorded down so that I would never forget even the smallest detail of what happened to me. It also contains research on plants and most of all heavenly cultivation.¡±

    Zilan had given her the book because it was the easiest way to get them to trust him as well as show that he did indeed have some knowledge of alchemy. Even if he risked exposing his power he didn¡¯t care, he had more in common with these people than they could fathom.

    Besides the true secrets of the universe written in the book of Path could only be seen by the scorched. If he didn¡¯t use the power of his eyes then the book was just a collection of plain paper but when he did use his power, then and only then would he be able to read all of Zaum¡¯s notes. That was why Zilan was always writing things down, he was translating and putting down all of those notes into the plain paper, after all imagine if he was surrounded by enemies or suspicious people and he needed the knowledge of Zaum, how could he just reveal his power in front of them? This was too inconvenient, that¡¯s why some basic stuff that would come in handy in the future needed to be noted down while the important stuff was not to be touched.

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    Jeza¡¯s face passed through a myriad of expressions, sadness, grief, relief, rage, enlightenment, longing, fear, it was like she was putting on an act to show how many expressions a living persons face could make. If it wasn¡¯t Zilan sitting there but someone else they would surely cheer in respect to the show the young fox girl was putting on.

    Jeza finally stopped reading halfway when there was no longer anything written, the look she gave Zilan was one of both pity and respect.

    ¡°Show me your eyes!¡± she said.

    Zilan complied with a smile on his face, ¡°How long has it been since I¡¯ve shown my true self to anyone apart from Uncle?¡± he mused.

    Five gold shining stars appeared in his pupils as he stared at Jeza, unblinkingly.

    ¡°I am human but I am also not human. I have felt the wrath of humans and thus I can sympathise with your situation, call your Senior Tort and show him the book. I vow to complete your task, at the very least as compensation for giving me a chance to attain my revenge.¡±

    Jeza quickly nodded as she rushed out of the room, headed straight to Tort and the shadow wolf¡¯s location.

    She hurriedly banged on the door shouting, ¡°Elder, Fourth Brother, you need to see this...Hurry!¡±

    Both Tort and the scarred shadow wolf who were in the middle of debating whether or not to trust Zilan were taken aback by Jeza¡¯s sudden disturbance.

    The shadow wolf slowly opened the door only to be shoved aside by Jeza who ran with the book of Path and presented it to Tort.

    ¡°Read this, quickly read!¡± she said, shoving the book into the wise old hare¡¯s hands.

    .......

    Tort finished reading the book¡¯s contents in less than ten minutes, after all he was much more learned on human languages than the young Jeza.

    ¡°This....can there be such a coincidence on this earth?¡± laughed Tort.

    He then passed the book to the shadow wolf before heading out and making his way to where Zilan was being held.

    When he arrived and saw the five majestic stars in Zilan¡¯s eyes he couldn¡¯t help but smile however masked within his smile was a hidden glint of mischief.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell him everything but I can tell him enough!¡± thought Tort.

    ¡°Brother Zilan, fate has surely brought the two of us together. To think that we would both have the same blood enemy, the universe has finally started to bring us some good fortune.¡±

    ¡°Same blood enemy?..¡± wondered Zilan.

    ¡°They call themselves a sect but are actually a church, they are the hand of the God of this world. The enemy who destroys everything it deems useless.¡± proclaimed Tort a murderous aura leaking from his body.

    ¡°We as well as Junior Flesc are all part of the force that has been at war with that evil organisation of devils for thousands of years. I can say with absolute certainty that they were the ones who did this to your people.¡±

    Zilan¡¯s only information on the people who had hunted his people for generations was that their symbol was that of a green spear. Over time especially when he arrived in Morning Dew City, he found out that the green spear was the symbol of the heavens power and only the Saintly knights could adorn such a symbol. However, he had never come across such legendary figures ever since the time he had escaped from them.

    Even inside the large spear tower in Morning Dew City, there were no clues to be found at all.

    Now, right in front of him there was someone who knew not only the organisation but maybe might also have some information on the perpetrators themselves.

 Chapter 15 - Path to cultivation (iii)

    Zilan eyed his restraints before giving Tort a meaningful smile.

    ¡°Oh! Jeza, quickly untie brother Zilan.¡± smiled Tort.

    ¡°What else do you know about the Saintly Knights? Do you know where I can find them?¡± Once he was freed, Zilan barraged Tort with questions.

    The old hare slightly frowned as he listened to the questions,

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I misled you but my rank does not allow me to know of such information. I am only a scout leader whose main job is the gathering of resources and information, even this time¡¯s mission is not a sanctioned one. It is only a gamble that if pays off will help me rise in rank.¡±

    Tort¡¯s answer might seem like the honest and sincere words of an Elder but in truth there were hidden meanings in his words.

    ¡°If you want to know more, then first you must grant me my wish. Only after I benefit will you benefit!¡± was essentially what Tort was trying to say.

    Zilan was not foolish, he understood Tort¡¯s meaning very well. He knew that if he wanted to gain something he must give something in return, no one would give out something valuable without benefiting, that would then be categorised as charity and Zilan would no longer accept it. He had secretly spent years and lots of money trying to find out anything about the Saintly Knights and who they worked for but to no avail thus he would absolutely not believe anyone who just gave away such secret information without asking for anything in return. That person was probably an enemy trying to lead him into a trap.

    From Tort¡¯s words Zilan could now confirm that the information the old hare had was at least true and not a trick. He had especially emphasized the fact that his main job was the gathering of resources as well as information and in what world was there a scout who did not have any intelligence on their enemy.

    This was like a cat knowing a dog was it¡¯s enemy but not knowing what a dog looked like.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t know the answer to your question then no one does.¡± was Tort¡¯s meaning.

    Zilan sighed the more he thought about it. He then slowly walked towards the scarred shadow wolf and retrieved the book of Path.

    To others his movements might seem like he was picking up just another disposable item but what they didn¡¯t know was that Zilan¡¯s heart was anxious and filled with fear the longer the book was away from him.

    As the saying goes, ¡°If you treat something like trash how would others treat it like a treasure?¡±

    ¡°I hope that while I am making the items Senior has requested, that you will find some information for me.¡± said Zilan as he cupped his hands and bowed.

    ¡°I will absolutely give my best effort for Brother Zilan.¡± smiled Tort. ¡°So then how long will you need to prepare the explosives?¡± His gaze shifted as he spoke those last words, it was evident to anyone paying attention that Tort truly coveted those explosives.

    ¡°I need to recover my strength first which should take a week at most but after that, the time needed to make the explosives will depend on how many Senior wants!¡±

    Tort furrowed his brow as he dove into deep thought,

    ¡°Ah! To destroy a city gate, how many explosives do you think I would need?¡± This question from Tort was a rather clever one, explosives came in many different forms and had varying degrees of effectiveness therefore he asked the creator in a roundabout way, ¡°How strong are your explosives?¡±

    ¡°To destroy a city gate...hmm..eight of them should be sufficient.¡±

    In truth this estimation from Zilan was for the lowest quality and easiest to make type of explosive he could think of. The other explosives recorded in the Book of Path would require high grade and extremely rare materials that could not be found just because you wanted to find them. Not to mention that those explosives could easily destroy ten city gates and only one of them would be needed.

    Tort stood in shock, from what he knew even the Master alchemists in Brivata would not be able to say that only eight explosives would be sufficient to destroy a city gate.

    ¡°Only eight drums of explosive jelly?¡± questioned Tort.

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    Zilan almost fell over when he heard the word, ¡°drums.¡±

    ¡°No,no,no....What I will be constructing is not explosive jelly but a cylindrical fist sized stone called Tembu Pain! Eight of them will be enough to fit your requirements.¡±

    Zilan¡¯s words were like thunder roaring in the minds of the three people listening.

    ¡°A stone?¡±

    ¡°Fist sized?¡±

    ¡°What is this Tembu Pain and why have I never heard of it?¡±

    Zilan could see from Tort¡¯s expression that he did not believe what he was saying to be true.

    ¡°Seeing is believing! I will come find you with eight stones of Tembu Pain in two weeks time, is that acceptable?¡±

    ¡°In the end, I want something from you and you want something from me. If I don¡¯t give you what you want then I also will not get what I want!¡±

    ¡°Well said, this old one will have to trouble Brother Zilan.¡± said Tort as he coughed embarrassedly.

    From Zilan¡¯s eyes anyone could see that he came from a mysterious background, add on the fact that Tort had just read his entire life story as well as some records of his past experiments and it was easy to tell that there were things Zilan knew that others did not.

    ¡°In that case why not trust him? He has already trusted me with his secret.¡± Or so Tort thought.

    The reality was that, who could Tort tell that would believe him, let alone humans even his own kind would not believe him if he suddenly said, ¡°I encountered a boy with starry eyes that could see through everything!¡±

    If he told humans, the worst that could happen was that those people that hunted him as a child would come here to look for him but many things had changed and it would not be easy to locate him.

    Besides if they did come looking for him, wouldn¡¯t that be perfect? He was about to break out of the shell of being a cripple, and it would only be a matter time before he went out to seek them out for his revenge.

    Why not invite them in and toy around a little until he grew powerful enough to destroy them?

    Everything had been carefully accounted for by Zilan before he made his decision.

    Now all that was left was for him to hurry back to the inn and finish his preparations because without restoring his ability to cultivate he would absolutely not be able to fulfil his promises.

    ¡°Em, Brother Zilan I¡¯ll let Jeza go with you to make sure you get out of here safely and if you have any spare time could you educate her a bit. This girl is so young and has too little life experiences, anything you can teach her about humans will definitely save her life in the future.¡±

    Zilan¡¯s brow twitched as he listened.

    ¡°Basically you¡¯re sending her to watch over me! What a troublesome person.¡±

    Nevertheless, he could only comply with Tort¡¯s proposal. Every minute that passed was like a thousand years of agony for Zilan.

    He had the tools and all he wanted to do was get started on the process of gaining power. Imagine being a step away from the greatest treasure you could dream of and yet you were being held back from it. The prize was so close and yet so far at the same time.

    ¡°Wait, how can Jeza accompany me? Her appearance will only attract unwanted eyes.¡± wondered Zilan.

    ¡°Hehe...naturally we have our methods!¡± The smug expression on his face, showed that Tort was about to reveal something good.

 Chapter 16 - Beginning the process

    Zilan was immediately drawn in by the ¡°methods¡± Tort spoke of.

    ¡°Hehe...Brother Zilan, as we Beasts know very little about the ways of humans the same can also be said for them.¡± smiled Tort.

    ¡°Spit it out already!¡±

    Noticing Zilan¡¯s impatience Tort quickly explained,

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already aware of the ¡°Heavens way¡± of cultivation. Humans only have this one method of growing stronger to eventually achieve immortality however, for us the situation is completely different. The methods we use are as numerous as there are stars in the sky, every species has their own unique abilities as well as evolution cycles and depending on the nutrients we consume our power will grow. Naturally we also have the limits placed on us from birth but that can also be sorted out with greater understanding to the ways of the Universe.¡±

    Zilan already knew most of what Tort was saying but there was one thing that completely shocked him.

    ¡°The limits placed on them at birth can actually be broken through!¡±

    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that every species has a unique ability. Does that mean Jeza has one that allows her to conceal her appearance?¡± asked Zilan.

    Tort smiled as he continued,

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Some time ago, a certain Sage made an incredible discovery that changed the way we approached our cultivation, he named it the Blood Resonance Principle.¡±

    ¡°Blood Resonance? Isn¡¯t this..?¡±

    ¡°The principle states that all species are descendants of the Great Ancestors of the past. Just like you humans were once descendants of the Great Apes, all Beasts carry the faint bloodline of their Ancestors.

    The Sage came to the amazing realisation that some hundreds of different species could actually be traced to one Great Ancestor, therefore shouldn¡¯t it be possible to use external influences to draw out some of the abilities of the Ancient Beast?¡±

    Zilan suddenly widened his eyes in shock,

    ¡°What Blood Resonance Priniciple!? This is the most basic of knowledge concerning Bloodlines and its true name is the Ancestral Heritage.¡±

    Tort misunderstood Zilan¡¯s shocked expression thinking that this young man had definitely been overwhelmed by the Sage¡¯s great insight.

    ¡°Then again to be able to gain insight into one of the things written by Zaum, no matter how basic the knowledge, this Sage deserves some respect.¡± thought Zilan.

    ¡°Since then, the alchemists in Brivata have produced countless medicines that can draw out different abilities of the Ancestors. Jeza¡¯s ancestor for example had an ability of deception so a pill that could allow her, as well as other species that shared the same Ancestor as her, to change their appearance for a period of twelve hours was created after much struggle.¡±

    Zilan slowly nodded in understanding.

    ¡°Even if the pill could draw out her Blood¡¯s hidden abilities, it still wouldn¡¯t even amount to 1/1000 of the Originals true power whereas what I¡¯ve devised.....¡±

    Thinking to the plans he had been holding of on all this time, Zilan couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with Jeza joining me but I must insist that we quickly leave. The experiments effects are starting to affect my meridians.¡±

    ¡°No problem, I look forward to the great results.¡± laughed Tort.

    Just like that, Jeza took the pill and transformed into a dark-skinned beauty. Her strange yet beautiful brow hair dropped to her shoulders, her curves were alluring, and most dazzling of all was the dark brown eyes that glistened like the purest of jade. She quickly changed into a common girl¡¯s clothes, nothing too eye catching, before leading Zilan out of the establishment.

    It turned out they were staying underground and not too far from the place he got knocked out.

    ................

    The next day.

    Zilan had gotten Jeza a room at the inn and given her strict instructions not to disturb him, no matter what came up.

    He was too unfocused yesterday to immediately start the experiment and so decided to get a good rest before starting.

    ¡°The day has finally come!¡±

    Zilan took out the container filled with blood and placed it on the floor.

    ¡°The blood of the Flow python.¡±

    The Flow python was considered a fairly weak Beast as it was unable to evolve, unlike other reptiles that were usually very powerful. The only peculiar aspect of the Flow pythons was that they were extremely difficult to find especially when they reached adulthood.

    This was because they would spend their entire youth that lasted a staggering one hundred years on land however, once they matured into adulthood the Flow Python would then dive deep into any water body and dig a hole before falling into a deep slumber that it would seemingly never awaken from.

    It was considered lazy and useless therefore not many people sought it out or even thought about it.

    The only thing Zilan could say about people who thought about the Flow python this way, was that they had reached the pinnacle of idiocy.

    According to the Book of Path, the Flow python was actually a descendant of a dragon and not just any dragon, but an Elemental Dragon.

    ¡°By using the formations recorded by Zaum, I should be able to extract some life blood of the Spring Dragon from the Flow python¡¯s blood.¡± thought Zilan.

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    He then drew a complicated pattern on the floor around him that resembled a *.

    On every end of the star shaped formation, there was a mid- grade beast core that would serve as the power source. Zilan then carefully drew lines that joined the six edges together, almost immediately after  he was done, the formation started glowing and the power of Heaven and Earth began to converge at that spot.

    Zilan quickly moved away from the formation and stared at it with four glowing stars in his eyes.

    ¡°The formation drawn on the Earth will call upon the forces of Heaven to descend. Only when the two forces collide will all impurities in the blood cease to exist. The purity of the Universe will unintentionally destroy everything that is impure.¡±

    Just as Zilan was thinking this the major elements that governed the universe suddenly descended. Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, Lightning, Nature, Darkness, Light started to collide.

    ¡°Bang, Bang, Bang...¡±

    Faint muffled sounds could be heard as the formation grew blurry, a myriad of colours rotated around it at extreme speeds.

    Zilan froze not even daring to breathe.

    He knew that those sounds were that of the Elements colliding and destroying the six cores that powered the formation. Two seconds later and the forces of Heaven and Earth disappeared, leaving the formation destroyed.

    Zilan carefully moved to pick up the now quarter full container of blood and placed it on the small table.

    He then took a wet cloth and wiped away all traces of the formation as well as disposed of the six destroyed beast cores.

    ¡°Whew!¡± Zilan wiped the sweat of his brow before continuing.

    ¡°What was supposed to be the easy part suddenly became so dangerous. Now to move onto the most important phase!¡±

    He then retrieved the small yellow core from the voidless sack before dropping it in the container filled with the Spring Dragon¡¯s life blood.

    This yellow core was that of the Flow python. Yellow cores were associated with Beasts that couldn¡¯t even enter the 1st level of evolution thus were basically mindless animals.

    If those people who thought about it this way actually found out that the Flow python after sleeping for a thousand years would directly jump to the equivalent of a soul-compression stage martial artist in power, how would they react?

    The small yellow core as if a starving beast, greedily absorbed half of the Spring Dragon¡¯s life blood before finally calming down.

    Seeing the absorption had stopped, Zilan quickly grabbed the still yellow core. He then dipped the quill of a feather into the life blood before inscribing a binding formation onto the core.

    ........

    Twenty minutes later and there was a tiny pool of sweat on the floor beneath him. The core had almost completely been covered in red, strange inscriptions that formed a majestic and ancient pattern.

    When Zilan stroked the final inscription the entire core abruptly glowed and turned completely crimson.

    After seeing that he had succeeded, Zilan placed the core down on the table and let out a soft sigh of relief.

    His chest heaved up and down and his eyes which now had three stars shone with an unprecedented light.

    ¡°It¡¯ done! The materials have been refined, everything is prepared now I must temper the body, steady the mind and prepare to cut ties with the Heavens.¡± whispered Zilan as he lightly coughed.

    The entire process was too gruelling for someone with no spiritual power. If even one of the major elements directed themselves at him, the person known as Zilan would have died with no corpse to be found.

    Luckily, the concealment formation he drew on his chest did its job otherwise, he didn¡¯t dare think on it anymore.

    ¡°Heaven and Earth are only parts of the great power of the Universe. The Heavens are governed by the Immortals and their rule has stretched down to the Earth.

    The Universe is supreme and only cares about maintaining stability therefore whatever the Immortals wish to do will naturally be done. Even destroying planets is only a small thing to them, I didn¡¯t think they were actually so bored as to send so many elements to probe and destroy the formation.¡±

    Cold sweat continued to soak Zilan. He had only intended to attract a small force in order to use it¡¯s purity to cleanse the blood. He never thought that so many would descend.

    Luckily his goal was low and the probing parties couldn¡¯t comprehend what Zilan was trying to do. Maybe they thought it was an accidental occurrence by a foolish mortal who wasted their time however, what they couldn¡¯t predict was that what they had failed to stop today would eventually bring great calamity onto themselves.

    ¡°According to Zaum, we are an existence similar to the dead King of the Beasts. A creature born of the Universe¡¯s power gifted with extraordinary abilities however, when I was a child and could still cultivate my progress was extremely slow.

    That was the Universe¡¯s way of maintaining balance however, after this week is done I will not only have defied the Heavens will but I will also have broken through the barrier the Universe placed on me.

    I will dictate my Path! A path that no one before me has ever walked! I will be the first!¡±

    Zilan¡¯s eyes burned with desire. The desire to prove that he could go against anything that stood against him.

    ¡°Who created the Universe? If it was a powerful expert of old then I will one day surpass him! The Heavens they should just wash their necks for I am coming for their heads and as for this world, this will be my first goal!¡±

    Thoughts of the bright future flashed through Zilan¡¯s mind and a feeling that he thought he had long forgotten suddenly sprouted.

    ¡°Hope for the future.¡±

 Chapter 17 - Re-Birth.

    Now that all the necessary materials had been prepared, all that remained was for Zilan himself to get ready.

    He sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes shut as he focused on the energy inside him.

    All these years since he had become a cripple, not a single day had passed that Zilan did not try and expel the spiritual power that had gathered around him.

    All humans regardless of whether they were cultivators or not would draw in spiritual power, when they breathe in, when they eat and even when they sleep. Spiritual power is everywhere, the only difference between normal humans and cultivators was that they could not only draw it in but also absorb it in extreme amounts.

    As for the normal people, the spiritual power would just stay around them like sunlight or gentle breeze and if they¡¯re extremely lucky by the time they¡¯ve reached their ending years they would have managed to absorb a miniscule amount of it, giving them a clearer mind along with an air of wisdom.

    In Zilan¡¯s case this spiritual power that he unintentionally drew in was nothing but a hindrance for his plans. That¡¯s why since long ago, he had been using methods written in the Book of Path to divert the accumulated spiritual power towards his hair. That way when the time came, he would just cut it all off and be done with the spiritual power.

    When he was able to cultivate again, he could then concoct a potion to grow it back again or he could save himself the time and just head to the auction house or the Merchants Egg and easily purchase one.

    If Zilan didn¡¯t get rid of the spiritual power inside and around him, then he would be only asking for death if he continued with his plans to use the Flow python¡¯s core and its ancestors blood.

    The Immortals in the Heaven¡¯s would probably become alerted to his actions and horrible Divine Punishment would soon follow. Needless to say, Zilan did not want to be the fool who flashed a light in the dark letting all his enemies know where he was especially, when he was nothing but an ant before them. Besides his cultivation method did not rely on spiritual power, using it would only bring him problems.

    ................

    An entire day quickly passed and Zilan still did not move.

    Two days went by and no signs of awakening could be seen from him.

    Only on the third day did Zilan open his eyes and stand up. His long, mesmerising jet black hair had not only grown longer but even more lush.

    ¡±It¡¯s finally time to be rid of you!¡±

    He slowly walked towards his void sack and pulled out a pair of scissors. With no hesitation Zilan began to cut off his hair, crisp ¡°snip,snip¡± noises could be heard as large clumps of hair fell to the floor.

    A few minutes later and most of his hair had been removed. He quickly pulled out some unknown powder and then thoroughly rubbed it on his head. Moments later, and all that remained on his scalp was skin.

    Zilan then hastily grabbed the container filled with the remainder of the Spring Dragon¡¯s life blood and chugged it all down, in one go.

    *Ting*

    The container slipped through Zilan¡¯s fingers and dropped to the floor.

    He could feel a heat unlike anything he had ever felt before rise up from his stomach. The hot burning sensation like an enraged dragon madly charged towards Zilan¡¯s broken meridians and cracked core.

    Pretty soon, his skin started to turn red and a faint mist could be seen gathering around him. Zilan suddenly dropped to the floor and rolled himself up like a frightened millipede.

    He tightened his fists so hard that his nails dug into his skin causing blood to trickle down from his palm. He gritted his teeth while banging his head on the floor repeatedly.

    ¡°What the fuck is this PAIN!? I knew it but......¡±

    Zilan¡¯s thoughts began to grow cloudy and even remaining conscious proved to be a challenge when suddenly a mixture of black liquid and blood burst out of his mouth with so much intense pressure that the liquid splattered onto every part of the room.

    Zilan coughed unceasingly as he struggled to breathe, he desperately grabbed his throat and wheezed, even standing up only to topple to the floor again.

    This situation lasted for an hour until a series of bone chilling cracking noises sounded out. Zilan finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore, his eyes then rolled to the back of his head and he fainted.

    .............

    Zilan¡¯s eyes abruptly opened. He hurriedly jumped up and searched his body only to be shocked by the fact that he was stark naked.

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    He slowly raised his head and looked around only to see that he was floating above the ocean. The sight was beautiful and heart cleansing, the salty smell invaded his nostrils forcing him to feel alive.

    A large smile bloomed on his face as he closed his eyes to listen to the sounds of....

    He quickly opened his eyes and looked around again,

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I hear anything? The waves are silent, the birds are flying away as if they¡¯re terrified. Why?¡±

    Zilan couldn¡¯t figure it out, where was he and why couldn¡¯t he hear anything? One minute he was in Morning Dew City and the next he was here.

    ¡±Eh?¡±

    His feet shook and so did the rest of the earth. He turned his eyes to the ocean beneath but nothing but calm waters greeted him.

    He then looked up at the sky and what he saw sent chills down his spine.

    Above him were two large Dragons that completely blotted out the sun, the bigger of the two at about the size of the entire Morning Dew City was covered in dark red and gold scales, giving of a dominating aura. The significantly smaller one was covered with light blue scales but had a peculiar cloud pattern at the top of its head.

    When Zilan¡¯s eyes landed on the blue Dragon, he felt his heart jump and a longing like that which a child would have for its mother enveloped him.

    ¡°S..e.r..a...¡±

    His lips unknowingly moved, speaking the name of the blue Dragon.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Spring Dragon, it has to be!¡±

    Zilan didn¡¯t know how he was getting this knowledge, only that it felt unusually natural.

    A thought suddenly sprung into his mind.

    ¡°Could this be Inheritance!? But how?¡±

    He had once read about how powerful Ancient Beasts in the past would often get knowledge on how to use their abilities and what they were before their birth.

    Zaum went into special detail when it came to the birth of the Phoenix. Its parent would have to die before the child could be born, therefore it needed to pass on knowledge in the form of images or visions in order to enlighten the newborn on how to survive.

    ¡°I am not its child. How is this even possible?¡±  wondered Zilan.

    The red King of Dragons opened its large mouth, revealing rows upon rows of giant teeth each one ten times the size of Zilan. It then let out an awe inspiring roar that caused the ocean water to flow in reverse and the clouds to essentially disappear. Luckily Zilan couldn¡¯t hear a thing and apart from being a bit wobbly, he was seemingly unaffected by what was going on.

    The Spring Dragon didn¡¯t make a sound, only flapping her wings harder in order to remain stabilised. The King Dragon bellowed once again before charging at an unbelievable speed at the Spring Dragon.

    The Spring Dragon¡¯s deep milky white eyes flashed with contempt as it glared at the enraged monster flying towards it.

    She then opened her mouth and a strange thing happened. Zilan could hear it speak, clearly it was a foreign language but he understood it completely.

    ¡°[Endless Flow]¡± repeated Zilan.

    The red Dragon was almost in attacking range when suddenly a small collection of white liquid shot out from the cloud pattern on the Spring Dragon¡¯s head.

    As if sensing danger, the enormous red Beast tried to stop and turn however its size turned out to be its biggest enemy. Immediately after the white liquid touched the red Dragon, blood started to drip from all its orifices even leaking from underneath its own scales.

    In a matter of seconds, the gigantic red Dragon imploded sending chunks of meat and bodily fluids plummeting to the ocean.

    ¡°So this is the gap between an Elemental Dragon and a King of normal Dragons.¡± thought Zilan.

 Chapter 18 - Completion

    The Spring Dragon surprisingly turned towards Zilan and muttered a few words,

    ¡°My child, what realm are you from?¡±

    Zilan felt a warmth go through him when he heard the word, ¡°My child.¡± He swiftly shifted through his memories before answering.

    ¡°The Herald Plane, one of the three hundred lesser realms.¡±

    The cloud pattern on the Spring Dragon¡¯s head suddenly flashed with a blinding light.

    ¡°Mm, I did indeed pass by there in my youth however the children I left should not have such a strong bloodline. My partner back then seemed so powerful yet now he would be just like dust before me, not to mention hundreds of thousands of years have long passed, so then why is my blood still so strong and pure as it courses through your veins with no sign of that snake¡¯s blood within you.¡± Her voice was enveloped in both ridicule and sadness as she spoke.

    What Sera was saying was indeed reasonable, Dragons needed thousands of years to mature thus it made sense that she would have children with a lesser creature that appeared powerful.

    ¡°I am not human nor am I beast. I am but a child born of the Universe who wished to follow in the ways of the Great Spring Dragons. I used some methods to separate your life Blood from that of the Flow python that is why it courses through my veins!¡±

    Hearing this, the Spring Dragon suddenly began to rapidly shrink in size. Her entire body was intensely glowing making it impossible for Zilan to see clearly.

    A few minutes later and the light disappeared, hovering above the ocean before him was a beautiful blue haired girl who looked to be eighteen to twenty years of age yet gave off an aura that exuded ancientness.

    ¡°I see, so you¡¯re one of them. Although from what I see, you¡¯re somewhat different from them and since you¡¯ve taken in my blood I doubt they¡¯ll accept you. Are you sure what you¡¯re doing is wise?¡±

    Sera¡¯s white reptilian eyes unblinkingly stared at Zilan as if mocking him but at the same time rather amused.

    ¡°You¡¯re speaking of the Enlightened, we are truly similar but are definitely not the same. I have no intention of being a part of them, I have my own path to follow.¡± replied Zilan.

    The Enlightened were a clan in the Upper realms that Zaum detested. Their abilities were similar to his but much weaker and their methods of gaining power were extremely disgusting and cruel. They also apparently believed themselves to be clairvoyant.

    ¡°Oh! I wish I could hear more but unfortunately time and space are not easy to combat. Me showing myself to you was because you are but the fifth to activate my blood out of my many children, however you are also the only one who carries so much of my life blood within you.

    If you agree to be my son from this day forth, then I will not just pass onto you that puny [Endless Flow] but every technique and skill that I know of. You will be my true heir!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± questioned Zilan.

    ¡°Ha! No need to be suspicious, I only do what feels right and helping you is something that I have no choice but to do. The fact that my blood is currently flowing through your veins makes me feel extremely bonded to you.

    Even if I wanted to harm you before, I cannot now! Whatever you¡¯ve done has turned you into my heir whether you meant to do it or not.¡±

    Zilan¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he thought about Sera¡¯s words.

    ¡°By getting rid of the Spiritual Power inside me I became an empty shell and then I drank her life Blood,  filling myself with the essence of an ancient Beast, essentially being born again in the form of a Spring Dragon. Who would have thought that the Ancestor would still be alive and in another realm?

    She showed me a pre-set vision of her killing the King Dragon in the past and when she felt how strong my bloodline was, she actually sent her consciousness across time and space just to see me. How much power does one need to have to accomplish something like that? It looks like she¡¯s even stronger now than when she killed the King Dragon.¡±

    Zilan felt that what Sera was saying was indeed true after all, he too felt the bond that currently existed between them.

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    ¡°I already have a mother but I have never met my grandmother. If you accept me as your grandson then I promise to be filial and to kowtow before you.¡±

    Sera laughed heartily as she heard Zilan speak,

    ¡°Good! From today on we are bound, accept this gift as a show of my affection.¡±

    The cloud pattern on Sera¡¯s forehead suddenly floated out and stuck itself on Zilan¡¯s right arm. The whole thing happened so quick that he literally had no time to react.

    ¡°What...¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve run out of time! I hope grandson can one day come and find me, but only when you¡¯re strong enough.¡±

    Before Zilan could speak out he found himself back at the inn, sleeping face down on the wet floor. He could feel a powerful energy coursing through his veins, as he stood up Zilan could immediately feel the differences.

    His main purpose for drinking the Life Blood was to destroy his cracked core and completely get rid of the remnants of spiritual power in his body while at the same time strengthen and enlarge his meridians. He had succeeded in doing all of those however, that was not all that occurred.

    His hair had grown back although not as long as before it still managed to cover his entire scalp. He had grown significantly taller at now six feet, the muscles on his body had slightly bulged as well as become more well defined but most surprising was a collection of deep blue dragon scales that went round his neck.

    The cloud pattern had branded itself on his right bicep resembling an intricate tattoo. It looked neither special nor especially unique but Zilan could feel that there were things locked within that he could not yet access.

    ¡°These effects exceed what was written in the Book of Path.¡±

    Zilan had made two huge mistakes this time that turned out to go in his favour.

    The first was that he expected Sera to be long dead after all, there were no elemental dragons in this world. There were many normal dragons that even commoners knew of but not even Kings or Emperors on this world would have heard of the term ¡°Elemental Dragon¡± thus he thought they had all perished years ago, never would he have imagined that they just came and went.

    This mistake had led to Sera travelling who knows how far and finding him once she sensed his bloodline. If Sera had already passed away, then all Zilan would have seen would be that vision of her killing the King Dragon and all he would have inherited would be the [Endless Flow] technique.

    The second mistake he made was that he underestimated Sera¡¯s longing for a true descendant. Spring Dragons were all female and they would be born only when a Wind and Water Dragon mated which was extremely rare. Therefore Spring Dragons were the strange type of Dragon that would breed with other species of the same element in hopes of producing another Spring Dragon or something close.

    Sera had managed to produce four children and it could be seen that she cared very deeply for them but upon sensing that Zilan had only her essence with him, she instantly became overjoyed.

    Her other children only had about fifty to sixty percent of her blood and their core essence was tainted but Zilan had at least ninety percent of her blood to the point that the aura around him was exclusively that of a Spring Dragon. How could she then not place something that she¡¯d been searching for so long for like Zilan in her heart?

    Even if he refused to be her grandson Sera would have still gifted Zilan with the cloud pattern that way in the future there would be a higher chance for the two to meet. If she was able to, Sera would have travelled to his world and quickly snatched Zilan but unfortunately her power was so great that if she even approached the plane it would most likely collapse.

    Zilan currently could not understand just how special the gifts given to him by Sera were but in time he would wish to kowtow till his head bled and he could no longer stand, as a show of gratitude.

    For now though, he was treading in unchartered waters. He couldn¡¯t rely solely on the Book of Path to have all the answers.

    One more step was left, once that was complete Zilan¡¯s path will officially begin.

 Chapter 19 - Cultivation

    The first thing Zilan did after coming back from that mysterious state, was to immediately jump into the bath and clean himself up.

    His entire body was covered with black sticky filth that had a horrid smell, even breathing through the mouth was of no use.

    ......

    After taking a whole two hours scrubbing every inch of his body, Zilan finally got out of the bath. He then quickly dressed, took out a mop and started cleaning the black liquid filled room.

    This needed to be done if he wanted to erase all evidence of his experiment otherwise if he called a maid or the inn keeper to take care of it, rumours that would most definitely not be beneficial to him might quickly spread.

    Another hour passed and the sun finally set allowing darkness to envelop to earth.

    Zilan didn¡¯t bother putting on a shirt as he calmly sat on the floor with the crimson core in hand.

    ¡°The final step!¡±

    After taking a moment to steel himself, Zilan suddenly pinched his right thumb and a drop of his blood fell onto the core.

    The blood was instantly absorbed by the core however, right after strange things started happening. The crimson core flew into the air by itself before coming to a halt just in front of Zilan¡¯s forehead.

    The strange inscription pattern began throbbing erratically with blue light as the core slowly but surely passed through his head and moved close to his soul.

    There was no wound or any sign of disturbance on Zilan¡¯s fore head but there was also no doubt that the core had gone into his head.

    Zilan¡¯s eyes were closed throughout the entire process but he could still feel that a foreign force had made its way inside him.

    ¡°Perfect!¡±

    All Zilan could currently see was infinite darkness but once in a while he would hear the sounds of waves and explosions. These sounds were terrifying but Zilan knew that this was the sound of the core and his soul interacting with each other. If the core could survive the onslaught then everything would be complete.

    Suddenly the darkness around him vanished and a huge sea that Zilan could not see the end of stretched below him. He floated around the area and tears unexpectedly poured down from his eyes.

    ¡°T.h..The Sea of consciousness.....I,.I¡¯ve done it!¡±

    Above him he could see a gigantic white planet giving of unbelievable waves of energy and powerful vitality.

    ¡°So this is the soul....Hm?¡±

    As he looked on in awe, a small crimson rock that was leisurely circling the white planet caught his attention. The rock greedily absorbed the energy being emitted by his soul however it reached a point where an abrupt huge blast of white energy smacked the core far away.

    Seeing this Zilan couldn¡¯t help but sigh,

    ¡°It looks like the power held within the core has not yet been refined enough for me to instantly break through to the soul-compression stage. However the fact that I¡¯m here means that I¡¯ve already gone past the Divine Baptism.¡±

    Zilan hastily flew after the red core and grabbed it. He then spoke a few words in an unknown language and the core flew up once again, but this time it floated underneath his soul.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to revive my meridians.¡±

    He then made a series of hand signs while speaking in a strange tongue, the movements seemed unbelievably fluid and well practiced.

    This went on for a very long time however Zilan did not stop for even a second. Above him, the crimson core steadily enlarged with every passing minute and peculiar spider web like cracks continued to extended around it.

    ¡°Break for me!¡± shouted Zilan as his hand signs suddenly stopped.

    The now triple sized crimson core slowly started to crack shedding off its outer shell which quickly disintegrated turning into light blue energy that speedily rushed towards his meridians.

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    Zilan¡¯s body in the inn suddenly started glowing with deep blue energy surrounding him, the scales around his neck especially shining bright. Loud breaking and popping sounds could be heard coming from his body, the veins on his arms and head surprisingly bulged as sweat unceasingly flowed.

    Each time he exhaled a faint light blue air escaped from his nostrils and mouth.

    Zilan¡¯s meridians instantly absorbed and circulated the energy around his body. They had been starved for many years and today was their first meal therefore they furiously circulated the energy everywhere countless times with no signs of it calming down. A cool and comfortable feeling spread throughout Zilan¡¯s body.

    In his sea of consciousness a large smile could be seen on his face as he laughed out loud. The outer shell of the crimson core had cracked causing the energy contained within the shell to quickly circulate however, what remained behind was the true treasure, a small light blue collection of fluid slowly rotating and releasing energy.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done it! It¡¯s complete, I¡¯ve finally done it! Father, Mother your son is no longer worthless I can now finally start to avenge you.¡±

    Zilan dared not think it before but deep down he looked down on himself more than anyone in the world did or ever could. ¡°If only I were stronger, If only I were smarter.¡± So many if¡¯s passed through his mind but one thing remained the same, he was weak and although that was not the main reason his whole life collapsed, it was a key factor.

    In this world only strength mattered and he was denied the ability to even gain that strength. However now, everything had changed.

    He relied on no one apart from his own knowledge and his Book of Path to gain this cultivation method. In the future he would also rely only on himself to get the better of his enemies no matter what happened.

    ¡°I¡¯m no longer useless.¡± repeated Zilan.

    He remained in his sea of consciousness till the morning, completely engrossed in the rotations of the light blue ball of liquid. The energy it released, circulated a few times around Zilan¡¯s body before returning to it.

    He watched this process continue to happen over and over yet he never got bored, it was as if he was looking at his most precious loved one or most valuable treasure in the universe.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to finalize it.¡± resolved Zilan.

    He then made a few hand signs and the ancient inscription pattern that he had drawn on the outer shell of the core appeared once more and stuck itself onto the ball of liquid.

    ¡°The never before seen cultivation method ¡°the Path of Blood¡± has finally arrived in the Universe.¡±

    Zilan had long ago decided to name his cultivation method, ¡°The path of Blood¡± the same as the Book of Path predicted.

    .........

    Back in the inn, Zilan opened his eyes and a bizzare blue streak of lightning flashed, an instant later and it vanished.

    He then directed his gaze towards his right wrist where a strange tattoo that resembled an intricate bracelet was wrapped around. The tattoo had twenty five black lines and a thumb-sized blue gem in the centre.

    ¡°The stronger I become the more lines will disappear. Only when the gem by itself remains will I have mastered the entirety of the Flow pythons core.¡±

    The Path of Blood revolved around comprehending all the skills, special abilities and attribute contained in a particular Beast¡¯s core. This was truly a horrifyingly powerful cultivation method for it to allow him to do this however that was just the tip of the iceberg.

    Zilan designed the Path of Blood to allow him to comprehend different elements. It was normal for super geniuses to be able to have two elements, but in Zilan¡¯s case as long as he had the prerequisite power, he could control every element in the Heavens not to mention absorb the Universe¡¯s power which was at least ten times greater than spiritual power. It even had other uses that Zilan had yet to completely get a handle on.

    Just as Zilan was celebrating he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head. He immediately grabbed it however the pain just grew more intense, when it was getting to a critical state it shockingly ended.

    ¡°What!?...¡± wondered Zilan.

    He sighed in relief as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

 Chapter 20 - New Discoveries

    A good four hours had passed since Zilan had regained his cultivation however, his excitement was only growing stronger with time.

    ¡°This is amazing!¡±

    He was currently relaxing on his bed with his hand stretched out in front of him. Above his palm, hovered a pigeon made entirely out of water, without warning it suddenly changed into a bear, then a snake, then into a wolf.

    Zilan playfully toyed around with his new abilities, a satisfied grin could be seen on his face.

    ¡°Everything went perfectly, I can¡¯t believe it! For once in my life barriers haven¡¯t stood in my way.¡±

    The only thing that troubled him was the piercing headache he felt after completing the process, it was not meant to occur however, nothing in this world can be predicted perfectly so Zilan pushed it to the back of his mind, choosing to focus on the good instead of the bad for once.

    ¡°Ha! If I¡¯m not wrong I should be quite a bit ahead from what I was hoping for. Today just keeps getting better and better.¡±

    The humans of this world cultivated in the ways of Heaven which was split into different stages;

    -The Initial absorption stage includes levels (1-9)

    -The Divine Baptism stage (10)

    -The Tempering stage includes (10-99)

    A Divine Baptism is needed for someone to successfully combine the first nine levels of power in order to break through to the 10th. The methods of Divine Baptism were similar for all commoners however special clans or sects will naturally have more effective methods to achieve the same goal. Only when one reaches the tempering stage can they truly be considered a practitioner.

    Above the Tempering stage is the [Soul-compression stage], the great height that all practitioners strived to achieve. It involves one¡¯s element for example, fire, water, lightning, wind, being compressed and fused with one¡¯s soul thus its name the soul compression stage.

    This stage is also divided into its own levels;

    -Low level (100-1,000).

    -Mid level (1,000-10,000).

    -High level (10,000-100,000).

    The rest of the stages could no longer be measured in levels.

    As for beasts their cultivation was much more different as it relied on absorbing and comprehending the Universe¡¯s secrets in order to further evolve. The only way to tell a Beast¡¯s strength was from the colour of its core which could usually be seen somewhere around its body.

    For those at the Intial absorption stage of strength, they had yellow cores signifying that they¡¯re yet to evolve.

    The Beasts at the Tempering stage level of strength have white cores which showed that they had already started to evolve.

    As for the mighty Beasts at the Soul-compression stage level of strength, they had black coloured cores.

    Unlike humans it was impossible to tell with pin point accuracy what level a Beast was, as even they themselves did not know. For example a human could accurately tell that they were at the 42nd level of the Tempering stage while a Beast could only estimate that they¡¯re strength was nearing the 50th level.

    That¡¯s why it was always risky when battling with Beasts. Although, their cores showed that they were in a certain stage, no one knew if they had just entered it recently or if they were nearing the end of the stage.

    ..........

    From what Zilan could tell using his eyes, his power should currently be equal to that of the 40th level of the Tempering stage. For someone who had not even had his Divine Baptism when he was crippled, Zilan had unintentionally made history by jumping over thirty levels in one night. Also he hadn¡¯t even included the strength of his body in to the equation when he made his estimation.

    Such a huge unexpected blessing, even someone like Zilan who could rarely find anything that made him happy couldn¡¯t help but rejoice at his good fortune.

    There was just one slight worry that bothered him and that was his aura which was that of the Spring Dragon. Obviously, exuding an aura of a Beast while in the presence of humans wasn¡¯t the most ideal situation however this was when his meticulous and thoughtful plans showed themselves to be useful.

    When Zilan was designing Path of Blood, he had already thought of what if his aura was to change dramatically to that of the Spring Dragon, but nevertheless he still believed he would be able to suppress it using his cultivation. However just in case something unexpected like the Spring Dragon actually still being alive incident happened, Zilan prepared the inscription which was wrapped around his new core.

    Zilan quickly sat up and after making a few hand gestures the inscription in his sea of consciousness glowed and tightened around the blue liquid, like a python strangling its prey. Minutes later and the only aura that leaked from Zilan¡¯s body was that of the water element.

    This aura would probably attract much attention to himself in the future as the calm, spring like aura that he let out could only signify that his affinity towards water was on a level above all others. Zilan despised unnecessary attention but it was better than exuding the aura of an Ancestral Beast that has not been seen for thousands of years.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!Besides, he intended to feign being a cripple for a little while longer therefore he would not be exposing his cultivation any time soon. So only when he was sure that he could safely expose his abilities would he allow people to notice his aura.

    Although, Zilan really did have to admit, the Spring Dragon¡¯s affinity towards water was as boundless as the ocean itself. His affinity to the attribute he was born with, [Nature] could not even compare, which didn¡¯t really matter since he would only be able to use it again unless he found a Beast core that met the Ancestral requirements.

    Suddenly just as Zilan was picturing the beautiful yet mature figure of his new Grandmother, a cool refreshing feeling passed through his body causing all the hairs on his body to stand up in delight.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Zilan quickly wiped his mouth of the drool that was about to drip and turned towards his shoulder where the cloud pattern tattoo was glistening with a hazy inky light.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did I trigger something?¡± puzzled, Zilan reached out to touch the cloud pattern only to get enveloped once again in that extremely comfortable, relaxing feeling that made him think he was sleeping on the clouds while being massaged by a group of angels.

    He tried resisting the sensation but unfortunately it was too late, his consciousness was forcefully pulled out of his body and directly entered the cloud pattern.

    In the blink of an eye, Zilan found himself in a white empty space. There was nothing apart from a strange grey mist meandering beneath his feet.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± he whispered.

    A loud oppressive clicking sound resounded throughout the space, causing Zilan to immediately cover his ears.

    ¡°Is anyone there?¡± shouted Zilan.

    ¡°Yo..you...absolutely deserve to die!¡± the pained voice of a youth sounded out from the distance.

    ¡°Eh? Are you talking to me!?¡± questioned Zilan as he took a step back.

    ¡°Who else? You¡¯re definitely the most despicable person I¡¯ve met in all the years that I¡¯ve served Mistress! Oh, why? Why did it have to be me who was chosen?¡±

    The moaning sounds the youth made caused Zilan to cringe and grit his teeth in irritation.

    ¡°Hey! Who are you to call me despicable? You may think you know me but_...¡±

    Before he could finish his sentence the crying youth¡¯s mouth suddenly turned aggressive,

    ¡°Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!....You¡¯re definitely the worst, you even tricked the Mistress.¡±

    Zilan was starting to get pissed off, he had no idea who the other party was and yet he insisted on cursing him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve done to wrong you but your behaviour is too much. This Mistress of yours could it be Grandmother?¡±

    All sound seized instantly.

    A few seconds later and the realm started shaking, causing the air to distort. A figure suddenly appeared before Zilan coldly glaring at him with its red reptilian eyes.

    ¡°Eh? A dragon...midget?¡± exclaimed Zilan.

    The creature before him was barely four feet tall yet it definitely had all the features of a fire Elemental Dragon. Was this little thing, that looked exactly like those toys little girls loved to play with, the one that was cursing him and causing the earth to shake?

    ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± he resolved.

    ¡°Ha! For someone so young like you to lecture me about bad behaviour I, Hihi the great genius overlord of the other geniuses and overlords never thought I would see the day. You punk deserve to be punished for daring to call Mistress, g-g..g..Grand..mother!¡± said the tiny dragon.

    Zilan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. This tiny thing actually proudly called himself Hihi and even gave himself such a stupidly grand title.

    ¡°Truly thick skin!¡± praised Zilan.

    ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me, I can tell! Stop it!¡± growled Hihi.

    ¡°Fine! Why is genius Hihi cursing me and what is this place?¡± asked Zilan as his eyes looked around the place.

    ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s not genius Hihi but Hihi the great genius overlord of the other geniuses and overlords. Don¡¯t think you can trick me by saying nice things, I know you¡¯re a very bad person!¡± snorted Hihi.

    ¡°Ok, if I¡¯ve done it then I won¡¯t deny hurry and tell me what wrong I¡¯ve committed!¡±

    ¡°You little Bastard actually dared to make Mistress assign you a Guardian and yet y..you failed to mention that you were a CRIPPLE! I don¡¯t understand what you did to put yourself back together again but I¡¯m truly lucky otherwise pitiful Hihi, would have been trapped here alone until the day you died.¡± cursed Hihi as traces of tears could be seen in the corner of his eyes.

 Chapter 21 - New Discoveries (ii)

    ¡°I didn¡¯t deceive anyone! The whole point of me using Grandmother¡¯s life blood was to regain my cultivation, whatever happened after was just me adapting to the situation.¡± Although this Hihi did seem to be quite hostile towards him, Zilan didn¡¯t feel any killing intent coming from him and since he was probably sent here by Sera there was no way he would harm him.

    ¡°Hmph! So what? Just because you have Mistress¡¯s blood, you think you¡¯re so great. When Hihi was born, I was already at the soul-compression stage.¡±

    Zilan stared at Hihi and couldn¡¯t help but doubt the little dragon¡¯s words.

    ¡°What are you?¡±

    Hihi smiled and puffed out his chest,

    ¡°Hihi was made by the Mistress of the Starry plane and in the future Hihi will become a mighty Spirit King.¡±

    Zilan¡¯s mouth curved into an ¡°o¡± as he suddenly came to a realisation.

    ¡°Grandmother must be an unfathomable existence to control a plane let alone create a Spirit King.¡±

    Spirit Kings were born from the soul of a powerful practitioner and they held the great power of being able to grow and cultivate. Usually they were created in times of war in order to join the fight or in instances where cultivation had stagnated practitioners would create them and once their power had grown to a great height they would absorb the Spirit King, using its power to propel them even further.

    ¡°It looks like Grandmother isn¡¯t having too good of a time wherever she is.¡± concluded Zilan.

    ¡°Tell me, why did Grandmother send you to me?¡±

    With an unwilling expression on his face the little Dragon mumbled out some words,

    ¡°Hihi was instructed to help guide you on the ways of our people and to.....give you my powers once you become strong enough.¡±

    Zilan rolled his eyes as he sighed,

    ¡°This woman is too crazy.¡±

    ¡°Hihi, you don¡¯t need to worry I have no need for your power. All I want is the knowledge and inheritance that I was promised.¡±

    Hihi¡¯s ears instantly perked up and his wings uncontrollably flapped as he listened to Zilan¡¯s words however, a thought suddenly sprung into his mind.

    ¡°Hihi knew it, you¡¯re definitely an evil person!¡± he shouted.

    Zilan rubbed his temple, forcefully calming himself down.

    ¡°What did I do now?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re looking down on Hihi¡¯s power! Is that why you don¡¯t want it. Let me tell you, Hihi is a genius overlord, even if you put Hihi against Eldest brother who is three hundred years older, our powers are still equal.¡±

    ¡°A foolish child...Wait, what!?¡±

    ¡°Hihi, how old are you?¡± an interested spark could be in Zilan¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Hihi is fifty two...still young, still young!¡± nodded Hihi with absolute pride.

    Zilan gasped in awe. It should be noted that Spirit Kings grew stronger with age so for a fifty two year old newborn¡¯s powers to be equal to a three hundred year old veteran, what did this mean?

    It meant Hihi was special and that he would grow stronger even quicker than most.

    It was a pity Zilan¡¯s cultivation method would be adversely affected otherwise he might have just gone with the flow and absorbed Hihi once the time came.

    ¡°A pity indeed...¡±

    These words sent chills down Hihi¡¯s spine for some unknown reason. Little did he know he was just like the hen that the farmer didn¡¯t select to be his dinner, thus surviving for another day.

    ¡°Hihi, I promise you that I will never ask to absorb your power for as long as I live! So please tell me about my inheritance.¡±

    The scales on Hihi¡¯s body glowed with a bright red lustre. His wings spread out and with one flap the air trembled and Hihi disappeared.

    ¡°Hihi..isn¡¯t afraid or anything b..but Hihi will believe Brother Zilan¡¯s words.¡± His voice sounded distant but Zilan could still tell that he was elated.

    It was after all normal for anyone to be happy that they got a new lease on life, even death row prisoners who deserved to die would rejoice when they heard the execution date was postponed.

    Suddenly the all white realm Zilan was standing on started to uncontrollably shake and shift. The white quickly dissipated and Zilan found himself in a massive hall.

    The hall was extremely wide and breathtaking to behold, paintings of awe-inspiring Dragons could be seen all around the walls and on the ceiling a beautiful engraving of a Spring Dragon with its wings spread out looking down on the world, could be seen. Beneath all the paintings were jade tablets the size of Zilan¡¯s head.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°What is this place?¡± whispered Zilan, his words echoing throughout the empty hall.

    ¡°This is the first hall in the Mistress¡¯s Cloud Inheritance Palace. She made this realm so that it could be of use to any type of descendant she produced, no matter what element, or level of power.¡±

    The space beside Zilan trembled and Hihi suddenly appeared.

    ¡°Excluding where we are now, this realm has a total of six levels. This is the base level where your path as a descendant of the great Elemental Dragons that came before you will begin.¡±

    Zilan walked along the exquisite red carpet as his eyes darted around the hall focusing on the images of the Dragons.

    ¡°These Dragons...who are they?¡±

    Hihi shook his head as he followed behind Zilan,

    ¡°Hihi doesn¡¯t know but even if I did, Mistress told Hihi not to tell you. The choice has to be yours, depending on which Dragon¡¯s way you choose, the rest of the levels will also have things related to that Dragon. Mistress also said that you shouldn¡¯t pick using your brain but your heart.¡±

    A Dragon¡¯s ¡°way¡± was its greatest secret. It was basically their own personal cultivation method, similar to how Zilan had his ¡°Path of Blood¡±.

    Of course, only Dragons and other advanced Beast civilisations could ever create their own way. This was because their ¡°way¡± was actually just a secret of the Universe that they had comprehended and adjusted towards their own cultivation. Humans on the other hand were restricted solely to the way of Heaven, absorb spiritual power and then breaking through.

    ¡°How am I supposed to choose based on a painting?¡±

    His eyes narrowed and he kept analysing each and every dragon. If it wasn¡¯t of the water element then he immediately put it away, if it was then he remembered it.

    ¡°How did Grandmother collect so much information on the ways of other Dragons?¡± asked Zilan as he continued to look around.

    ¡°Hihi only knows that Mistress has a special ability that aided her in being able to complete this realm.¡±

    ¡°What kind of ability is that?¡±

    An hour passed, then two hours, then three. Soon Zilan lost all sense of time as he directed all of his focus onto the various dragons.

    ¡°There are a total of forty four dragons of the water attribute. The question is, which one should I choose?¡±

    Zilan suddenly slapped his thigh,

    ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot!¡±

    Four stars quickly appeared in his pupils and a calm smile graced his face.

    His eyes surveyed all the candidates before they landed on a painting of a sleeping dragon covered in grey scales. Its entire body blended in with the murky scenery of a valley where rain drizzled down.

    A faint gray aura escaped from the painting causing Zilan¡¯s body to tremble slightly.

    ¡°That one!¡± pointed Zilan. ¡°That¡¯s the one I choose.¡±

    Hihi nodded in understanding as he flew up to the painting and retrieved the jade tablet.

    ¡°This..this is a Rain Dragon King. Why couldn¡¯t I recognise it?¡± Hihi¡¯s shocked voice sounded out, leading Zilan to smile.

    ¡°Picking with the heart...isn¡¯t that the same as guessing! If I have an advantage I¡¯ll use it.¡±With that thought Zilan¡¯s eyes went back to normal.

    Hihi couldn¡¯t understand how he was unable to recognise such a Legendary figure, but below him was someone who had already figured out that a concealing formation was placed on all the paintings. Luckily, Zilan¡¯s eyes that were born from the universe were too overpowered, otherwise he really would have had to rely on luck.

    Hihi slowly flew down and handed Zilan the jade tablet.

    The instant his hands touched the tablet, thousands of cracks appeared on its surface and with a loud ¡°kacha¡± sound, the tablet broke.

    A strange grey mist travelled from the broken tablet and directly entered Zilan¡¯s mind. A rush of information on the Rain Dragon¡¯s [way] then followed, continuously flowing into his brain.

 Chapter 22 - New Discoveries (iii)

    ¡°[Survival of the Rain Dragon]¡± whispered Zilan.

    Details on the first ability of the Rain Dragon were now firmly embedded into his brain.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Hihi, as he jumped around in anticipation.

    ¡°It¡¯s a survival technique the Rain dragon was born with. Due to the harsh conditions dragons are born in, those with powerful bloodlines will have abilities that will aid in guaranteeing their safety until the day they¡¯re able to protect themselves.¡±

    It was a known fact that dragons were extremely dangerous creatures however, they were also considered by many as living, breathing treasures. Every part of their body could either be directly consumed to aid in cultivation or slowly refined into items that could increase a person¡¯s battle strength thus they were highly sought after. The fully developed ones were of course too powerful, so hunters preferred to focus on finding the young who although didn¡¯t pack as much treasures still provided their pockets with endless joy.

    Zilan could also be taken as an example since he sought after a descendant of the Spring Dragon in hopes of getting its life blood.

    .....

    As soon as he finished speaking, Zilan slowly stretched out his arm and a layer of clear water quickly enveloped it.

    ¡°This Rain Dragon King¡¯s ability is definitely a testament to its powerful bloodline.¡±

    With that thought, Zilan sent seventy percent of all his energy towards his arm causing unbelievable scenes to play out.

    His entire arm started to flicker, one second it was completely visible while the next it was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°Th..this..how are you doing this?¡± Hihi¡¯s eyes widened in amazement.

    Soon he couldn¡¯t take it any more and swiftly smacked Zilan¡¯s arm to see if it was still attached to his body.

    ¡°Bastard...What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± barked Zilan as the water around his arm suddenly dispersed.

    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s still there. Hihi doesn¡¯t understand, why was Brother Zilan¡¯s arm acting funny?¡± said Hihi as he cleverly backed away from Zilan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Brother! If my body hadn¡¯t absorbed Grandmother¡¯s life blood, my arm would have probably been completely torn off.¡±

    ¡°Hihi didn¡¯t do it intentionally!¡± his eyes glared at Zilan as he felt that he was exaggerating too much.

    ¡°I barely used any strength.¡± he thought.

    ¡°What are you angry about? Isn¡¯t it me who should be annoyed? Ah~ I¡¯ve changed my mind....I¡¯ll definitely take your power later on!¡± an evil grin graced Zilan¡¯s face.

    ¡°AAAaaaa....you can¡¯t don¡¯t that! You swore....¡±

    ¡°Hmph! So what? Isn¡¯t it your duty to follow your Mistress¡¯s orders? I¡¯m also going to comply with her wishes unless.......no, you won¡¯t do it so forget it, I¡¯ll just absorb you later!¡± sneered Zilan as he put on a regretful expression.

    ¡°Unless what?...um..as long as Hihi can do it, it will be done!¡± a deep fear Hihi had never felt before took over the reigns of his mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can do it, maybe Grandmother won¡¯t even approve of it, but if you want me to go against her wishes of absorbing you, I¡¯ll need to trouble you.¡±

    Hihi¡¯s fear reached unprecedented heights where even without thinking, he answered.

    ¡°Hihi will do it!¡±

    ¡°Good! Then hurry up and lead me to the second level.¡± said Zilan as he took a step forward.

    Hihi suddenly stopped, some of his rationality returned to him and he attempted to think things through.

    ¡°Mistress said only if you¡¯ve mastered the first technique can you...¡±

    ¡°Ah~ Then I guess I have no choice but to absorb you later!¡±

    ¡°No,no,no...Hihi will open, Hihi will open it but not now...¡± his tiny eyes shifted about as if trying to hide from Zilan¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Hihi...don¡¯t mess with this Big brother, I¡¯m telling you I will absorb you!¡± shouted Zilan.

    ¡°Aiiii, Hihi isn¡¯t lying, the second level really can¡¯t be opened today! The realms power was already used to give you the knowledge of the Rain Dragon King. Tomorrow, Hihi will open it tomorrow!¡±

    Zilan rubbed his hairless chin pretending to be deep in thought,

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll be counting on you tomorrow! How do I get out of this realm then?¡±

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Just think about the outside world!¡± a deep sigh of relief escaped from Hihi¡¯s mouth.

    ............

    As soon as Zilan returned from the Cloud Inheritance Palace, a loud hearty laughter that he could no longer hold back erupted.

    ¡°An idiot! Truly an idiot! Does he even have brain cells? How did that simple trick succeed?¡±

    The laugh lasted for a good five minutes before he finally calmed down.

    After getting the knowledge on the first step of the Rain Dragon King¡¯s [way], Zilan could already feel how difficult it would be for him to completely comprehend it. So when he saw a chance he immediately embraced it thus effectively manipulating Hihi to open the second level.

    ¡°Unlike dragons, I don¡¯t have hundreds of years to ponder on one thing, let alone a legacy technique that is based on the bending of light! Although its concealing aspect is horrifyingly powerful, there are other things I need to prioritise and I¡¯m guessing the second level will not disappoint.¡±

    With some time to kill, Zilan decided to note down some things in the Book of Path. He stood up from his bed and happily grabbed the book from the table however, something unexpected occurred.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The Book suddenly released spikes that easily pierced into Zilan¡¯s skin before greedily sucking out some of his blood. Once it was satisfied the spikes instantly withdrew and the book directly flew into Zilan¡¯s sea of consciousness where without warning or the slightest resistance merged with his soul.

    Almost immediately after, three stars appeared in Zilan¡¯s eyes emitting a dense golden light he had never experienced before. A few seconds later and the stars started rotating and vibrating at unbelievable speed.

    *pop*

    The sound was faint however what it signified was anything but. There were now two stars in Zilan¡¯s eyes!

    Zilan didn¡¯t exactly know much about his eyes except for the fact that he started with five stars and that every time he could deduct a star, his abilities would grow stronger. It always felt like he was removing shackles or weights each time he advanced.

    ¡°This...¡±

    Zilan couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing,

    ¡°Energy..? Everything is energy....I am energy, and the universe? What is the universe?¡±

    Inside his room, Zilan continued to walk around and stare at different things before breaking into laughter.

    ¡°Everything is vibrating at its own frequency...why? I... am the universe, everything is the universe! This power...¡±

    Zilan couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. Information on what he was seeing kept flooding into his mind and every time he looked at something new, the information would pause for a moment, his eyes would then zoom in, a second later and the properties of what he was seeing would immediately appear.

    Just as Zilan started to adjust, he felt a lightning bolt like sensation travel to his hands. The strange feeling lasted for only an instant before information on what happened displayed itself before him.

    ¡°Descendant Zilan Zaum has received Master¡¯s gift of love. Four gifts remain, only by following your Path will you receive them!¡±

    ¡°Gift of love?¡±

    As he pondered on that, detailed information quickly displayed itself before him,

    ¡°Master Zaum¡¯s [gift of love] is the most useful of all gifts. It is based on analysis and is broken down into three levels, touch something to understand further.¡±

    Zilan carefully picked up a low-level beast core from his void sack. A strange surprising sensation passed through his entire being. He could feel the core, how it was created, everything about its owner and how it functioned. Zilan could even feel the moment of creation for the core, basically everything about the core and all it had ever interacted with could be felt by him.

    He quickly threw the core to floor as his breathing grew erratic.

    ¡°Now I understand why this book is entrusted with guiding our people on their paths!¡±

    Knowing how something worked and actually feeling or experiencing it were two completely different things that in circumstances should never occur together.

 Chapter 23 - Extent of powers

    Zilan didn¡¯t know how to handle his new found abilities but thankfully for whatever questions that were going through his mind, answers were swiftly provided.

    ¡°The gift of love will show greater results when used on existences that are weaker than you. Your abilities will only be fully activated once you¡¯ve opened the second scorched gate!....¡±

    Answers, some of which Zilan was not ready to hear kept appearing before him.

    ¡°Wait, second scorched gate?¡±wondered Zilan.

    After a slight delay, a trail of words suddenly appeared in the air in front of him,

    ¡°All of Master¡¯s descendants have the ability to open the scorched gates from birth. These gates are the window into the Universe and all the secrets it holds, my only purpose is to be the guide that will help you interpret the secrets you see. Powerful cultivators like the God of this world will also be able to open the scorched gates, however judging from his power he has probably only looked into the first, gate of heaven.¡±

    Zilan¡¯s eyes then went back to normal, causing the words to instantly disappear.

    ¡°What about all the notes I recorded before?¡±

    Suddenly hundreds of virtual sheets of paper floated in front of him,

    ¡°These are my notes? So I can access them without opening the scorched gates, how convenient!¡±

    A deep genuinely happy smile could be seen on Zilan¡¯s face. This period had gone even better than he imagined and he had imagined it perfect.

    What he wanted to do most now, was to go out and flaunt his powers to his Uncle and show him that he would one day be able to get revenge for his brother. Zilan had long seen through his uncle¡¯s attempt to hide his bottled up feeling s of anger, restlessness and occasional longing so now he could finally offer him hope.

    Unfortunately though, Zilan understood that doing so, would be the stupidest move he could currently make. The best way to protect his loved ones for now was for him to keep them in the dark until at the very least he could ensure his own life in this world where strength mattered most.

    *Grrr*

    A grumbling sound coming from his stomach, made Zilan realise that a few days had passed since the last meal he had eaten. How he was able to last until now definitely had something to do with his sudden spike in strength.

    He slowly walked towards a small rope by the side of his bed and calmly pulled on it. Once it was pulled, a tiny bell that hung by the bar downstairs sounded out and a short young man with black hair and spots on his face quickly made his way towards Zilan¡¯s room.

    When he reached the door, he couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brow. This was the room that other customers constantly came to him to complain about. At first it was the bad smell, so the in keeper sent him to clean it but after knocking for twenty minutes with no answer, he left in anger.

    Then it was the strange sounds of a man moaning and groaning coming from his room. This he didn¡¯t dare approach, after all why else would a man make those sounds if he wasn¡¯t partaking in the forbidden acts between men.

    Then after that it was the crazed laugher that seemed to have no end. He really had no idea on how to deal with this tenant, if not for the fact that Zilan had overpaid for his stay here, then the boy would have already kicked him out and asked questions later.

    However thankfully, today this rogue had finally sent for him. Now he could see for himself what the hell was actually taking place inside the damned room.

    *Dong, Dong*

    Zilan moved to open the door only to be greeted with a suspicious gaze coming from a rather short man.

    ¡°What can I help you with?¡± asked the attendant as he desperately stretched his neck to try and see around Zilan¡¯s body that was blocking the door.

    ¡°I could swear this fellow was thinner and slightly shorter when he came in....wait, what is this strange smell?.¡±

    A weird funky fragrance permeated the air of the room causing the attendant to take a couple of wiffs so that he could hopefully identify its origin.

    ¡°Bring me roasted meat with wine.¡± said Zilan as he observed the short man¡¯s blatant attempt to snoop.

    ¡°Here, take this for your troubles.¡± Zilan took out a gold coin and showed it to the attendant.

    The short man instantly stopped snooping as his eyes burned with desire. He had worked at this Inn for a period that could not be called short and as such understood that this coin was basically buying his curiosity. He was not a fool so he gladly stretched out his hand to take the gold.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    However as soon as his hand came in contact with Zilan¡¯s fingers, a sensation akin to jumping into a pool of water passed through him.

    Zilan too was taken aback, he could feel the attendant¡¯s heart beat, his body structure which included height, exact weight, body fat, and he could also access some of the feelings and memories that this man had experienced over the last week.

    It was only after he forcefully withdrew his consciousness from the short man that the probing stopped.

    ¡°Why are you still holding my hand?¡± asked Zilan as he pretended to be annoyed.

    ¡°Ah....so sorry! I¡¯ll bring you your meal right away.¡± The attendant quickly walked away after saying that thinking,

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be so shameless as to ask for the gold back, but just in case I better not show myself in front of him again.¡±He had already forgotten about the strange sensation.

    Zilan on the other hand was still wondering what had happened.

    ¡°So if the person is so much weaker than me like the attendant who isn¡¯t even a cultivator, I can actually probe so much without having to open a single gate?¡±

    His heart grew warm as he thought about Zaum¡¯s gift of love.¡°Only someone who loves his people could give away such a gift.¡±

    Half the time it takes an incense stick to burn passed, before his food was delivered to him. Only this time it wasn¡¯t the short man who came but a young lady whose looks could be considered very ordinary.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Zilan as he took his meal and hurriedly closed the door.

    He was no longer alone inside the room. He needed to find out some things so he invited Jeza to come help him.

    Jeza was sitting inside the room with a complicated expression on her face. She didn¡¯t know why but her instincts were telling her to run far away from Zilan, it felt like she was looking at a fellow Beast that was a class above her and not a simple human boy.

    Zilan had naturally covered the scales on his neck well as he approached Jeza.

    ¡°Give me your hand!¡± he said.

    She did as he asked however, the moment their hands touched a feeling of being naked before Zilan enveloped her.

    Two stars appeared in his eyes as he locked onto Jeza.

    ¡°Darkness attribute with a rare affinity for wood. Current strength level at the 55th level but should be breaking through soon. Using a spirit grade concealment pill to mask her appearance.¡±

    The more Zilan read the more interested he became however, as Jeza followed his gaze she could only see him staring intently at her breasts.

    ¡°Y..you..What are trying to do?¡±

    Zilan¡¯s consciousness was already inside Jeza so he couldn¡¯t really hear her but he was able to accurately figure out just how powerful his probing would be if he used it on someone stronger than him.

    ¡°So the basic body properties as well as cultivation levels and attributes can be clearly seen but as for everything else I shouldn¡¯t bet on finding out much.¡±

    Although he could still see and feel some of Jeza¡¯s secrets, this was probably only because she was just fifteen levels above him. If it was someone thirty levels or even stronger, then getting the basic body functions as well as cultivation level would be considered good enough.

    ¡°Z..i.l..an...I¡¯m asking you WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT!¡± barked Jeza, causing Zilan to stop probing and jump up.

    ¡°What am I doing? I¡¯m checking the state of things so I can assess how to proceed with my future endeavours.¡± confusedly replied Zilan.

    Jeza was stunned. Did she just hear what she thought she heard!

    ¡°What do you mean your checking the state of things? Did I ask you to check? Are they yours to check? And what to you mean proceed with your future endeavours? I am warning you right now, I swear upon the Divine King if you try anything I will castrate you and feed that thing to the dogs! Hmph!¡±

    With that Jeza angrily stood up and left the room.

    ¡°Next time call me only when you¡¯ve finished those Pain thingies, dirty human!¡±

 Chapter 24 - Second level

    Apart from the unexpected outburst from Jeza that left Zilan utterly at a loss for words, the day was otherwise peaceful and for the first time in a long time, nightmares did not torment him.

    He woke up early the next day, quickly washed up, neatly combed his hair and then leisurely dressed up in clean orphan blue robes as well as wrapped a midnight black scarf around his neck to cover his dragon scales.

    He then asked for breakfast to be brought to him in exactly one hour.

    In this one hour, he intended to try and cultivate a little bit.

    Using the [Path of Blood] method Zilan would basically only need to strengthen his body as well as increase his understanding towards the Flow python and the Spring Dragon, for the blue ball of liquid rotating in his sea of consciousness to release more energy thus allowing him to advance in shedding off the marks inscribed around his wrist.

    His understanding towards the Flow python and Spring Dragon could be easily broadened thanks to the Book of Path however in order to strengthen his body Zilan had come up with another method.

    At first his idea was to undergo deathly physical training, but after he was able to open the second scorched gate Zilan realised there could be another method that could help him achieve the same goal in reduced time.

    This method was for him to absorb the Universe¡¯s power however, since this form of energy was extremely scarce because of the seal around the world placed by the Human God, Zilan could only improvise.

    He had two options go to the Brivata range and infiltrate the territory of some powerful Beast in order to absorb the Universe¡¯s energy that had collected there which would most likely end up with him dying at the hands of the Beast or he could use his eyes to find areas or organisms with traces of the Universe¡¯s energy in them and then absorb it.

    This process was extremely tedious and only someone with Zilan¡¯s wealth of knowledge would be able to efficiently detect and absorb the Universe¡¯s energy. Once absorbed he would circulate it around his body continuously before letting it seep into his tendons, bones and organs thus strengthening them.

    Once his body reached the pre-requisite level of strength then the [Marks of Tribulation] as Zilan liked to call them, would then disappear one by one off of his wrist.

    At that point the blue ball of liquid would fasten its rotation speed and the energy it gave off [Blood force] another name Zilan decided upon, would not only be more than the current output but exponentially purer. Also, when he reaches a milestone in the future which would be every five lines or marks removed, then a special attribute of the Flow python or even the Spring Dragon would be awarded to him.

    The name Blood force was something Zilan decided upon since what he was cultivating could definitely not be called Spiritual power nor could it necessarily be called Beast force. It was an entirely new form of energy that was closer to the Universe¡¯s than anything else.

    ............

    After all of his experiments Zilan was left with three yellow low-level cores and one white mid-level core in his void sack. He slowly took them out and then carefully drew a formation on the ground that resembled three crosses intersecting.

    Zilan then sat cross-legged in the middle formation, took out the four cores and with his bare hands started massaging them while gradually increasing the amount of Blood force he was using.

    Slowly but surely results began to show themselves in the form of the core¡¯s energy leaking out. Once this started occurring with all the cores Zilan decided to stop and take a quick rest to recover both his mental and physical strength.

    A few minutes passed and Zilan cut himself across his palm, pouring drops of blood on the formation as well as on the cores.

    He then sent half of all his Blood force into the formation causing it to start glowing with a faint golden light.

    ¡°One more step and the core essence will be drawn out.¡±

    What Zilan was trying to accomplish was to draw out the core¡¯s essence which partly contained some of the Universe¡¯s energy within it.

    Core essence could be described not as the energy stored within the core but as the aura that laced this energy. Whether it was human cores, Beast cores, even the cores of Gods they would always have a distinct and unique aura enveloping them.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.This included Zilan whose blue ball of liquid emitted the aura of the Spring Dragon mixed with the purity of the water attribute.

    The core essence was a mixture of the Universe¡¯s power otherwise known as the attribute¡¯s energy as well a persons own unique energies.

    This Universe¡¯s power was what Zilan wanted to draw out.

    The formation steadily grew brighter as did the four cores which were starting to vibrate and crack.

    Not long passed when a sudden wisp of blue mist rose out from all three yellow low-level cores, the formation also didn¡¯t waste any time as it mercilessly subdued the mist before sending it towards Zilan¡¯s pores, nose and mouth.

    With time the formation¡¯s power grew weaker and unfortunately the white mid-level core refused to release its essence probably because Zilan was not yet strong enough to force it out. However, on the bright side he had managed to successfully circulate the Universe energy while discarding the other useless energies and in the process one mark of tribulation was removed.

    His body felt lighter and as strong as a bull, the blue ball of liquid started releasing a larger quantity of Blood force than before which made Zilan unbelievably satisfied with the days harvest.

    He wasn¡¯t too happy but still very satisfied, after all if not for the Spring Dragon¡¯s life blood doing much of the work in strengthening his formerly cripple body then it would be absolutely impossible for Zilan to remove a mark of tribulation that easily.

    ¡°In the future things won¡¯t be this easy!¡± sighed Zilan.

    He then put away the resilient white core before turning his attention towards the cloud pattern.

    ¡°Hihi, let me in.¡± A cold intimidating voice was let out by Zilan, resembling that of an executioner coming to chop off the days quota of heads.

    Immediately after, a soothing and refreshing feeling passed through Zilan transporting his consciousness to the first hall of the Cloud Inheritance Palace.

    ¡°Hihi, today if you don¡¯t take me to the second level then you can¡¯t blame me...¡±

    ¡°Ei...Brother Zilan no need to be so hostile, Hihi has never told a lie in his life nor does Hihi intend to start anytime soon.¡±

    The air beside Zilan slightly trembled and a moment later Hihi¡¯s miniature stature showed itself.

    ¡°Do you want to go now?¡± asked Hihi.

    ¡°Why would I have come here then? You think I want to look at you? Hmph! You flatter yourself too much.¡±

    ¡°Brother Zilan your words are too harsh, Hihi hasn¡¯t wronged you, right?¡±

    ¡°Let this Big Brother enlighten you on something good. Have you ever seen a farmer live with and pamper the pig that is scheduled for slaughter? Of course you haven¡¯t, but do you know why? It¡¯s because the farmer doesn¡¯t want to feel guilty when he enjoys the meat of the companion he shared the same house with. Do you now understand?¡±

    Hihi¡¯s eyes widened,

    ¡°But Hihi already promised to take Brother...¡±

    ¡°I, Zilan will only ever believe in the things that I can see. If I have yet to or for some reason cannot see it, then there is no point in talking further!¡±

    Hihi swallowed his saliva as he thought about how scary this man who held the keys to both his life and freedom was.

    He then suddenly disappeared from his previous position. A minute later and the entire area turned completely white.

    Zilan patiently waited, he was no longer flustered by the things that happened in this space anymore. Only if Hihi panicked would he follow suit.

    Just as Zilan was wondering what this space was actually comprised of, the white area around him suddenly vanished causing him to blink a few times in order to adjust to the sudden change.

    When his eyes finally focused, Zilan found himself in a beautiful and vast garden that resembled a park. There were no animals or insects to be seen so apart from the occasional rustling of the leaves and branches due to wind, the area was otherwise peacefully silent.

    The area itself was extremely forested with the taller trees attempting to block out the sun, allowing hundreds of only the tiniest rays of light to seep through the gaps making the surroundings look like a battle field with heavenly rays of burning light falling from above.

    As Zilan moved forward in awe, he saw Hihi and a strange shadow waiting for him by the shore of a calm, clear lake whose waters appeared stagnant.

 Chapter 25 - Rain

    ¡°This is the second level? What a mysterious place.¡±

    One instant he was in a hall filled with paintings, then he spent some time in an all white realm and now here he was in a beautiful peaceful forest that seemed all too real.

    ¡°You see, Hihi didn¡¯t lie to you!¡±

    Still caught up in admiring this fantastical place, Zilan had almost forgotten about his reason for coming here.

    ¡°Mm, I can see that you didn¡¯t lie to me so how about we do this?¡± His face was stern as he made his proposal.

    As if understanding what Zilan was going to say next, Hihi immediately responded,

    ¡°What do you want? Hihi can¡¯t open the third level, okay. Only your strength can open the remaining levels, so don¡¯t bother asking!¡±

    Zilan silently shook his head. Although it was good to know that only his strength could open the remaining levels, that wasn¡¯t Zilan¡¯s aim at all.

    He had used cheap trickery that at the time was indeed amusing, in order to get to this place however, his true character was not that of a rogue or shameless trickster. So then, what better time than now existed for him to stop his cheap act.

    With a slight bow Zilan apologised,

    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for tricking you but I lack the luxury of time so it needed to be done. It is my sincere hope that in the future we can put this whole thing behind us, and start over.¡±

    Needless to say Hihi was utterly stupefied, he couldn¡¯t comprehend the words that came out of the mouth of the demon who had tormented him even in his dreams.

    ¡°A..are you trying to trick Hihi?¡±

    ¡°No! What benefit would I gain from doing so? I only want you to know the real me since we will be spending a long time together from now on.¡± said Zilan as he seriously stared into Hihi¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Brother Zilan hasn¡¯t done anything very bad to Hihi yet, so Hihi will forgive you, but about that thing....¡±

    Zilan waved his hand as he realised what Hihi was trying to imply,

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already swore that I wouldn¡¯t consume you. I only used it as a threat because it was the most effective way to get you to do what I wanted quickly.¡±

    Hihi nodded in understanding but from the way he looked at Zilan, it was evident that he still harboured some suspicions as well as wariness towards him.

    ¡°What is that?¡± asked Zilan as he pointed towards the shadowy figure standing beside Hihi.

    ¡°This is Brother Zilan¡¯s shadow coach. It will help you navigate and train in the technique that this realm was built to house. When you¡¯re ready touch it and the training will begin, Oh! I should also mention that the maximum time that you can train here is one day, after that you will be kicked out regardless of whatever state you¡¯re in, so manage you¡¯re time wisely.¡±

    Zilan listened attentively to Hihi¡¯s explanation however he had some questions,

    ¡°When you say this realm was built to house a technique, does that mean that the realm was built to suit the technique?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Although Hihi doesn¡¯t know what the technique is, as the guardian of this Palace Hihi knows that every level is designed to be the best possible environment to teach descendants. Just like how this second level is the best environment possible for you to learn this technique.¡±

    Zilan¡¯s mind trembled at the thought of the great lengths Sera had gone through to create this Cloud Inheritance Palace.

    ¡°If I had Grandmother¡¯s strength, how much easier would my path be to tread?¡± sighed Zilan.

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    ¡°Um, you also said that the longest I can stay here is one day but then while I¡¯m training here, won¡¯t my body outside suffer?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s already been taken care of. One full day in this level is the same as four hours in the outside world, so as long as Brother Zilan can set aside four hours, you should be fine.¡±

    If before Zilan could be said to be shocked, now he was simply terrified of Sera the Spring Dragon¡¯s strength.

    He no longer had the heart to ask anymore questions about this realm, so he just shook his head while walking on the sandy beach, making his way towards his shadow coach.

    ......

    As soon as his hand came into contact with the shadow, a stream of knowledge on what the technique was, how he was to train as well as the shadow coach¡¯s role, flowed into Zilan¡¯s brain.

    The technique was called [Infinite Rain] and it was the only technique the Rain Dragon King had ever created. After all, it was a High Dragon and as such had its own Divine Abilities that were exclusive to its bloodline so it didn¡¯t really need to create techniques.

    However the fact that it created this [Infinite Rain] was enough to show that the technique¡¯s power was at least close to if not equal to its own Divine Abilities and the only way such a feat was possible would be if the Rain Dragon King comprehended a secret of the Universe and then used those insights to create the technique.

    [Infinite Rain] was one technique however it was divided into three different parts.

    [Rain shower], a defence skill.

    [Rain Storm], an attacking skill.

    [Drizzle], a movement skill.

    These three seemingly separate skills when mastered, combine together to form an infinite cycle of perfect harmony.

    Movement, defence, attacking! Drizzling, showers, storm!

    Sensing that Zilan had digested the information, the shadow coach finally made its move.

    The first thing it did was cover itself in a layer of water before suddenly turning invisible. It then ran on top of the lake water at full speed for some distance but after seeing that Zilan was not following it stopped.

    Zilan on the other hand just stood by the shore smiling wryly. The reason? Because he was not yet at the level of strength needed to make himself fully invisible for long periods of time nor was he able to walk on water.

    ¡°The training grounds are located in the middle of the lake but the fact that its not only concealing itself but also running above the lake means that if I try to swim there, I¡¯ll probably meet with a not so good outcome.¡± concluded Zilan.

    ¡°Hihi, thanks for your help but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to tackle this training just yet.¡±

    Hihi sighed as he already predicted this outcome however he never thought that Zilan wouldn¡¯t even try to swim there. For someone like him, Hihi believed they would first jump in and only after getting knocked around a bit would they finally understand. Also he was really looking forward to it, that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t bother to warn Zilan of the dangers within the lake.

    Although Zilan was truly disappointed that he couldn¡¯t undergo the training right away, he wasn¡¯t completely disheartened. After all, he had the basics of what he needed to learn already stored safely in his memory and also Hihi only said that this place was the best possible environment to train in [Infinite Rain], he didn¡¯t say a word of it being the only environment.

    ¡°This is where the advantage of having the Book of Path comes into play.¡± mused Zilan.

 Chapter 26 - Chance Encounter

    A week had now gone by since Flesc¡¯s death.

    Tired of staying in the inn room drowning himself in thoughts, Zilan decided to go for a short stroll around the city.

    He breathed in the somewhat dry air with a light smile hanging on his face.

    ¡°Once I¡¯m done buying the spirit herbs, I¡¯ll go pay a visit to Uncle. He must be really worried; I didn¡¯t even give him a good excuse.¡±

    When Zilan thought about his Uncle, warm feelings of love, safety and kindness embraced his heart. However when he recalled how he had treated his dear uncle over the course of the past two weeks, Zilan couldn¡¯t help but want to smack himself repeatedly.

    He had failed to control his frustration when he found out Flesc had brought the book he had requested into the city. Major cities like Morning Dew had special methods meant to identify any illegal items from the Beast lands that had been smuggled in, that¡¯s why Zilan knew that the only way Flesc got here with it was if he had illegally entered the city which meant he was a fugitive.

    As for why the item were not tracked back to Zilan, that probably had to do with Flesc¡¯s false testimony once he was captured and tortured as well as the sealing capabilities of the voidless sack. Nevertheless, if Zilan hadn¡¯t quickly made use of it and then destroyed it he would undoubtedly have been captured after some time.

    Thankfully, he was not so patient as to give them the chance to lock down his location.

    The blood and core were not important since any number of such things could be found at even the Merchant¡¯s egg. The book however was highly illegal and was one of the things powerful humans tried their best to conceal from the public¡¯s eye.

    ¡°Maybe the price that was paid this time was too great. Sigh, all I can do for your soul now is to wholeheartedly fulfil the task that was worth you laying down your life.¡±

    With that thought, Zilan decided to stop thinking about the sad incidents of the past and instead focus on the future. After all, this was not his first time seeing people close to him perish thus with time he had become an expert at bottling up all those sorrowful emotions that were hindering him from moving forward.

    It couldn¡¯t be called healthy but it was effective! If his dark thoughts were left to wander freely then Zilan would have probably long ago ended his own life.

    If not for a quote from Zaum that said, ¡°Dying is as easy as taking a long slumber however living on no matter the obstacle requires strength beyond even the Heavens grasp!¡± Zilan wouldn¡¯t have been able to pull himself out of the darkness.

    .........

    Zilan casually strolled through the streets as he made his way towards the Merchant¡¯s Egg. There he would purchase the materials needed to make the ¡°Tembu Pain¡±.

    Although he couldn¡¯t necessarily be called rich, Zilan could still be considered reasonably wealthy.

    In the past, he had used the advantage of his eyes to spot some hidden gems from the market place and then sold them to the Auction house thus amassing a fat wallet. So whatever it was that he wanted, he could probably purchase and if he didn¡¯t have enough, now that he had his cultivation back Zilan could probably amass a fortune just from selling a handful of random potions.

    However, he had no intention of doing that. Only a fool would attract so much attention to themselves.

    Morning Dew city had very few spirit masters with even fewer inscription and alchemy masters. Therefore if Zilan suddenly took out bottles of potions which were regarded by many as treasures and then sold them, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that some of the higher powers of either the auction house or the Governor¡¯s mansion would start monitoring his movements in order to find out the origin of those potions.

    As he was almost arriving at his destination, Zilan unexpectedly caught a glimpse of a certain beautiful young lady. She was standing in front of a newly constructed stall with the name ¡°One day offer on one of a kind spirit medicines and herbs.¡±

    ¡°Young lady, I don¡¯t care who you are. Even if the Governor himself came here, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to threaten me! As for this thousand year old ginseng....¡± The cloaked sickly old stall keeper paused as he stared at the ginseng in his hands. ¡°It can¡¯t be bought with money. Take out a spirit herb of equal value and it¡¯s yours.¡±

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    Hula was getting frustrated with each passing minute. All she wanted was to buy a present that would cheer Zilan up as well as give her an excuse to go to the Inn, never would she have thought that a thousand year old ginseng would appear in a place like this. Unfortunately, the stall keeper was an insufferable old toad who not only refused to sell but kept giving out hints implying his status was way above hers.

    ¡°Why set up a stall if you aren¡¯t going to sell? If you want to barter then why not head to the Auction house, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll give you what you want!¡± scolded Hula.

    ¡°Just like you, those people are fools who think they have good eyes but in truth are better off selling them off.¡± snorted the old man.

    Hula wanted to retort and curse at this old toad however, she needed something from him so self-restraint was key at this moment.

    ¡°You think I need this ginseng? The only reason I want it is because father once said that it could aid in the healing of injuries to the meridians. If I didn¡¯t l..lo.v...e.....¡± Her entire face all the way to her neck instantly became red.

    ¡°Ehem, I¡¯m taking a short trip to my house. Don¡¯t sell the ginseng to anyone else, you hear?¡±

    ¡°Oh! I look forward to seeing what you¡¯ll take out but as for whether I sell or not that depends on what I am offered. Hehe, don¡¯t delay too much.¡± mocked the stall keeper.

    Hula didn¡¯t bother responding as she rushed to her house. Hopefully, she could find something as valuable as a thousand year old ginseng.

    A few moments after Hula left, the old man suddenly turned towards Zilan¡¯s direction and made a ¡°come here¡± gesture with his hands.

    Needless to say, Zilan was shocked beyond belief. All he did was listen in on their conversation from afar, as many others did. So then why was he singled out?

    He thought about turning back and taking a different route around however, for the sake of it not happening again he wanted to find out what methods this cloaked man used.

    ¡°You have a relationship with that girl, yes?¡± asked the stall keeper in a much calmer tone.

    Zilan tried to find any defining features other than the old man¡¯s voice but unfortunately the cloak covered every inch of his body.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± smiled Zilan.

    ¡°Oh! When you work in my field, a keen nose and a perceptive eye are just the basics but I¡¯m sure you already know this.¡±

    Zilan¡¯s mind raced as he tried to avoid changing his expression,

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± said Zilan.

    ¡°No need to worry, for you to give off that smell. Your master has taught you well in the ways of alchemy!¡± exclaimed the man in admiration.

    It has to be known, raising a disciple is already an expensive endeavour however, raising a disciple in the ways of the spirit, alchemy and inscriptions was in an entirely different realm compared to simple cultivation. Unless one had extreme confidence in their disciple, there was no way they would willingly invest so much.

    ¡°What do you think of this ginseng?¡± asked the old stall keeper, a trace of anticipation in voice.

    ¡°May I touch it?¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure...here!¡±

    Zilan reached to grab the stalk only to be shocked beyond words once he touched it. Although he hadn¡¯t opened any scorched gate, Zilan was still able to get one line of information from just touching the ginseng.

    ¡°Ten thousand year old Bone cleansing ginseng!¡±

    This time Zilan couldn¡¯t hide his change of expression.

    Seeing Zilan so stunned, the old stall keeper laughed out in excitement. He had finally found someone in this small town who actually comprehended the depth of his ginseng.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, but I cannot see through the age of this ginseng.¡± said Zilan as honestly as possible.

    ¡°It¡¯s already good that you can tell it¡¯s more than a thousand years old. Tell me who is your master?¡±

 Chapter 27 - Fair trade? Miscalculation

    Zilan didn¡¯t understand why this old man was asking for his master.

    ¡°Might as well tell him the truth¡± joked Zilan.

    ¡°I do not have a master, I was just fortunate enough that my father introduced me to a person who then passed onto me some skills that even a cripple could handle.¡±

    The old man could sense that Zilan¡¯s words held a deeper meaning however, as to what that was exactly, he had no inkling.

    ¡°An alchemist capable of teaching a cripple, anyone with such abilities I¡¯ve surely heard of. Describe him to me!¡± said the cloaked man as he stared at Zilan.

    ¡°Hmm... I can¡¯t remember clearly since she wore a cloak very similar to yours..Ah!¡±

    Zilan stopped himself as he feigned an expression of ¡°I¡¯ve said too much¡±.

    The cloaked man coughed twice as he tried to think of a female alchemist who had the qualifications to teach a cripple.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a figure before. The world really is vast!¡± exclaimed the old toad as he coughed once again. ¡°Did she perhaps pass onto you anything that you could use to barter for this ginseng?¡±

    Zilan furrowed his brow as a warning bell rung out in his mind,

    ¡°Why is he directly initiating the trade? He¡¯s the one with the valuable item and what happened to that temper when he was talking to Hula? I even talked so much bullshit, there¡¯s no way he actually believed my story, is there?!¡±

    The old toad noticed the change in Zilan however, he believed that the allure of the ginseng would still be enough to thwart the boy¡¯s suspicions.

    For the most part, he was right. Zilan did hold the ginseng in high regard especially since the chances of it containing a substantial amount of the Universe¡¯s energy were extremely high. What he didn¡¯t know was that Zilan had one more test. He could ignore the other red flags but if the old toad failed this test then Zilan would immediately go on high alert and find a way to escape.

    ¡°Um...she did pass onto me a potion recipe but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be enough. I¡¯ve never been able to concoct it but I know that is only because I don¡¯t have the cultivation to do it, there¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong with the recipe itself.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Quick tell me, I promise I won¡¯t cheat you.¡± urged the old man.

    ¡°Swallow flower root, three barking fruit.....¡± Zilan began listing all of the ingredients not even leaving out a single one. The ingredients however, were those for a useless ointment that repelled insects.

    If the old man still handed Zilan the ginseng after hearing the recipe then something was definitely up.

    The cloaked elder stopped all movement after hearing the ingredients Zilan listed. He looked up at the boy and then at the ginseng before angrily cursing,

    ¡°Bastard, you think I was born yesterday. You actually had the guts to try and fool ME, a third grade alchemy Master?¡±

    Zilan sighed in relief as he immediately waved his hand in apology,

    ¡°Ah~ I only wanted to test and see if Senior was actually who he said he was. In the past this junior has come across some idiots who just happened to pass by and pick some good things not knowing their true value. You can¡¯t blame me for trying to profit.¡±

    Zilan¡¯s excuse was clearly a lie, one that the cloaked old toad would obviously see through. His true purpose then? To send a message!

    ¡°I know you¡¯re talking bullshit and so am I. Let¡¯s hurry up and finish this transaction already!¡±

    Zilan had already confirmed that the ginseng was legit, whatever this old man had planned he couldn¡¯t be bothered to understand. He had confidence in himself to avoid any traps that awaited him, as for this old man Zilan also wouldn¡¯t let him off scotch free.

    ¡°He obviously isn¡¯t one of those people because if he were, I¡¯d probably be dead by now.¡±thought Zilan, reassuring himself.

    The only conclusion he could arrive at after taking into account the old man¡¯s skill was that he was a scout for some big sect. After all, there truly were few who had the resources to raise an Alchemy master and they needed to pay their debt somehow.

    Regardless Zilan was going to give him some medicine that would keep him busy for a while.

    ¡°Hehe...¡±

    ¡°Ok, I won¡¯t blame you. So do you have something worth bartering?¡±

    Zilan slowly took out a piece of paper and handed it to the old man,

    ¡°Those are the ingredients needed to create an explosive known as Tembu Pain. By looking at the materials needed I¡¯m sure Senior can already guess its effects.¡±

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    The cloaked elder carefully went through everything before releasing a pleasantly surprised ¡°Oh!¡± sound.

    ¡°What about the concoction details? Without the precise method this list is useless.¡±

    Zilan smiled as he pulled out a quill and paper,

    ¡°No problem! However, whether or not I write it down will depend on your answer.¡±

    The old man casually threw the ginseng towards Zilan,

    ¡°My part is finished, now hurry up and fulfil your end!¡±

    Zilan carefully grabbed the ten thousand year old ginseng and placed it into his voidless sack. He then started noting down the exact details needed to successfully concoct Tembu Pain while also making sure to add in a few surprises that would surely keep this old fellow on his toes.

    Once he was done, he folded the paper and then handed it over to the old man who slowly and thoroughly inspected it. Only then was Zilan allowed to leave.

    A few minutes after he had left, the old man quickly put the entire stall into his void sack making sure no evidence that could be used to track him was left and then hurriedly departed.

    As he jumped from rooftop to rooftop his mind raced as he sighed in relief,

    ¡°This boy is becoming too much to deal with. He can now even pull out something like this? Thank the heavens he took the ginseng, now everything should be fine!¡±

    .........

    After attaining the ginseng, Zilan didn¡¯t immediately head back to the inn. He instead strolled about for a bit, headed to the Merchant¡¯s egg and purchased all the items he needed, then took a roundabout route back to the inn.

    When he arrived, the first thing he did was take out the ten thousand year old ginseng.

    Two stars appeared in his pupils as he examined the ginseng.

    ¡°[Ten thousand year old bone cleansing ginseng] ¨C Contains immense spiritual power as well as a fraction of the Universe¡¯s energy.

    Its mainly used to help strong fighters in moulding their body and their inner sea making it stronger in the process however, it has other functions which include, having high medicinal quality allowing it to heal both physical and spirit injuries. It can also be used as a main ingredient in four Rank five potions as well as.......¡±

    Information on the properties, creation and many uses of the ginseng displayed itself before Zilan. He slowly scrolled through skimming the information before finally finding what he was looking for.

    ¡°This Bone cleansing ginseng has been laced with spirit mandrake whose only effect is to enhance a spells power.¡±

    Zilan paused as he thought about why the old man would bother adding an enhancing agent. He then continued searching for any more information, particularly on what the spell could be.

    Unfortunately, even after an hour of searching Zilan couldn¡¯t find what exactly the spell that needed enhancing was.

    ¡°Hmph! It doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ll only be absorbing the Universe¡¯s energy anyway. As for the rest of the parts, I won¡¯t even touch them.¡±

    To absorb the Universe¡¯s energy, Zilan didn¡¯t need to absorb any of the properties of the ginseng and that included the part that had the spirit mandrake. He only needed to absorb the essence of the ginseng and not touch the spiritual energy contained within.

    The old man had truly miscalculated. He was probably still under the presumption that Zilan was still a cripple, which in normal circumstances would mean that he would absolutely desire the ginseng at least for protective purposes because in times of danger it could give him a temporary boost of energy.

    It was impossible for him to know that not only was Zilan no longer a cripple but he also had no need for spiritual power altogether. Not to mention that he had unlocked the second scorched gate allowing him to instantly discover the hidden spirit mandrake.

    If it was the Zilan who had unlocked only one scorched gate looking at the ginseng, then it would be very unlikely that he could identify it so easily.

    He would naturally know that something different was mixed in but unless he spent a considerable amount of time searching the Book of Path, he would have never known that it was the spirit Mandrake nor what its use was.

    In essence, whatever the old man in the cloak hoped to accomplish had been utterly destroyed due to Zilan¡¯s sudden advancement. If it was before, even if Zilan had detected and was aware of the uses of the spirit Mandrake he still wouldn¡¯t have the cultivation to completely separate it from the ginseng.

 Chapter 28 - Pleasant and Unpleasant surprises

    Zilan quickly went through the motions of absorbing the Universe¡¯s energy held inside the ginseng. He put all his concentration in drawing the three cross formation before slowly sitting in the middle and just like he did with the cores, Zilan placed the ginseng in front of him and thoroughly massaged it.

    This time though, it only took a single minute before the energy within started to leak out. He then cut across his palm and blood came pouring down onto the core as well as the formation.

    His blood force then entered the formation causing it to glow brighter.

    Not long after, and a blue mist that was clearly thicker than the one from the three low-level cores came flying out. The formation instantly pressed down on it, slowly guiding it into Zilan¡¯s pores, mouth and nose.

    This time, the process went much smoother and faster since the ginseng didn¡¯t have the natural defensive abilities of the cores.

    The mist felt wonderful as it entered Zilan. It felt like a never ending spring of life was flowing into him, strengthening his body, purifying his mind and electrifying his vigour.

    Five minutes later and the energy stream was starting to thin however, the benefits Zilan reaped this time were mind blowing. It was truly a one in a million chance.

    ¡°It looks like even the Universe itself wishes for me to grow stronger.¡± joked Zilan.

    The energy was so much that Zilan couldn¡¯t absorb all of it so instead of letting it go to waste, he redirected the remainder towards his soul. Little did he know that doing so would cause his mental strength to grow at a frightening rate.

    If other practitioners were to be asked what the most difficult thing to train was, the first thing they would utter from their mouths would be mental strength. This was especially true for spirit masters whose mental strength was directly linked to the quality of spirit tools they could make.

    Training ones mental strength went hand in hand with training the spirit which was commonly known as the soul. However the training of a soul had many methods and not one could be described as easy except for of course, Zilan¡¯s new found cheat.

    He let out a faint chuckle before completely focusing himself on the task of circulating all of the Universe¡¯s energy around his body.

    One cycle, two cycles, three cycles.....

    With each cycle the amount of energy minimised, until finally five hours later on the three hundredth cycle, all of the energy had been absorbed.

    Zilan grit his teeth as his body vibrated uncontrollably. The scales on his neck increased in number but at the same time decreased in size.

    His muscles as well as bone structure were both undergoing some changes, slowly shaping into the ideal body for a cultivator.

    Suddenly as Zilan was going through this painful ordeal, two marks of tribulation shed off from his wrist. Unfortunately he was in too much pain to notice.

    The reason he was undergoing such agony was because Zilan hadn¡¯t bothered to train his body well enough during his years as a cripple. What he was experiencing now could be compared to a small sickly child abruptly transforming into a world-class strong man in the span of one night.

    Not to mention that he had skipped a level once again by shedding off two marks of tribulation at once thus double the pain.

    The marks were created by Zilan not just to stand as a tracker for his progress but also to work as a training regimen, since biting off more than one could chew would only result in pain like he was experiencing now, in the best of cases. In the worst case it could lead to his entire cultivation system collapsing, which in essence was the destruction of the blue core and since it hovered directly under his soul, any chance for re-incarnation would also disappear with his death.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Granted, Zilan didn¡¯t know the effect consuming all of the energy within the ginseng would have. After all, in his mind shedding off the marks would be extremely difficult since it required not only the life blood of the Spring dragon but also Universe energy from three low-level cores to remove just the first mark.

    However what Zilan didn¡¯t realise was that he had yet to fully grasp the whole situation. Just like how the spiritual power held within the core of a powerful practitioner was different from that of a new cultivator, who was to say that there weren¡¯t varying levels of quality of the Universe¡¯s energy. No matter how good his formation was at drawing out the Universe¡¯s energy from objects, impurities in the form of the object¡¯s own unique aura or energy would still contaminate the sample.

    Only if the object that held the energy was pure for example a spirit herb like the ten thousand year old ginseng, would the energy also be purer.

    Zilan was definitely learning a lesson through pain this time.

    ............

    As more time passed, the pain gradually subsided being replaced by a cool comfortable feeling.

    ¡°Phew~ I managed to get threw it.¡± exhaled Zilan as he wiped the sweat of his brow.

    Almost immediately after thinking that, a sharp headache that felt like someone was drilling into his head suddenly assaulted him.

    ¡°This again! What the hell is going on?¡±

    When it happened the first time, Zilan was still able to pass it off as a slight miscalculation or an unforeseen one-time occurrence however, now that it was happening again something was definitely going on.

    As he tried to wrack his brain on what exactly that was and how to actually stop it from percisting, the piercing pain unexpectedly heightened to the point that Zilan started rolling on the ground while grabbing his head.

    He tried to hold his voice in but no avail, wild and ear shuddering howls of torment escaped from his mouth.

    A loud buzzing noise accompanied by a earth shaking thumping continuously sounded out in ears, driving him mad.

    Suddenly just as Zilan was on the brink of knocking himself unconscious, he could feel a strange yet ancient force circling his brain.

    As soon as he identified the force, a strange seal appeared on his forehead in large golden, bold characters spelling out the word, ¡°Heaven¡±.

    ¡°A..a..A seal...no...a high level spell!¡± deduced Zilan as he struggled to his feet.

    ¡°If I can just get to the voidless sack...¡±

    Before he could finish his thought, Zilan toppled back to the floor grabbing his head. The pain had unbelievably intensified.

    Suddenly the force that was circling his brain dissipated however the pain did not.

    ¡°The spell is wearing off....is that what this is about?¡±

    Just as he had suspected, the spell had worn off and the headache would soon follow just not yet.

    As Zilan was pre-occupied with enduring the aching of his head. A crisp cracking sound broke out from within his brain that sent ripples across even his sea of consciousness.

    His expression froze and his body went limp, numb to everything including the pain that was still plaguing him.

    ¡°It was all a lie!¡± were the only words he whispered before tears of blood trickled down his face.

 Chapter 29 - Truths (i)

    So many things had happened in such a short amount of time, causing a chain reaction that would shape Zilan¡¯s near future.

    First of, was the Universe¡¯s energy strengthening both his mind and body which then led to two marks of tribulation being shed off from his wrist.

    This then caused the blue ball of liquid floating in Zilan¡¯s sea of consciousness to rotate faster and release a larger and even purer quantity of Blood force. This meant that Zilan¡¯s cultivation had increased yet again.

    Last time when he shed off the first mark of tribulation, his cultivation had soared from the estimated 40th level to the 45th however, now with two additional marks having been shed Zilan¡¯s cultivation soared to an estimated 55th level of the Tempering stage.

    .................

    When he had first broken through and attained the ability to cultivate once again, Zilan experienced a painful headache. This headache was due to the spell he was under, taking a major shock to its foundation. After all, with a sudden increase in strength not to even mention a dramatic one like a cripple to a powerful practitioner, any spell would come under attack by the body¡¯s improved defence system.

    However because of the strength of the caster, the spell still managed to hold on, remaining in effect. Unfortunately though, Zilan¡¯s suspiciously ¡°lucky¡± encounter had enabled him to unexpectedly advance once again and this time the spell could no longer handle the barrage especially since Zilan¡¯s mental strength had suddenly sky rocketed.

    Good fortune can in some instances be no better than a torturous curse.

    The spell itself was a Heavenly one, or more accurately an Ancient one that held both mysterious and extremely powerful effects.

    Unfortunately or in Zilan¡¯s case fortunately, such spells also had limits. For example in the case of this spell, the caster needed to be at least fifty levels higher than the victim.

    The spells name, [Dream shift]. It¡¯s ability? To alter and corrupt memories.

    Nine years ago,

    Zilan gently laid his head down on his father¡¯s chest as an endless stream of tears continued to flow down his face.

    He wanted to stay, mourn the death of his parents and then give Velman a proper burial however, his current situation allowed him no time to waste.

    A promise to his dying father was made, one that he did not intend to break.

    ¡°Father, I¡¯m sorry.¡± were Zilan¡¯s last words as he struggled to stand on his two feet.

    While clutching his stomach, one step at a time the young Zilan started making his way towards his Uncle¡¯s house.

    He had only been there a few times when he was a toddler, when his family and his uncle were still on good terms.

    Zilan didn¡¯t know what the dispute was about but surely his father wouldn¡¯t send him there now if it was anything unforgivable.

    As thoughts of the lonely uncle who lived in seclusion, never took a wife and had no children whatsoever floated in Zilan¡¯s mind, his feet began to pick up pace and the word ¡°uncle¡± was repeated by him over and over again.

    In his mind, his uncle¡¯s house was no different to Heaven thus a single-minded goal of getting there was born, firmly implanting itself into his brain. Even if he was at the edge of death but still managed to arrive at his uncle¡¯s doorstep Zilan wholeheartedly believed he would still be saved. Of course, this was not true but he needed to tell himself this in order to bare the pain and keep moving forward.

    ¡°As long as I can get there everything will be fine.¡±

    An hour later and Zilan finally spotted his uncle¡¯s house. Surprisingly, the man himself was already standing at his front door as if waiting for something.

    When he spotted Zilan hobbling towards him, he instantly became elated and rushed towards him.

    Now that his goal was seemingly complete, Zilan¡¯s body finally lost all strength and with a ¡°Buuff¡± sound, he finally collapsed.

    .........

    An unknown amount of time passed before Zilan, still groggy regained consciousness.

    He was lying on a bed made of beast skins in a small room the size of three Zilan¡¯s standing straight with their arms stretched out.

    ¡°Uncle?¡± He tried calling out however his throat was dry and clogged.

    He then threw off the covers as he moved to get up.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    *Clang, Clang*

    The ringing sound of metal grinding against the floor quickly caught Zilan¡¯s attention and once he saw the origin of the sound, his heart seemed to stop for a second, fear accompanied by extreme anxiety that he thought had been dispelled also re-surfaced.

    A three metre long chain shackle that was connected to the wall, tightly gripped Zilan¡¯s right leg.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Thanks to the adrenaline the grogginess as well as fatigue were gone for now, so Zilan slowly and discreetly lifted up the chain, rolling it up while also making sure to make as little noise as humanly possible.

    Once he had it all rolled up in his arms, Zilan carefully crept up to the door and peeked through the tiny key hole.

    What he saw almost made him shout out however, luckily he managed to restrain himself.

    Standing in the middle of his uncle¡¯s house was the red robed old man who was not only responsible for killing Zilan¡¯s father but also crippling him.

    Seeing the man up close, made Zilan¡¯s blood boil in rage and a thirst for revenge instantly sparked from deep within him. However he was no fool, if even his father perished so easily there was virtually no hope for him, a cripple, to do anything at all.

    Not to mention, he barely understood anything that was going on. ¡°Why was everyone killed?¡±

    ¡°Honourable High Priest, I guarantee the child has the potential. I was foolish all those years ago..yes..Velman forced me into it..b..but now, with this I think I¡¯ve more than made it worth your while. So..so for my reward I just want one of the older ones_....¡±

    ¡°Quiet!¡± commanded the red robed High Priest.

    Zilan watched wide eyed at the scene playing out before him. What did his uncle¡¯s words mean? He just admitted to being the culprit who sent a storm of fire towards his own family! With only those few words and the appearance of the High Priest, the safe haven he had longed to get to had quickly turned into a hell, that he could no longer escape.

    Suddenly the High Priest stretched out his hand and a green sphere of energy floated out of his palm. A moment later, and the green sphere suddenly took the shape of a person¡¯s face.

    The man appeared young with long bound hair, a pair of cold calculating eyes and a light smile that was clearly masking his true face.

    ¡°Did you find them?¡± asked the floating face.

    ¡°Yes, Velman is dead. He used a divine ability to hinder me from killing his son and almost succeeded, but it was the traitor Hugli who captured the evil one. I¡¯ll deal with it soon.¡± Replied the red robed High Priest.

    ¡°Oh! Hugli? The one who helped Velman and that woman escape?¡±

    Hearing this Hugli knew that things weren¡¯t going well for him,

    ¡°Exalted High Priest, I was tricked...no...I was trying to aid in our Order¡¯s life long pursuit! The child he can already open a scorched gate! If we....¡±

    ¡°What!? I see....Jibral don¡¯t kill it yet, bring the thing here as soon as possible! As for everything else, I¡¯ll leave it all to you.¡± The floating face immediately vanished after saying that.

    Jibral looked at Hugli and blinked once,

    ¡°Back then, I thought I could change that boys ways but I was truly foolish. What is evil can never work in consort with the light!

    You on the other hand were a member of the Order if it was before, the Eternal Void would have been your home.¡±

    Upon mention of the Eternal void, Hugli¡¯s eyes went red and his body instantly broke out into a cold sweat.

    ¡°However, you¡¯ve done a great merit this time so I will absolve you of your past crimes and give you an honourable death.¡±

    ¡°Wait...Esteemed High Priest, I¡¯ve brought you the perfect sample. He can open a scorched gate at such a young age! When in history....even God....¡±

    Before he could finish his mumbling, Hugli¡¯s head was disconnected from his body. The strike was so fast that he didn¡¯t even see it coming.

    Jibral was expressionless as he turned to face the room Zilan was being kept in,

    ¡°If it was up to me, I would end your life this instant.¡± said Jibral as he stared at Zilan¡¯s eye from the key hole.

    ¡°What your father and his village did is unforgivable! However, I can rest easy knowing Hertic will be the one looking after you, his dislike for your kind is even greater than my own. Even if he....¡±

 Chapter 30 - Truths (ii)

    Before Zilan could react, Jibral suddenly released his aura which came crashing down on him knocking him out instantly.

    ....................

    A week later.

    Zilan slowly opened his eyes, only to be welcomed by the bright green light coming from an unfamiliar ceiling. Surprised, he quickly jumped to his feet as he examined his surroundings which comprised of only two beds despite, the place itself being at least the size of an entire house.

    As he looked at the empty space before him, Zilan couldn¡¯t help but want to cry at this moment. He had hoped that all that had transpired would turn out to be nothing but a bad dream, that when he woke up his mother would be standing over him with a loving smile. However those hopes were quickly crushed.

    ¡°I¡¯m alone...¡±

    Just as he was about to crawl back into bed and weep, a dark green door suddenly appeared within the empty space.

    A young man wearing a tight pitch black uniform with the number 1 inscribed on his chest, calmly stepped out from it. The boy appeared to be around twelve years old, was quite tall, had short brown hair however, his most striking feature was undoubtedly the fact that he had two eyes whose features and colours were completely different. One was green while the other was blue.

    As soon as he noticed Zilan staring at him, the young man¡¯s face instantly turned ugly almost like he had just encountered his worst enemy.

    He then turned around and left through the door immediately after.

    Zilan stood puzzled as he felt a strange sense of familiarity when he looked at the young man. But seeing as he was gone now, there was no point in dwelling on the matter.

    He was in his enemy¡¯s lair, which meant that there were no allies to be found here.

    As more time passed, Zilan noticed that he too was dressed in the same tight uniform as the youth with different eyes except his had a 0 inscribed on the chest.

    After this discovery, Zilan walked around trying to find any clues as to what this space was and if there was any way out. He searched for hours but his efforts reaped no reward.

    Suddenly the dark green door appeared once again in the empty space. This time though the youth didn¡¯t come alone, he was accompanied by three large men in black cloaks.

    ¡°Take him to Master¡¯s study!¡± commanded the young man as he pointed at Zilan.

    The three responded with actions as they swiftly surrounded Zilan, one of them grabbed him by the waist, and then together they all bolted through the green door and vanished. This whole thing had happened so quickly that Zilan had only seen three black blurs moving about before being carried off at a speed he had never experienced before.

    Not long passed when the three suddenly stopped in front of a large door that had the character for ¡°Heaven¡± beautifully engraved.

    ¡°None but Zero can enter!¡± A voice that Zilan recognised spoke out and immediately after the three cloaked men took their leave. Seconds later and the door opened.

    ¡°Come in, there¡¯s no point in disobeying!¡±

    Zilan did as the voice asked. He cautiously walked into the study that was filled with countless shelves of books, herbs, organs as well as all manner of strange items.

    The door soundlessly closed behind him startling Zilan however, he knew he could only move forward.

    And move forward he did! But unfortunately, the further he travelled the more frightened he became.

    The items being kept on shelves continued to dwindle, being replaced by bodies of various beasts and deformed humans stored in large glass containers that were filled with an eerie yellow liquid.

    Zilan could swear that some of them were still of the living.

    Soon he arrived at another door, this one much simpler in appearance than the other one. However when he reached out to turn the knob, the sound of metal clanking rang out alerting Zilan.

    Unfortunately, he was too late. A trap door abruptly opened up beneath him sending him sliding down a wide steel pipe for a full minute before landing into a gigantic cage like structure.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re well rested.¡± Sitting in a chair, inches in front of the cage, was the man Jibral talked to right before Hugli¡¯s death.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Zilan as he backed away till the end of the cage.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the right question! You should be asking me who you are.¡± smiled Hertic.

    ¡°I know who I am! You can do whatever you want to me but I swear I won¡¯t give you anything.¡± barked Zilan.

    ¡°Hmm....Those words are baseless. As you are now, it is impossible for you to resist!¡±

    Hertic slowly stood up, pulled out the Book of Path from his void sack and then tossed it towards Zilan,

    ¡°By the way, there is only one thing you have that I want but unfortunately patience is needed to attain it. The fact that you opened a scorched gate at such a young age is also meaningless, just like how humans of greater lineage are able to advance quicker in the path of ascending the heavens, your deep roots too gave you a head start. As for everything else, I already learnt from examining One, Two and Three.¡±

    As if it was the world¡¯s greatest treasure, Zilan desperately clutched onto the Book.

    ¡°You should know one thing Zero, I don¡¯t wish to converse with you. I want you to listen and respond only when I ask a question. If you fail to comply, then I will not hesitate to hurt you.¡±

    Zilan remained silent as he looked into the cold, emotionless eyes of Hertic.

    ¡°Do you know what you are?¡± asked Hertic.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Let me rephrase, do you think yourself human?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    ¡°I see, so you know nothing of your Ancestors?¡±

    Zilan remained silent as he felt like admitting it would only make him look stupid.

    ¡°Haha....This is truly interesting!¡± laughed Hertic.

    ¡°I¡¯ll enlighten you on many things during your time here however before that, I¡¯d like to express my gratitude.¡±

    Zilan got a bad feeling in his heart when he heard Hertic¡¯s words.

    ¡°Halim, bring me the gems.¡±

    A young girl about Zilan¡¯s age suddenly appeared from the shadows, wearing a veil over her face thus making it difficult to examine her features.

    In her small snow white hands she held two square transparent glass boxes the size of a birds egg. In each of the boxes laid an eye ball.

    ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡± commanded Hertic before turning towards Zilan and shaking the two boxes.

    ¡°Do you know why I gave you back the Book of Path?¡±

    Once again Zilan remained silent, his eyes fixed on the two eye balls enclosed in the glass boxes.

    ¡°The main reason is because it¡¯s already recognised you as its Master. But then I could have killed you and the book would be reset! Regrettably though, it wouldn¡¯t do any good thus I have to wait for the answers we seek to appear from you.¡±

    ¡°You see, the Book can only be accessed by those of pure blood. The direct descendants of Zaum, the all seer!

    You, your father, your....GrandFather and so on are those descendants.¡±

    ¡°In essence, its impossible for One, Two or Three to read it. Even I can¡¯t read it!¡±

    Hertic paused to see Zilan¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°What does he mean by that?¡± wondered Zilan as he still managed to keep calm despite the clear killing intent oozing out from Hertic.

    ¡°Hehe, Jibral did mention your mental strength was good!¡±

    As soon as he finished saying that, five stars appeared in his right eye staring right at Zilan.

    This time Zilan¡¯s eyes widened and his mouth trembled as he wanted to cry out,¡°HOW?¡±

    ¡°Ha! You must be wondering how this is possible? Don¡¯t worry, as a show of thanks for gifting me with these precious gems I¡¯ll tell you all about it!¡± A sinister smile graced the face of Hertic as he once again sat down.

    ¡°Gifting?¡± asked Zilan.

    ¡°Hmm...Didn¡¯t I already tell you not to talk unless I asked you a question? Never mind, I¡¯ll grant you one final warning. After all, your Father¡¯s eyes are just that precious.¡±

 Chapter 31 - Truths (iii)

    ¡°F..Father..?...you...¡± Zilan¡¯s eyes instantly turned red with fury and just like a cornered beast with no care for his own well being, he desperately lunged towards Hertic. Bashing his head as well as pushing his entire body weight against the steel bars.

    He then fit his slender arm through one of the gaps, as he tried to reach for the glass boxes.

    ¡°FATHER! FATHER!....¡± Almost like it was the only word he knew, Zilan continued to shout out for his father.

    ¡°You¡¯re too noisy! I may not be as strong as Jibral but if I let a cripple like you touch me, then I might as well just commit suicide.¡±

    When he finished speaking, a dark green aura exploded out of Hertic, effectively blasting Zilan¡¯s small frame all the way to the opposite side of the cage. It then pushed him down, denying him any movement whatsoever.

    ¡°It really is bothersome, trying to control my strength. If I use even a little more force, you¡¯ll probably die.¡± sighed Hertic, seeming genuinely troubled.

    ¡°Now then, what was I saying. Ah! I was about tell you about yourself and how I got this eye. You should know that there are less than ten people who know the true story, everyone else only have access to the lies I came up with..hehe.

    The real story is much, much more interesting. Not even, One,Two or Three know the truth. Then again, they are just foolish, insignificant pets. You on the other hand are a game changer! Plus you¡¯ve already paid a significant fee.¡± He flaunted Velman¡¯s eyes once again when he said those final words.

    Zilan tried to speak however, due to the pressure from Hertic¡¯s aura even opening his mouth proved to be an impossible task. All he could do was furiously glare and make painful grunting noises as he prayed that the man in front of him would just burst into flames.

    ¡°There¡¯s another reason I¡¯m telling you this tale, but I think I¡¯ll hold onto it until after I¡¯m done.¡± laughed Hertic.

    ¡°Ok, lets start at the very beginning. You, Zero are not human! As far as we know, the scorched race originate from the Universe itself and thus can be classified as one of the ¡°higher¡± beings.¡± He smirked as he said the words ¡°higher being¡±.

    ¡°You should already know how great the abilities of your people are however unfortunately, you were created during a time when the Heavens ruled all. Spiritual power had already seeped across all the planes, giving the Heavens the ability to regulate everything from the weather to matters of life and death.¡±

    .........

    ¡°After Zaum¡¯s death, tens of Deities fought over his eyes which had the power to open the scorched gates. A certain powerful God, emerged victorious and managed to attain one while the other was regrettably destroyed. He then later went on to ascend to a level that I can only imagine.

    What happened to the other Deities, you ask? Well, of course they went searching for Zaum¡¯s descendants in hopes of attaining the eyes of the scorched. Luckily, our creator was the first to discover them.¡± Hertic¡¯s face was filled with immense pride as he continued.

    ¡°He was travelling in the void, when he suddenly came across a world that had humans living on it. Strangely though, there were no records of any Gods visiting such a place and creating humans. So he searched, only to find the treasure of dreams. Zaum¡¯s descendants.¡±

    ¡°Admirably, he didn¡¯t kill them immediately instead he settled down and starting moulding the world. First by evolving the humans in his almighty image, then crafting the mountains and seas as well as adding other various special features. Then he founded our Order with the sole purpose of carrying out his and Heavens will.¡±

    ¡°By doing all that, the other Deities would not suspect him and he could monitor his treasure. As for us, our first mission was to make contact with the descendants of Zaum and work out a deal.¡±

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Things however, did not go as planned. Their leader at the time was your Ancestor and he refused to comply with our terms, opting to cut ties with those who wished to side with us. He escaped with only three people with him but little did we know that they were the true descendants of Zaum.

    Naturally, our Order hunted them but as soon as they left the main group all four of them just vanished without a trace. Our God, Mungu personally searched every corner of this world yet still found nothing. It was only after questioning the remaining trash bloodline that decided to stay, did we find out about the Book of Path and its mysteries.¡±

    ¡°Even with that failure though, we still succeeded in creating a rather fruitful farm with the remaining trash bloodline. After a few thousand years, we had harvested three pairs of scorched eyes. Of course, all of them were only five star gems but still if other powers found out about such wealth, it would most likely lead to the destruction of our world. Not to even mention four star gems like your fathers or three star gems like yours.¡± Laughed Hertic.

    Every time his father¡¯s eyes were mentioned, blood would rise up towards Zilan¡¯s throat.

    ¡°With the passing of time, we also managed to understand how to use the eyes and even how to transplant them. You see, the scorched eyes cannot function unless powered by the Universe¡¯s energy however we mere humans are not capable of containing such pure energy in our bodies in large quantities like your race. So after years of experimentation, Mungu designed this glass container that could absorb the Universe¡¯s energy and then charge the eyes. So all I would need to do...¡±

    Hertic suddenly plucked out his eye ball, blood dripping from the socket. He then opened up one of the glass boxes, took out one of Velman¡¯s eyes and then pushed it into his empty eye socket. After a few seconds of closing the eye, his eyelids suddenly parted revealing an extremely blood shot yet perfectly functioning eye.

    ¡°Just like this. Fully charged and ready to be used!¡±

    Four stars appeared in his eyes as a look of both wonder and delight graced his face.

    ¡°Interesting. Hmm... Is there something you wish to say?¡±

    ¡°I..I¡¯ll...KK..KiLL ..y.you!¡± growled Zilan as his nails dug into his clenched palm.

    ¡°Ha! You¡¯d be surprised to know that you¡¯re already the fourth member of your family to make that same threat. Which brings me to the part of the story that I hate the most.¡±

    ¡°Word of the direct line of Zaum that had disappeared long ago had already seized. For thousands of years your family kept silent, little did we know that they were just biding their time.

    Mungu had been gone for quite some time as he went to recover from the injuries inflicted by the Beast King. It was at this time when we were at our weakest that the attacks from your Great Grandfather and your Grandfather started.¡±

    Hertic¡¯s voice grew icy as he continued the narration.

    ¡°The conclusion we had arrived at after examining those of the trash bloodline was that the scorched were a race that resembled an eagle that could fly higher than any creature in existence and could spot its prey from far away. However these eagles had no claws to shred their prey with, nor did they have sharp beaks to pierce and attack them with either. Useless predators!¡±

    ¡°But the arrival of your Great Grandfather and Grandfather changed that perception completely. We had underestimated the threat of their overwhelming knowledge and undying will. Your Grandfather especially, he had traversed the path of ascending the Heavens and somehow had reached a realm that had even surpassed the soul-compression stage. That should not have been possible, the restrictions of the Universe should have not allowed that and yet it happened.¡±

    ¡°If not for the sacrifices we made, our entire Order would have been wiped out in the span of a week by those two Monsters.¡±

 Important Announcement! (POB on silversrise.com)

    Hey guys,

    I just wanted to let you know that I will not be posting chapters on rrlagain, at least until I''ve finished the first book of Path of Blood. If you are a fan of the story then you can rest easy knowing that the rest of the chapters as well as any future chapters can be found on my site silversrise.com</a>.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    There are currently 47 chapters and I''ll be doing daily releases for some time, so why not check it out? :p

    P.S - I might post a chapter a week on rrl but I haven''t decided yet....anywho that''s the announcement. Bye!

 Chapter 32 - Truths (iv)

    ¡°Our families were destroyed by only two men of the scorched. I lost everyone that I cared for in just that short period of time.¡±

    Hertic¡¯s expression turned serious as he glared at the struggling Zilan.

    ¡°Two thousand people died at the hands of your Ancestors.¡±

    He then started laughing as he slowly pulled up his sleeves, revealing scales trailing from his wrists all the way up to his shoulders and beyond. Those arms definitely did not belong to a human being.

    ¡°Ironically, it took me sacrificing my own hands in order to get rid of them.¡±

    Zilan couldn¡¯t bear to listen to this psychopaths ranting any longer. So he closed his eyes and tried to focus on something else. The image of his mother came to mind.

    Suddenly, an even greater force that was infused with boundless killing intent pushed down on Zilan causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

    ¡°YOU WILL LISTEN!¡± Hertic¡¯s shout was filled with so much power that the ground beneath started shaking.

    ¡°The hatred you feel right now, do not think that you are the only one who feels such pain. But don¡¯t worry I have something special planned for you.¡±

    His words were neither rushed nor were they spoken too slowly. He simply stated them plainly, just like one would do when preaching matters of fact.

    ¡°Ehem, so after we killed those two crazy people, we managed to find their base. Can you believe they were living in a pocket dimension? I certainly couldn¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°We then killed all those useless trash we found. Nothing but weeds really! However, we came across two babies who we decided to take in and train. However as you can see from the box of eyes I now possess, that decision ended up poisonous.

    As for the pocket dimension, it became our base of operations and it¡¯s where we are now.¡±

    ¡°Any questions?¡± asked Hertic as he lessened the pressure on Zilan.

    ¡° *Cough* Why bring me here? You can just take my eyes and kill me...¡±

    ¡°Good question!¡± Interrupted Hertic. ¡° The reason is simple. You my dear Zero, have the potential to open the second scorched gate thus you¡¯re a thousand times more valuable alive than you are dead.¡±

    Zilan smirked, as he looked condescendingly at Hertic.

    ¡°Me? Putting in the effort to train, for what? For you? And then what, you kill me?¡±

    Hertic noticing this look, moved closer to the cage and said,

    ¡°Now I¡¯m going to tell you what I¡¯m going to do to you. If after hearing my words and that look still remains unchanged I¡¯ll let you go free!¡±

    Zilan¡¯s eyes widened as he listened to Hertic.

    ¡°I accept.¡± He shouted.

    ¡°Ha! I don¡¯t remember asking.¡± Declared Hertic.

    ¡°This is the second reason I told you the story of who you really are, Zero.

    If your father taught you anything about cultivation then, you must already know that tribulations, goals and will, play a major part in it. With just the conditions we have here although I could make your life a living hell, it would be impossible to have the perfect environment.

    That¡¯s why I instilled in you all of those major factors with the story, thus building a base for the spell. No matter what changes I make to your memories that hate and drive that has been born today will still remain in your heart. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to use that new born drive and cast a very interesting spell. I¡¯ll use its power to build the perfect storyline and then I¡¯ll place you in a place that I have complete control over.

    In there, you will live. You will believe in your purpose to destroy our Order and you will want to protect your loved ones so I¡¯m very confident that your path will lead to a second scorched gate opening.¡±

    Before Zilan could react, Hertic called out two names.

    ¡°Halim, Ficha come in and meet your new relative.¡±

    The young girl in a veil appeared once again and following behind her was a middle-aged man with a kind smile on his face.

    ¡°Zero, you may not believe me now but I can guarantee that you will fall in love with Halim and Ficha will unquestionably hold the highest position in your heart. Oh! and there¡¯s also another slave that I¡¯m throwing in with you just to make things interesting.¡±

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    ¡°Is this my new nephew?¡± laughed Ficha as he scratched his head.

    Hertic also started chuckling along. Halim however, looked at the Zilan on the floor like he was nothing more than an ant. A cripple that she could kill at any moment.

    Feeling the killing intent, Hertic quickly patted Halim on the head and whispered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fail me.¡± Instantly her gaze towards Zilan took a one hundred and eighty degree turn, softening exponentially.

    Zilan on the other hand was horrified by Hertic¡¯s words. He tried assuring himself that such a thing could not be possible however, after recalling what Hertic had done with his father¡¯s eyes. He could no longer lie to himself about the chances of such a spell not existing.

    ¡°I will never forget! I swear I will never forget! Revenge, Justice...I will have it all one day!¡±

    ¡°Oh! That expression of yours isn¡¯t too bad. As expected of my nephew.¡± continued Ficha.

    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m also satisfied. It looks like I won the bet.¡± smiled Hertic.

    ¡°I wholeheartedly believe in Elder Hertic¡¯s skill. Unlike with those other trash, this time it looks like you can really showcase your abilities.¡± Praised Ficha.

    ¡°You mean, One, Two and Three. Even all of them combined cannot compare to the golden goose we have here. Naturally, my methods this time will be much more thorough than the ¡°patching¡± I did with those three trash.¡±

    Present day.

    In a place far from Morning Dew City.

    ¡°AaaaHH! Nooo!¡±

    In the room of a large mansion, located in the heart of the Longent Mountain range, two people could be seen.

    One of them was writhing in pain as he twisted and turned while grabbing his head. The other worriedly tried to restrain the movements of the tormented one so that he wouldn¡¯t hurt himself.

    These two were none other than Hertic and Jibral. They had left the headquarters because Hertic had felt a sharp headache some days ago, which could only mean a change had occurred with Zero, which weakened his spell. So he immediately gave out orders to ensure that he absorbs the thousand year old ginsengs power, thus restoring the spells power. Not long after, they got confirmation that the ginseng had been delivered. Hertic then decided to take his time as he prepared a few things for his meeting with Zero.

    Unfortunately, a few hours later and his spell, the one he had worked so hard to comprehend and perfect, was destroyed. And to make matters worse it was done by a cripple.

    ¡°How?¡± was the only word he managed to say before the backlash hit him.

    Jibral who was drinking tea with Hertic couldn¡¯t believe it when he suddenly saw Hertic go mad. Strange cackling sounds as well as wails of pain continued to escape from Hertics mouth as he fell to the floor and started foaming from the mouth.

    Jibral acted quickly placing the respected Elder Hertic on his side and forcing him to swallow a normal looking white pill.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± wondered Jibral as he injected his spiritual power into Hertic in order to find the root of the problem. However, due to the defences laid out by Hertic himself, it was almost impossible for Jibral¡¯s energy to advance.

    ¡°Your own caution is going to lead to your death.¡± Thought Jibral as he took out all the white pills he had and one by one he started shoving them down Hertics throat.

    Only after the twentieth pill, did Hertic¡¯s body finally calm down. Jibral breathed a sigh of relief as he quickly sent word for healers from Headquarters to arrive.

    ¡°All these decades we¡¯ve spent together and not once have I ever seen Hertic in this state. Yet, the moment we make a trip to see that thing, this happens? He is definitely involved!¡±

    Jibral was no fool, he could feel it in his gut that all of this was connected somehow to Zilan. So he decided, instead of waiting for Hertic to wake up, the moment the healers arrived he would quickly head to Morning Dew City.

 Chapter 33 - Message (i)

    Blood continued to flow down Zilan¡¯s cheeks. The pain from the spell collapsing was nothing compared to the anguish his heart was going through right now.

    Memories of the months that followed after he was captured kept flowing into his brain. He was tortured and beaten by people with One , Two and Three on their chest, almost daily.

    Hertic used various spells and techniques to make him speak of all the things he enjoyed, loved and disliked so that Halim and Ficha could use that information to get closer to him later on.

    Not to mention the unbelievable pain of having his memories re-arranged and corrected multiple times a day until Hertic was satisfied with the story he had created.

    ¡°Who am I exactly?¡± whispered Zilan as he tried to figure out, from the many versions Hertic had created, which one exactly he was.

    His very soul wept as he remained motionless and clueless at the same time.

    ¡°What should I do? Someone..help me....¡±

    Suddenly just as Zilan was nearing the point of no return, a pure white force bursted out from his soul and quickly enveloped his brain, effectively calming him down and suppressing the unending flow of false memories.

    That force originated from the Book of Path that had fused with Zilan¡¯s soul. Had it come any later, his psyche would have broken down, causing him to lose his mind completely.

    With a now stable head, Zilan stumbled about and grabbed his voidless sack. He then pushed himself to reach Jeza¡¯s room. Without knocking he barged into the room and grabbed hold of her shoulders, startling her.

    His lifeless, bloodshot eyes that resembled those of a dead person crazily stared at her.

    ¡°Leave!..get..to..a..safe place..¡±

    When he finished those words, Zilan¡¯s body lost all strength, falling directly onto Jeza.

    ...........

    While unconscious, he could feel the white force destroying all the useless memories that popped up. Anything that was too taxing on his mind was vaporized instantly however, the core memories of both mental and physical torture that he experienced were for some reason not touched by the white force.

    When he finally awoke, he found himself in an unknown shabby room that had only the mattress he was sleeping on and a chair in the corner where Jeza in her fox form could be seen sleeping.

    He slowly sat up and stared at the ceiling with a strange smile on his face. He then started laughing crazily while slapping his thigh.

    Jeza suddenly woke up in shock from what she was seeing. She was just about to say something when Zilan¡¯s laughing abruptly stopped.

    The slaps on his thigh quickly turned into powerful punches and the smile on Zilan¡¯s face became non-existent.

    Jeza didn¡¯t know exactly what was going on but after listening to his mumbling and grunting while he slept, she was able to guess that it had something to do with what she had read from the Book of Path. Add on, what she was witnessing now and her chest soon became congested.

    She could feel the sorrow Zilan was going through, yet didn¡¯t know how she could help him.

    ¡°So many years of lies!¡± growled Zilan. ¡°The woman he told me I would love, I ended up loving and the man I considered my saviour and rock was actually just playing a role.¡±

    ¡°You people....Even when I wished to die you refused to grant me that wish and the option of living freely you also took that away. How much have I actually lived that was not controlled by you people!?¡±

    He then looked up at Jeza and with a helpless expression asked her,

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I cry?¡±

    Jeza froze once she heard those words. What was she to say?

    ¡°At least if I could weep, some of this pressure and frustration that I feel could be let out. Tell me, why can¡¯t I cry?¡±

    Unable to keep watching Jeza hurriedly left the room. If she stayed any longer she felt that Zilan¡¯s sorrowful air would suffocate her completely.

    Only after ten minutes of deep breaths did she once again go inside. However much to her surprise Zilan was no longer despairing, at least not as much as before.

    ¡°How many days was I unconscious?¡± asked Zilan as he slowly stood up. His head still ached a little but it was clear the effects of the spell were on their last legs.

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    ¡°Three days.¡± Replied Jeza.

    Zilan walked around a bit before saying,

    ¡°Have you seen anything strange happening in the city?¡±

    One thing immediately came to mind when she thought on the question.

    ¡°There¡¯s recently been lots of powerful humans walking around.¡±

    Other humans might not notice when a powerful individual walks among them however Beasts are naturally equipped with acute senses as well as the invaluable instinct.

    Zilan¡¯s eyebrows twitched for an instant before nodding.

    ¡°So they¡¯ve already come? Or were they already here just waiting to be called upon? Doesn¡¯t matter, Jeza let me borrow that pill of yours.¡±

    The only pills that Jeza possessed that Zilan had any interest in was obviously the one that drew out her bloodlines abilities. So without hesitating she took one out and handed it over.

    Two stars appeared in his pupils as he stared at the pill.

    ¡°Items used to concoct the pill include carnivorous moon plant seeds, nenani rat tail, five springs grass......

    They combine to draw out the Ancient bloodlines of the Tangan fox, Black rift rat, Dark horned spike snake, Midnight wolf.........

    Classified as a lowest grade Ancestral Heritage Darkness pill.¡±

    ¡°Trash.¡± was all Zilan said.

    This thing barely had the power to draw out bloodlines. It was not specific to a species at all, instead it was designed to draw out the bloodlines of the weaker darkness attribute Ancient Beasts. However for people like Tort and company this pill was probably a life saving tool that sold for an unbelievable amount of money. A treasure that they could brag about owning.

    The person who created it could also be hailed as a genius but if only he could see the look with which Zilan was using to gaze at his life¡¯s work. Shame! Would be the only the only emotion he would feel.

    Nevertheless, this was a starting point. Instead of creating a whole new pill which was impossible unless he had a few months, he could use this less than mediocre concoction as a base and make it specific to him.

    Suddenly he turned towards Jeza and asked,

    ¡°Where are we? If we aren¡¯t secure, then we need to leave!¡± He didn¡¯t have a place in mind but movement would also not be a bad thing.

    ¡°We¡¯re underground. No one will find us.¡±

    There was probably a story behind her words but Zilan didn¡¯t have time to listen to it. There were many things he needed to get started on if he wished to retain both his life and send a bloody message to his oppressors.

    ¡°I have some things to take care of! Go tell Tort to get ready to leave and also that I¡¯m coming with him. As for any demands he has, tell him I¡¯ll meet them no matter how great.¡±

    Jeza nodded in understanding. She was already planning to go report what had happened as soon as Zilan had awakened, so now that she had an additional piece of intel to deliver, her trip just became all the more meaningful.

    He gave her a few more instructions before letting her leave.

    He then took out a small pot as well as a few herbs before starting on his work. The first thing he needed to do was break down the pill and separate all the darkness properties inside it since his own attribute was relatively close to light, water! Thus the two absolutely did not mesh.

    The next thing he did was spit into the pot some of his own life blood that had the blood of the Spring Dragon and the flow python mixed in. All that was left now was to follow the instructions from the book of Path on what ingredients were required and the measurements needed to successfully complete his own Ancestral Heritage pill.

    He knew for a fact that one of the skills of the flow pythons Ancestor was a body shifting technique. So that was the specific skill he was trying to draw out of his bloodline.

    Suddenly just as Zilan was about to begin sorting out what he had and didn''t have as well as what he could use as a substitute. Jeza unexpectedly ran into the room with a horrified expression on her face.

    Before Zilan could question her, she surprisingly took out two dead bodies from her voidless sack. One was badly deformed but vaguely resembled Tort while the other was definitely that of the scarred wolf.

 Chapter 34 - Message (ii)

    ¡°When I got there, everything was destroyed! Elder Tort and Fourth Brother were already dead.¡± whispered Jeza.

    Zilan stared at the two corpses laying in front of him for a long time before sighing and going back to his work.

    Needless to say, Jeza was shocked and understandably angry.

    ¡°How can you be so heartless? I know you know that their deaths are linked to you in some way and yet....¡±

    Zilan momentarily stopped working and turned to look at the enraged and saddened Jeza.

    ¡°You can blame me if you want, I don¡¯t mind. As for whether or not I care, I am not obligated to show. Right now, I need to stay focused!¡±

    Zilan then took out a piece of paper and started writing down a few things.

    ¡°Focused? Focused on what? First it was Flesc and now..¡±

    Before she could finish her sentence, Zilan suddenly stopped writing and handed her the piece of paper.

    ¡°Fetch these things for me.¡±

    Jeza almost tore the paper to pieces however once she saw the cold, desolate look in Zilan¡¯s eyes she quickly froze.

    ¡°I need to send a message and there are only two people who can deliver it well. So I need your help to accomplish this task, when it¡¯s done we can leave. After that I¡¯ll do whatever you want to compensate you.¡±

    Jeza was finally beginning to understand Zilan¡¯s strange behaviour. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t care but rather it seemed like he had shut off those emotions so that he could focus on sending this ¡°message¡±.

    There was no point in arguing anymore. Jeza put the corpses back into her voidless sack and left to get the items Zilan needed.

    Meanwhile Zilan just remained silent as he sat in the corner of the shabby room. A single thought repeated itself in his mind,

    ¡°An action committed in the name of love now becomes a weapon of revenge.¡±

    ........

    Previously, when Jeza had ran out of the room as she couldn¡¯t handle the despairing air. Zilan continued to think about all the things that happened in the past few years.

    Memories of he and Halim were particularly stinging. The feelings that he thought were so real and beautiful turned out to be no more solid than smoke.

    He had even secretly made use of the knowledge contained in the Book of Path to help her cultivation soar, thus standing out as a genius in the Flaming shade sect. Not to mention developing the custard that boosted the Dual winged sparrow¡¯s fame and fortune.

    These actions and many more were done because of the undying love he had for his family. Little did he know, he was strengthening his enemies and filling up their pockets.

    That¡¯s when a striking thought like lightning, hit Zilan. He could use these two gifts and turn them into tools that he would use to send his bloody message.

    The custard for example had an addictive effect on all cultivators who had tasted it, Ficha of course was no exception. He was probably the one person that had eaten the most custard since its creation, this meant that Zilan¡¯s plans for him had a higher chance of success.

    However Halim, that was a challenge. She was far away in the sect¡¯s inner quarters, protected! He would need to get creative in order to administer his poison.

    In truth, Zilan wished he had the strength to take revenge with his bare hands but unfortunately he needed to rely on poisons and other unconventional means to guarantee their deaths.

    ¡°With your deaths my path that will inevitably be paved with blood shall begin. Never again!¡±

    ......

    Zilan finished making all his preparations, all that remained was to wait for Jeza¡¯s arrival along with the things he requested. So with nothing else to do he just calmly sat in his corner, his mind completely blank.

    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± surprising Zilan, a youths voice rang out inside his head.

    ¡°Hihi? How can you speak like this?¡±

    ¡°Hihi wanted to say something sooner but a powerful energy blocked the rights of the Palace. For a few days now, the Palace and you were no longer connected spiritually.¡± Replied Hihi slightly anxious. ¡°So are you okay?¡±

    Zilan looked up at the ceiling, remaining silent for a few minutes before saying,

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.¡°I feel empty. You know that container that we place all those bad emotions, things we hate and cannot endure?¡±

    Hihi reluctantly replied with a ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I think mine broke! It overflowed and just broke.....in it¡¯s place I got something else. Something that just proves I¡¯m not human....have you ever heard of the scorched Hihi?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be....¡±

    ¡°Ha! Even you....but too bad you can¡¯t harm me! Then did you also know we have Divine abilities? The first and only one I can use has three levels and in the moment I was about to lose my mind....can you believe I unlocked the second level?¡±

    Hihi said nothing as he continued to attentively listen. What he was thinking exactly? No one knows.

    ¡°It¡¯s called Gift of Love and it has to do with analysis. The second level though once unlocked gives me the ability to calm my mind, think faster and take in large amounts of information twice as fast. But you see, I can¡¯t control it. Only at the moment that I finally conceived a plan and attained a goal did it kick in, the gauge that calibrates my emotions then, without my permission, just switched off, probably for the better though. I might have done something stupid otherwise.... no wonder its called Gift of Love..eh?¡±

    When Zilan finished explaining Hihi finally spoke,

    ¡°Mistress is going to be so happy. Hihi thought that you were just another clever yet useless cripple but to think that Hihi misjudged you. Mistress¡¯s grandson is actually a descendant of the All-seer, and Hihi the great genius overlord of the other geniuses and overlord¡¯s is none other than his Guardian. What a great day!¡±

    Zilan inwardly sighed, Hihi was an honest idiot just being himself. Maybe if it was a week ago, Zilan might have joked about his own greatness but today, even the concept of happiness eluded him.

    Just as Hihi was about to go on and selfishly barrage Zilan with questions, the door to the room suddenly opened and in came Jeza.

    She stared at the emotionless Zilan sited cross-legged in the corner and touches of sadness, curiosity and anger all weighed on her heart.

    ¡°These are the things you asked for.¡± she then tossed a voidless sack that belonged to the scarred wolf towards Zilan.

    Paying no further attention to Jeza, he began sifting through the items. Taking out the ones he would use immediately and leaving the rest for later.

    ¡°The number of strong humans in the city keeps increasing. Who is he to attract all of their attention?¡± wondered Jeza.

    She then decided to stay and watch Zilan work.

    .......

    The first thing he did was clean, heat and then grind the herbs together. Once they were formed into powder, he then added water formed from his own Blood force into the mixture.

    Once that was done, he picked up a snow lily and used its ice energy to freeze the water.

    The now small collection of ice was then added in with the already prepared useful remnants of Jeza¡¯s Ancentral Heritage pill.

    He then proceeded to the final step. He took out a High grade flame stone tablet from his voidless sack and carefully heated and fused the ingredients together. Occasionally short breaks were taken to ensure the temperature was optimum and to also craft the final product.

    Jeza¡¯s eyes were glued to the flames as she watched how precise the movements Zilan made were. She marvelled at the medicinal essence that was being exuded by the mixture that Zilan was pounding into the shape of a circular pill.

    ¡°How is this possible?¡±

    Her stupor came from the fact that Zilan claimed to be an Alchemist and yet didn¡¯t even have the fire attribute. Not to mention his element was water, the complete opposite.

    In reality, Zilan didn¡¯t need to have the attributes of an Alchemist in order to practice alchemy. After all the things they used their ¡°feel¡± and control of flame for, Zilan could easily accomplish thanks to the precise guidance of the Book of Path, the scorched gates, and items that he could use as acceptable substitutes.

    Just like how someone can draw something from scratch, there will be another person who can simply trace the diagram. They both accomplish the same thing however, one persons route doesn¡¯t require as many tools and is easier than the others.

 Chapter 35 - Message (iii)

    After a few hours passed, Zilan was finally able to finish his own custom Ancestral Heritage pill. It was circular in shape, cold to the touch and its exterior was entirely light blue.

    However rather than resting for a little while, Zilan did the complete opposite by picking up a new set of ingredients and slowly refining them with the flame.

    For his plan to succeed, he needed to act fast since more and more people from that Order of killers would start to gather here with the sole purpose of capturing him. Resting was not an option!

    What he was doing now was starting the initial process of making a poison that would be the first of its kind ever made. In truth Zilan himself if he wasn¡¯t emotionless at the moment, would also be shocked as to how he had been able to take so many different principles from the Book of Path and create an entirely new train of thought in such a short amount of time.

    The combination of having your entire world crumble before you and the emotions of rage helped form a vague plan. It was only after the second levels power kicked in, did he make out the steps to accomplishing the plan. ¡°The method behind his madness¡±

    The poison itself was something designed specifically for someone like Ficha who had eaten a lot of the addictive custard. However to properly understand the poisons effects one needed to first find out what made the custard so addictive in the first place.

    It was a question Zilan had asked himself long ago when he first created the custard. What did cultivators enjoy most? Obviously it was advancing! So what if he could bottle up that feeling on a slightly lesser scale and then distribute it? People would obviously be unable to stay away.

    It was this very principle that had given Zilan the key to producing a poison specifc to Ficha. Something that had no antidote, a poison that was not a poison, at the same time.

    He took out a variety of herbs and also a strange colourless glue-like substance. He then ground, heat, fused, empowered and then finally smeared the glue like substance all over his hands.

    ¡°With one touch, the first message will be sent!¡± thought Zilan as he suddenly stood, stretched and then swallowed the Ancestral Heritage pill that he had concocted.

    Not long after, a sound that resembled that of paper being rubbed back and forth on a dry surface at rapid speeds was being let out by Zilan as his skin continuously rippled and shifted about. Seconds later and the sounds of popping and cracking bones rang out.

    To Jeza who had sensitive ears these sounds caused her to grind her teeth in irritation however, she didn¡¯t look away from Zilan for even a moment.

    His frame increased in height stopping at about 6 foot 2 while his facial and body features grew much more muscular and refined.

    His face in particular looked exactly like a certain sect Elders nephew, who had a thing for Halim and that was none other than Mr.Shiur.

    Using this identity, Zilan would have the perfect excuse to not only go see Ficha but to also touch him.

    ¡°What time is it now?¡± asked Zilan. Even his voice had changed.

    They were currently underground so there was no way for him to know the time. So he could only rely on Jeza who had been out fairly recently.

    ¡°It should be evening. Why? Are you heading out now?¡±

    Zilan calmly nodded as he started walking towards the door.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± was all he uttered as he left the room.

    Jeza wanted to follow but she could already tell from his body language that such an action would be last thing Zilan wanted. So she left him be.

    Zilan effortlessly traversed the dark and poorly constructed underground tunnel. The path was simple, go straight to the end and then climb the ladder to the top.

    Unexpectedly though, once he was above ground Zilan discovered that he was in a small meat stall situated in the market. For them to actually have built such a structure in a place filled with so many prying eyes, these Beasts definitely did not lack in courage.

    Luckily, it was evening so the number of people trading wasn¡¯t too many. This made it easier for Zilan to silently slip away without arousing anyone¡¯s suspicion.

    After making his way out and making sure no one was following him, Zilan then made his way to a popular clothes store that sold only the most high quality clothes. He went in and purchased the type of clothes an arrogant, spoiled, rich and influential person would buy. A single white set of robes that had a beast core implanted into it, making the clothes defence comparable to that of a regular warrior¡¯s armour.

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    Once he was done dressing, using the memories he had of Mr. Shiur, Zilan broke down and practiced his mannerisms as well as his basic expressions making them his own.

    After an hour, the darkness of night had now embraced the city and Zilan was ready to go in.

    Dual-Winged Sparrow.

    ¡°Honourable High Priest, we¡¯ve searched everywhere within the city but we can¡¯t seem to find him! The last place we tracked him to, only a handful of Beast scouts could be seen and even after we tortured their leader we still found out no new information.¡±

    ¡°Quiet!¡± shouted Jibral as he glared coldly at a black robed middle-aged man. ¡°None of this makes sense. Why and how was the spell undone? What did that thing do? And most importantly how can a cripple evade us for this long?¡±

    The middle-aged man looked away, when suddenly his eyes landed on Ficha who was in the kitchen silently listening as he calmly swallowed one spoonful of custard after another. Envy and anger could be seen in his eyes however he didn¡¯t dare voice any complaints.

    ¡°Hold...What did you do with the Beasts you encountered?¡± asked Jibral as an idea came to mind.

    ¡°Eh...we killed them of course.¡±

    Jibra¡¯s eyes widened when he heard that but he still managed to retain his composure.

    ¡°That¡¯s still okay. With Hertic¡¯s skill, once he wakes up, he should still be able to retrieve their memories, then we can gather clues on that things actions. Go fetch their bodies and preserve their brains.¡±

    The more words that Jibral spoke, the more beads of sweat started pouring down the middle-aged man¡¯s forehead. His knees even started shaking due to fright.

    ¡°They¡¯re..o..o.ne..¡± mumbled the middle- aged man as his eyes shifted about, trying to avoid Jibral¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Speak louder! What are you trying to say?¡± Jibral was growing impatient. The more he listened to these incompetent fools, the more aching his head suffered.

    ¡°We killed..we.. went...and when we came back to check again...we...it..was..gone.¡± After finishing his ¡°accurate¡± description of the events he deemed to be of no importance in the past, the middle-aged man didn¡¯t dare raise his gaze to look at Jibral¡¯s expression.

    He wished to give further excuses but nothing came to mind so he just started mumbling gibberish while raising his shoulders in a.... ¡° you can¡¯t blame me¡± fashion.

    Jibral stared at the useless excuse for a human before him and with a quick yet precise movement of his hand, the man¡¯s head was cut clean off.

    His death didn¡¯t serve any purpose at all. Even as something to appease Jibral¡¯s anger, that chicken shit didn¡¯t do his job well.

    ¡°For someone who is capable of losing a dead body. You, yourself should become one.¡± Thought Jibral.

    He then turned towards Ficha and while doing his best to remain calm said,

    ¡°Go tell those people to lock the city down. No one leaves and no one enters, the quicker this is done the better.¡±

    Ficha laughed slightly as he finished the last of the custard remaining in his bowl.

    ¡°Dealing with the small fries is easy but we¡¯ve distanced ourselves from worldly matters for too long. Plus, I¡¯ve been stuck here babysitting for so long that any pull my words had will be met with reluctance and doubt. You should go instead, make those old farts listen permanently.¡±

    Jibral had reached his boiling point however just before he was going to go off on Ficha, he remembered something crucial.

    ¡°He¡¯s been away for so long that I¡¯d almost forgotten who he is and who stands behind him!¡±

    Just like with Hertic, despite having a higher cultivation, Jibral still needed to listen to them and this was solely because of their backers. Just like any organisation there was a hierarchy and Jibral was not at the top.

    Even if he was equal in individual strength, when compared to their united strength he was nothing.

    ¡°Fine, I will go.¡± Replied Jibral as he vanished from view.

    Ficha smiled wordlessly when suddenly he heard a familiar arrogant voice sounding at the front of the entrance.

    ¡°Senior, may I come in?¡± This of course, was none other than Zilan disguised as Mr.Shiur.

    ¡°The Reaper of death has come to collect the soul of a damned man.¡±

 Chapter 36 - Message (iv)

    ¡°Shiur?¡± wondered Ficha as he sent away all of the black robed men in the restaurant.

    He then calmly stood up and opened the front door to meet Shiur.

    ¡°Why has young master come to my place at this time?¡± inquired Ficha.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the disturbance Senior, I know that you¡¯re closed but there¡¯s something I need your assistance with.¡± Zilan not bothering with Ficha, quickly entered and found a seat for himself. He had no intention of being sent away.

    ¡°Oh! If I can help, I will.¡± were the words he spoke but Ficha¡¯s thoughts conveyed completely different sentiments.

    ¡°How long do I have to continue playing this boring role? Even this guy here is looking down on me. Sigh~¡±

    ¡°Senior, for five days I have not slept, my appetite is nowhere to be found, and I think I¡¯m even starting to lose some hair.¡± Ficha rolled his eyes as he heard this dribble. ¡°Senior, do you know what is causing this?¡±

    ¡°Uh..How could I possibly know anything about young master¡¯s sickness? You can¡¯t think that my place¡¯s food is what caused it, can you?¡±

    Zilan had to admit, this Ficha was truly a Master of deception and word play. Just now, he had been on the offensive claiming to be sick yet he didn¡¯t reveal the cause however, now with Ficha¡¯s words, he had no choice but to switch to the defensive so that the conversation could remain civil.

    ¡°No,no,no, Senior is misunderstanding. My problem does not lie here, it stems from the sect where I met the girl of my dreams and the person I wish to make my wife. Your niece, Halim!¡±

    Naturally, Ficha already knew this however he still acted slightly surprised.

    ¡°My niece? I haven¡¯t seen her in some time, is she well?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes...she¡¯s a once in a generation genius, an absolute treasure to our sect!¡±

    ¡°Haha..Good, Good! But I don¡¯t see why you¡¯ve come to see me? The matters of you young people shouldn¡¯t concern me.¡± shrugged Ficha as he laughed.

    ¡°Indeed it is as Senior says but a few days ago I met your nephew and it seemed like he wanted to get in the way of Halim and I¡¯s matters.¡±

    ¡°Oh..Solmo? You don¡¯t need to worry about hi...¡± Before he finished his sentence, Ficha¡¯s eyes narrowed when he noticed the puzzled look on Shiur¡¯s face. ¡°It was Solmo that you meant...yes?¡±

    Zilan slowly shook his head,

    ¡°No. I met brother Zilan a few days ago near the market place. He seemed very confused and he even attacked me the moment he saw me shouting, Hertic.¡±

    A smile suddenly graced Ficha¡¯s lips. Inwardly he was laughing his ass off.

    ¡°Jibral has been searching for how many days without anything to show for it and yet the information on that brat Zilan actually came to me, who¡¯s done nothing during this whole period? Ha! The Heavens are too good to me.¡±

    ¡°Was he that badly off? Can you show me the last place you saw him? Oh! and I have a friend of mine who¡¯ll be coming back shortly, I¡¯d like you to have a chat with him first.¡±

    His plan was simple. Keep Shiur here till Jibral got back ,which shouldn¡¯t be too hard if he just promises Halim over to him, then lock down the city, wait for Hertic to wake up which should be sooner rather than later and finally pull out Shiur¡¯s memories.

    After that finding Zilan would be a simple matter.

    Zilan on the other side was also smiling.

    ¡°Heh..At least pretend you¡¯re disturbed. Who smiles when they hear their nephew¡¯s gone mad? But it¡¯s okay, I understand the excitement that you feel. I¡¯m feeling it too...and I guess it¡¯s about time I act on it.¡±

    ¡°No problem. If I can help my future brother-in-law then I¡¯ll stay and answer any questions that you have.¡±

    Zilan then stood up and placed his hand on top of Ficha¡¯s,

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I understand how you¡¯re feeling right now but.....¡± He paused, looking at Ficha sympathetically. ¡°I can say for sure it¡¯s going to get a lot worse.¡±

    ¡°Eh...young master Shiur, this one doesn¡¯t understand what you mean?¡±

    Zilan then sighed as he started counting down,

    ¡°3...2....1....¡±

    The instant he reached 1, the veins on Ficha¡¯s face began to enlarge and protrude.

    A very comfortable feeling passed all over him.

    ¡°I..I¡¯m breaking through...how?¡±

    Ficha knew this feeling very well. When undertaking a major breakthrough, the veins and meridians would enlarge so that they could withstand the increase in energy. But the problem this time was that, he was nowhere near a breakthrough.

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    He then turned to Shiur only to see him smiling calmly.

    ¡°Is something wrong, Senior?¡±

    ¡°What have you done?...¡± whispered Ficha.

    ¡°Wait a second more and you¡¯ll understand!¡± laughed Zilan.

    A bad feeling washed over Ficha as he tried to scream however, it was too late. The poison was starting to take effect.

    Ficha¡¯s pores all opened wide however no energy was being absorbed. His meridians incessantly enlarged to the point that their size now rivalled those earth-shattering experts of legend however, the energy flowing through them remained miniscule.

    It resembled a large basin that had only a few drops inside it.

    As this continued, Ficha¡¯s body started to de-form. The pressure from the growing meridians kept taxing his body until the point that he could no longer handle it.

    An explosion of blood suddenly took place as Ficha¡¯s right arm blew off. Next, his left eye went flying.

    Blood splattered all over Zilan¡¯s face however he didn¡¯t flinch. That calm smile still remained on his face.

    Two stars then appeared in his eyes, causing Ficha to groan and widen his remaining eye which was on the verge of popping.

    Zilan quickly put his hand over Ficha¡¯s mouth, silencing him.

    ¡°Your cultivation is dropping at a very fast rate, eh Uncle? But at least this way I can witness it, I¡¯ll be able to experience and savour this moment up until your last breath...so it¡¯s alright. No need to speak and spoil the moment......Very soon your cultivation is going to drop to the point where your memories will be left wide open and do you know what I¡¯m going to do with that information?¡± laughed Zilan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing terrible like genocide but I promise I¡¯ll try my best to follow your Order¡¯s example. Oh!...here we go...Haha..¡±

    Ficha¡¯s body and core continued to be deceived by Zilan¡¯s poison. In it¡¯s perspective, Ficha was undergoing breakthrough after breakthrough and so it needed to adjust so that it could cope with the influx of energy that was sure to come. But there was no energy, it was just a feeling, a trick of the mind that used the custard left in his system to induce it.

    If Ficha had never tasted the custard before, then the poison would have had absolutely no effect on him however that was not the case and since the body was already accustomed to the feeling the custard gave, it didn¡¯t suspect anything thus letting the poison thoroughly invade his entire system.

    How laughable it was for someone to die this way, if Ficha really was continuously breaking through, then by now going by the size of his meridians he¡¯d already be the strongest existence on this world. Unfortunately for him, he was instead nearing the realm of being a cripple.

    ¡°Advancing at a fast pace, ended up killing him!¡± was what people would say in the future.

    ..........

    Zilan meanwhile was busy sifting through Ficha¡¯s memories. It turned out to be much more difficult than he expected it to be. The recent memories he could access easily however for the older ones there appeared to be layers of barriers stopping him.

    This was probably meant as a countermeasure against Hertic and that spell he mastered that could alter and read memories.

    Fortunately Zilan¡¯s methods were divine abilities that were powered by the Universe¡¯s energy, so he was still able to by pass a few lesser guarded memories and find out a few things.

    ¡°So that¡¯s where the pocket dimension is! In the future I¡¯ll be sure to pay you guys a visit.¡± smiled Zilan.

    Just as he said those words, the light in Ficha¡¯s eyes went out and that last silent yet long breath escaped from his lungs. He was finally dead and Zilan had felt every second of his pain.

    Looking at the corpse, Zilan just laughed as he took out a knife and started to cut into Ficha. The reason for this? He was harvesting those Heavenly meridians that Ficha now possessed.

    If he left them there, then it was just like gifting his enemies another weapon.

    If Zilan was not under the influence of the second level of the Gift of love, even just imagining himself slaughtering someone to this extent would be enough to make him sick.

 Chapter 37 - The three letters

    Chapter 37 ¨C The three letters.

    Two hours after, Jibral had finally returned from quarrelling with the higher-ups of Morning Dew City. He didn¡¯t know why but the entire time he was away, he felt that something was off and now that he had returned that feeling only grew stronger.

    He quickly went into the Dual winged sparrow with the intention of discussing this with Ficha however the moment he entered, the piercing stench of blood and bodily fluids that permeated the air welcomed him.

    The restaurant was not large so with only a single sweep with his eyes, Jibral was able to identify the horrific origin of the bloody stench.

    ¡°.Nn..NoooOOOO...!¡± A loud crazed explosion of sound reverberated throughout the Dual winged sparrow.

    Jibral sluggishly moved closer to Ficha¡¯s corpse. His body trembled as he looked at the inside of Ficha¡¯s chest and stomach. The skin had been carefully peeled apart followed by precise incisions that made Ficha¡¯s corpse appear like an ¡°opened book¡±.

    Outside the restaurant, many black robed men could be seen discussing amongst themselves about Zilan.

    ¡°Are you sure that kid even received the ginseng?¡± questioned one.

    ¡°Of course he did, Senior Chai delivered it himself! Are you doubting his words?¡± rebuked another.

    Just as they were about to begin arguing, the loud shout from Jibral shocked them into silence.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± whispered one of the men as he dashed into the restaurant. The others followed close behind.

    *Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh...*

    Seeing the black robed men arrive, Jibral stared them in surprise.

    ¡°Why are you all alive?¡± he asked.

    The black robed men didn¡¯t even pay attention to Jibral¡¯s words. Their eyes were instead glued onto the slaughtered body of Ficha.

    ¡°Eh..Ficha actually died and yet you people are still alive? You¡¯re fates have been sealed!¡± said Jibral. His words neither rushed nor spoken slowly.

    The men he addressed however, stared in confusion and fright. ¡°What in the world happened here? Who? How could someone kill High Priest without so much as a scream or sounds of struggle leaking out?¡±

    ¡°Ah! What¡¯s that white thing on his lips?¡± blurted one of them suddenly.

    Jibral quickly focused his gaze only to see a small white piece of paper peaking out of Ficha¡¯s closed mouth.

    Without hesitating, he swiftly pulled out the paper and began reading,

    ¡° Dear friend, In the future I will be sure to return this great favour you have bestowed upon me for so many years. I will appear before you all one day soon, and then I will burn everything you¡¯ve built to the ground.

    As a token of my resolve I¡¯ve left you with my dearest Uncle along with a special gift. It is my sincere hope that you will thoroughly enjoy it.

    Beware of the bird that flies close to the maiden of darkness! This is only the beginning.

    Regards, The last descendant of Zaum.¡±

    Jibral¡¯s eyes burned with rage as he glared at the men before him,

    ¡°That thing, a cripple, he actually came here to find us and not only did he not die, he killed Ficha and even had the time to write a letter before casually departing. You people know of Ficha¡¯s background don¡¯t you?¡±

    As the black robed men listened, they all took one look at each other before unblinkingly taking out knives of various sizes and slitting their own throats. Escape was impossible and a peaceful life after this incident that would surely shake the entire Order, was also impossible. Therefore the only option was to follow Ficha in death otherwise they would have to endure unimaginable torture for who knows how long before they were granted the sweet release that was death.

    They themselves knew all too well how terrifying the methods used by the Order were when it came to matters of punishment and torture.

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    Jibral stared at the ten bodies that plopped to the floor and he couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes.

    ¡°If only this was enough to appease those people¡¯s anger. Even I may not be able escape this times punishment. Sigh~ Many more deaths are sure to follow!¡±

    With that Jibral vanished from the Dual winged sparrow as he attempted to search for any traces Zilan might have left.

    ................

    Meanwhile in another part of the city. Hula was sited on her bed with tears flowing from her face. Faint purple particles could be seen spread into the air of her room.

    The strange thing was she didn¡¯t know why she was crying.

    Five minutes earlier.

    Hula had just finished her dinner and was about to go to bed when a tiny envelope flew into her room from the open window and hit her on the head. At the front of the envelope were the words ¡°From Zilan¡±

    She excitedly opened it up and began reading, only to feel an aching pain coming from her heart the more she continued.

    ¡°Hula,...

    I can¡¯t tell you what¡¯s going on since it will be of no use but I thought maybe if I said a goodbye your heart would remember it. Through the years, you¡¯re the only thing that was true. The only relationship that wasn¡¯t fabricated, and the time that we¡¯ve spent together is probably the only time that the person known as Zilan could be Zilan.

    I don¡¯t what the future holds for the both of us but I hope one day we can meet again. As for where I¡¯m going there¡¯s no point in speaking about.

    The only thing I can tell you is that I¡¯m going on a journey to find myself and to rid this world of a cancer that it has yet to notice.

    Also don¡¯t cry, I don¡¯t like seeing you cry.

    Keep putting on that smiling face that you use when teasing me, I wish..I wish I could see it now.¡± A tear stain belonging to Zilan could be seen next to those words.

    ¡°I do this to protect you Hula. I¡¯m sorry but you must forget! Otherwise if they find out I care for you then your life.....but don¡¯t worry have a nice life and keep smiling.

    Goodbye,

    Zilan.¡±

    A few seconds later and the letter along with the envelope in Hula¡¯s hands suddenly exploded, causing purple powder to scatter across the room.

    One by one the loving memories of her and Zilan together were wiped from Hula¡¯s memory.

    In the future anyone who came close to Hula would also forget everything about Zilan as long as their cultivation was lower than his.

    ..............

    In another place, Solmo had just finished reading a letter when it abruptly exploded causing his memories of the past to resurface. He remembered everything that Hertic and the Order had done to him instantly.

    Beside him was a small bag filled entirely with silver and copper coins. This was a gift from Zilan delivered by a messenger.

    Solmo stood up and deeply bowed towards all compass directions while whispering,

    ¡°Bless you!¡± Tears could be seen flowing down his face.

    ....................

    Flaming shade sect.

    In a beautiful courtyard reserved for inner disciples Halim could be seen practicing her breathing techniques under an old blossom tree.

    She slowly opened her eyes when she felt something pricking her skin. It was actually a small black sparrow.

    It¡¯s beak was unusually sharp as with each time it pecked at Halim¡¯s skin, a tiny drop of blood would leak out.

    She hurriedly shooed away the strange bird before standing up and heading back to her room. The mood for training had been ruined.

    A few steps away from her door, Halim suddenly felt a sharp pain from her core. The next second her vision went black and she collapsed.

 Chapter 38 - Journey.

    Two weeks had now passed since Zilan and Jeza¡¯s escape.

    After gaining access to Ficha¡¯s memories, Zilan had learnt of the trap Jibral was planning on setting. Therefore after meeting up with Jeza, who happened to know a secret passage way, they immediately left the city.

    Unfortunately though, that did not mean that they were no longer in danger. Instead, Zilan was witnessing for the first time the sheer man power and authority that Order of killers possessed.

    For every day that passed by, it seemed that the number of people searching for them had increased. It even got to a point where each small town they passed along their way would have information on a neighbouring town that had been attacked by crazy bandits.

    In normal circumstances, of course Zilan wouldn¡¯t have paid attention to news of bandits raiding towns or villages. He would have done what every other person would have and been thankful that it wasn¡¯t happening to him.

    The problem was these weren¡¯t normal circumstances and after inquiring a bit on what exactly warranted these bandits being dubbed crazy, Zilan instantly became thankful that he did so.

    It turned out the ¡°bandits¡± would raid one small town after another, but strangely seemed to be in so much of a hurry that they didn¡¯t bother to steal anything. This action however wasn¡¯t what made them look crazy, rather it was the fact that they would grab a dozen or so people from each town and drag them all the way to the town square before shouting out,

    ¡°Show yourself and these people will be spared! Zilan!¡±

    Some times random people would jump forward claiming to be Zilan with hopes of saving their loved ones however, after being examined and finding out they were lying, those people along with the ones who had been taken were all executed. Some bandits would then remain behind to slowly search for Zilan while the majority continued to another town. This was done to make sure no one slipped through the cracks.

    These gruesome yet mysterious occurrences left many baffled as to who this Zilan actually was and what he had done to be pursued so intensely. In the end no one had answers to these questions.

    As for the man in question, Zilan was thinking of something else. If it was the Zilan of old, then he would have probably been barraged with thoughts of the people who were dying because of this wild man hunt. But for better or worse, that Zilan was being suppressed by the power of the Gift of Love¡¯s second level.

    In his place was the now cold and calculating Zilan, devoid of any emotions that would prove to be a hindrance. And what this Zilan was thinking was,

    ¡°Hertic is still of living and probably fine.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t really that difficult for him to come to this conclusion, after all there had been a few black robed men around when he had gone to meet Ficha disguised as Shiur. Knowing Jibral though, he would probably have killed them upon sight of Ficha¡¯s corpse and then the only way they could know about Shiur¡¯s arrival was if Hertic used the spell to dig out their memories.

    Some of these assumptions by Zilan were wrong but the end result still remained the same. The only difference was that instead of Jibral killing them, they had instead taken their own lives.

    ...................

    Now it looked like the people from the Order weren¡¯t searching for a young ordinary looking fifteen year old. They were simply viewing everyone no matter their physical appearance, as a potential Zilan however, for them to actually have a method for testing whether or not someone was Zilan or not, was another reason why he had come to the conclusion that Hertic was alive, well and most likely leading this hunt.

    Currently, the two people were in a rather small mud hut that they had rented out located in a village town quite some distance from Morning Dew city. Both of them had been on the move constantly and had little or no time to rest thus after making sure there were no traces of themselves left, they found this tiny secluded place.

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    In the middle of the hut was a saucepan placed on the fire, inside it were a couple of eggs boiling in hot water.

    ¡°I never asked you but where do you intend to go and what will you do from now on?¡± Jeza¡¯s sparkling brown eyes looked towards Zilan whose appearance was currently that of a middle aged man with a gruesome scar above his nose.

    Zilan simply took one look at Jeza before saying,

    ¡°I¡¯m going to work on enacting my plan and when I¡¯m done everything will forever change. What of you?¡±

    Listening to the mysteriously cryptic words spoken by Zilan, Jeza could only helplessly shake her head in a, ¡°I expected no less¡± manner. During this time of hardship, the two had gotten to know each other a little better and the impression Jeza had gotten from Zilan was that he was a man of many faces both literally and psychologically. Sometimes he was cold, other times he would change into a warm hearted youngster but what remained the same was that, everything he did had a purpose.

    ¡°Me? I intend to report to the seventh Lieutenant and get him to fulfil his promise.. then I¡¯ll go back home and leave this fight for good...¡±

    Zilan raised his eyebrows in an intrigued manner. Seeing this, Jeza smiled and elaborated.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you this for some time now since it also concerns the debt that you owe me.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    ¡°Six years ago, my twin brother and I chose to join one of the largest military factions in the whole of the Beast lands. He stood out as a gifted archer and scout so it was only natural that he would continue to rise in rank. However, a mission was one day forced onto him by a superior and a few days later I received word that he¡¯d been captured.¡± Jeza stopped as she steadied her breath.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to do and no matter how much I pleaded, no one would tell me anything about the mission. It was only until Tort approached me and promised that if I escorted them and successfully acquired explosives from an Alchemist, that information on the mission would be disclosed to me by the Lieutenant. Now I have you, so all I need are what you promised and I can finally know what happened to my brother.¡±

    She then looked at Zilan with a pleading expression but she unexpectedly noticed a small frown on his slightly wrinkled face.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Jeza, you were most likely decieved!¡± said Zilan resolutely.

    ¡°Eh?.... How... do you know?¡±

    ¡°I know nothing, I¡¯m only speculating. But from what you¡¯ve described everything is almost the same to stories of desperate individuals who¡¯ve been taken advantage of. In your case, Tort found a weakness and used deceit to motivate you into working hard on his behalf. The hostility you showed when I was first captured by you, is now understandable. You were the most motivated person in the group.¡± Said Zilan.

    ¡°Think about it yourself, why would Tort give you information that no one else dared divulge in exchange for a single escort mission. For someone you barely knew, would you risk harsh punishment in exchange for a small task completed?¡±

    Zilan¡¯s words were very logical. Imagine a child who wanted to skip his chores, so he tells another less fortunate child that as long as she does it for him, a reward in the form of candy would be given. The twist however, was that the boy knew that if he gave out that candy his mother would beat him severely therefore he was simply tricking the girl into doing his work for him and he had no plans of handing over the candy.

    The girl is Jeza and the crafty boy is Tort.

    ¡°No...That can¡¯t be....Tort wouldn¡¯t....he...¡±

    Seeing Jeza slowly drift into a state of endless confusion, regret and rage, Zilan could only say,

    ¡°I can help you though....if that is the wish you want!¡±

 Chapter 39 - Choose

    ¡°The wish I want?¡± wondered Jeza.

    ¡°Yes. If it¡¯s information on what exactly happened to your brother then I can get it for you.¡± Zilan then paused as he waited for Jeza to react.

    ¡°Thank you...I..._¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± stopping her from continuing, Zilan then resumed speaking.

    ¡°If that is what you want then it will be done however, once that¡¯s over with my debt will be settled and we will go our separate ways. Your problems will remain yours and only yours!¡±

    Looking into the cold, resolute and indifferent eyes of Zilan, Jeza could tell that he was absolutely serious. But if that was all he had to say, then why mention it now. From his tone, she gathered that there was probably more to it.

    So she waited and just as she predicted Zilan continued.

    ¡°But if you help me and are willing to wait, then as long as your brother is alive I will reunite the two of you.¡±

    Jeza¡¯s body slightly trembled and her teeth clenched when she heard him speak of, ¡°waiting¡±.

    Zilan clearly noticed this so he decided to add on,

    ¡°The choice is yours. All I can say is that you¡¯re strength and mine are roughly the same, even if you do get the information you¡¯re looking for I doubt you will be able to handle the situation. From you¡¯re words, you¡¯re brother seems to be quite strong and if he was captured then....you have no hope of doing anything by yourself. ¡°

    With those words, Zilan had touched on a soft spot. Jeza was no idiot, she had already thought about the ¡°what then?¡± situation. Even if she somehow got the details of what happened to her brother, ¡°what then?¡±

    ¡°You said it yourself, we have roughly the same strength. What can you do about it then?¡± growled Jeza as tears could be seen forming from the corner of her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s true we have the same strength but it took you years to get to where you are while it took only a few days for me to get to this point.¡± Replied Zilan calmly.

    Jeza wanted to immediately question his words however after thinking about it, it slowly started to make sense. Without even mentioning his abilities, the first time they met he had no spiritual power running through his meridians and then back at the inn she suddenly felt a dangerous feeling coming from him.

    Although, she couldn¡¯t quite put all the pieces together Jeza was smart enough to understand Zilan¡¯s words might not be as empty as they appeared.

    ¡°Days? How? No...can you do it again?¡±

    Zilan slowly shook his head,

    ¡°The same effect can¡¯t be replicated but my speed of advancement, I can guarantee it will be faster than yours. Now, make your choice!¡±

    A number of emotions flashed through her as questions upon questions kept pilling up in her mind. What would happen if she trusted him and in the end it happened to be all a lie? Or what if this was her only chance of freeing her brother and her turning it down led to unwanted consequences?

    ¡°What should I do?¡±

    She secretly took a secret glance at Zilan who genuinely seemed to not care about Jeza¡¯s situation. In fact, he was actually taking out a few things from his voidless sack and placing them on the floor one at a time.

    He then suddenly turned toward Jeza who quickly averted her gaze.

    ¡°The agreement was enough explosives to blow up a city gate, yes?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I asked if the term of the agreement was_..¡±

    ¡°I will help you!¡± without hesitating, Jeza had made her decision.

    ¡°Was there another person she knew who could casually talk about explosives capable of destroying a city gate, the same way one would do when conversing about the weather?¡± was all she needed to ask herself before she made the decision.

    This didn¡¯t mean she wholeheartedly believed in Zilan, it just meant that logically speaking she had a higher chance of succeeding with Zilan than without. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like she had been chained to him, if ever the time came when this arrangement proved to be poisonous then the option of departing was always there.

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    Her only risk and greatest fear was that she¡¯d run out of time. Nearly a month had already passed since the capture of her brother.

    ¡°How long do I have to wait?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The time taken will depend on many things, the first of which being how the meeting with your Lieutenant goes.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    A smile formed on Zilan¡¯s face after softly sighing. He didn¡¯t know why but a strange feeling of shackles loosening around his heart and mind could be felt.

    ¡°Wait...this isn¡¯t good!¡±

    Zilan could feel something welling up from inside him. Whatever was holding it back before seemed to now be slowly fading away and it was only a matter of time before an eruption occurred.

    Faint feelings of panic, worry, fear, rage, despair, love and a plethora of other emotions were slowly enveloping him and clouding his mind.

    Jeza could feel something was not right with Zilan.

    ¡°Re...strain...me.¡±

    He clutched his head in attempt to shake away whatever was trying to take hold of him.

    ¡°The second level is wearing off! Could these feelings be the ones it was holding back? They¡¯re all going to come out at once?... Not good! ¡±

    ¡°Jeza, hurry up and restrain me. I¡¯m losing control, HURRY!.........I¡¯m sorry...I didn¡¯t mean to shout.........F*cking do it or I¡¯ll kill you...¡± strange expressions and tones escaped from Zilan¡¯s lips with every minute that passed by.

    All the feelings that the Gift of love had been suppressing were on the verge of surfacing and exploding all at the same time.

    Jeza didn¡¯t dawdle any longer, quickly taking out some special rope and tying Zilan up. Even going as far as to gag him.

    ....................

    Morning Dew City.

    Hertic came hobbling out of a dark room, icy mist trailing behind him. His complexion was anything but healthy with deathly pale skin that was so thin that the outline of his bones could be seen.

    ¡°Is she alright?¡± asked Jibral as he stood in the middle of the room.

    Hertic only glared at him but didn¡¯t say anything else. He might be of higher standing than Jibral but when it came down to it, he lacked strength. Unless he was surrounded by his people, there was no way he was going to reprimand Jibral.

    ¡°Are they coming?¡± Hertic didn¡¯t wish to speak with Jibral but this question, he felt obligated to answer.

    ¡°There¡¯s no escape this time. I will survive but that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t suffer. As for you....they¡¯ll want to speak with you!¡±

    Jibral frowned. This time things were going to get out of hand, a son of the Holy North was slaughtered under his watch.

    No longer paying any attention to Jibral, Hertic quickly made his way out of the room and into a small hall.

    ¡°Is he back?¡±

    A black robed man swiftly attended to Hertic,

    ¡°Yes. Should I send him in?¡±

    ¡°Mm!¡±

    Moments later, none other than Senior Chai, the person who gave Zilan the ginseng, was being escorted into the hall.

    Up until now, Hertic had yet to speak to Chai. The reason? Because Chai was one of the first people to head out in search for Zilan. He knew that he would be the first suspect after all, he was the one tasked with delivering the item therefore his first thought was to go and capture the only person capable of clearing his name....Zilan.

    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t able to dodge High Priest Hertic¡¯s order any longer.

    ¡°Explain to me how the boy appeared when you saw him.¡± Hertic stared at Chai with the eyes that formerly belonged to Velman. Four stars instantly appeared in his pupils.

    ¡°You can leave out his physical appearance, that information is useless. Tell me, about everything else!¡±

 Chapter 40 - Doubts and the lands

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have to mention that lying to me would be beyond foolish.¡± stated Hertic.

    ¡°I would never dream of deceiving High Priest. I had set up a stall............¡±

    Chai didn¡¯t keep anything from Hertic, telling every single thing he and Zilan had spoken about before he finally handed him the ginseng.

    Using the eyes of Velman, Hertic was able to confirm that he was indeed speaking the truth.

    ¡°Alchemy? So Zero somehow broke the spell after concocting something.....but then what effects could it possibly have to be so powerful? Or..could it be a multi-effect item, maybe this is somehow linked to Zero¡¯s body shifting ability?¡±

    Heric wasn¡¯t even considering the possibility of Zilan regaining the ability to cultivate and then using the pure strength of his mind and blood force to break the spell.

    Such a thought was beyond anything he could even imagine, to him it was beyond impossible. No matter how much knowledge one possessed, to go against the way of the Heavens was simply unthinkable. Where would you even start? Building an entire system from nothing? Unfathomable!

    Perhaps if Hertic had asked about Zilan¡¯s physical appearance, he might have gotten a few clues. After all Zilan¡¯s physique had clearly improved yet he had never practiced before, not to mention his sudden loss and regrowth of hair. Maybe a wild thought or idea might have entered his brain after listening to that information but unfortunately that was not the case.

    He thought himself too clever, thus thinking too much into the details of the body-shifting technique. So a completely wrong thought had ended up being his main guess and just like every other human, he thought himself right. Not considering anything else from people such as Chai who he assumed to be inferior intellectually to him. ¡°I¡¯ll only hear what I want to hear.¡± Kind of mindset.

    ¡°But then...this doesn¡¯t make sense. To practice Alchemy one needs to have a strong foundation in cultivation. How did he concoct such a powerful item while a cripple? Could it be the Book of Path has a way? Or is someone truly aiding him?....No! There¡¯s something I¡¯m missing!¡±

    As Hertic continued to ponder on the mysterious circumstances of Zilan¡¯s disappearance, Chai suddenly said something in hopes of being praised.

    ¡°Your Holiness, were you informed that I managed to capture Zero¡¯s false brother?¡±

    ¡°Oh! That slave? He¡¯s useless, have him killed.¡±

    Chai frowned inwardly, he had thought that his actions would at least have some effect on the light in which he was viewed.

    ¡°On second thought, bring me his head. It¡¯s better to be safe!¡±

    With those final words, Hertic weakly left the room.

    .......................

    A day later.

    Unable to travel, Zilan and Jeza were forced to stay in the hut for longer. The feelings of anxiousness, panic, rage among others had gone down substantially compared to when it first triggered.

    However, he still exhibited some symptoms for example he was having trouble concentrating and was plagued by random jerks and tremors.

    The experience had left Zilan with a deep fear of the second level of the Gift of love. So many different emotions that had been bottled up for two weeks suddenly erupting and consuming him.

    It was almost like he was constantly being chewed by an invisible monster. Each bite different but the pain remained the same.

    Unlike the emotionless Zilan though, he was thankful for Jeza being with him. If he was left unattended and didn¡¯t have anyone to restrain, care and protect him then it would have been that much easier for the Order to capture him.

    Just thinking about how fast news of a mad man screaming through the streets, shouting out Hertic¡¯s name would travel, made Zilan¡¯s hair stand on end.

    Unexpectedly though, the other party didn¡¯t feel the same way. In fact, Jeza was already starting to have doubts.

    Back at Morning Dew city, Zilan was breaking down mentally and since she was unable to watch, she left the room. Much to her surprise, when she returned he was perfectly calm.

    She didn¡¯t understand it, like many other things with Zilan, but she decided to take it as a recovery sign. However what she thought was past them suddenly resurfaced and she was the one left to look over him.

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    ¡°The person she had decided to trust with the life of her brother apparently had a tendency to completely breakdown.¡± Has such a ridiculous statement ever been made before?

    ¡°What am I doing?¡±

    Jeza looked at Zilan confusedly. She focused on the slightly weakened eyes that darted about as if he was looking for something and couldn¡¯t help but bite her lip in frustration.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s an awe inspiring Alchemist. If I can¡¯t rely on him to save Askari then it¡¯s all useless!¡±

    ¡°Zilan, what do you plan on doing? I want a straight answer, anything less and I leave.¡± She had mustered up the courage to speak out however, her own question scared her.

    If the answer was unsatisfactory then didn¡¯t that mean that the pillar of support she had hoped for was made of nothing but hot air?

    Zilan¡¯s widened eyes turned to face Jeza. He grabbed his head as he mumbled,

    ¡°Plan? Um...uh...what was I going to do again? Eh....Oh! I¡¯m going to meet your lieutenant and...what else....?¡±

    As Jeza listened a bitter taste filled her mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s hopeless!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Then I¡¯m going to find out what happened to you brother and then....then...uh....Then I¡¯m going to Brivata to find someone....I want to learn from him and then......¡±

    Jeza¡¯s ears perked up as she heard Zilan say, ¡°Brivata.¡± That was a magical place for all Beasts but not just anyone can enter.

    ¡°Yes, and then I¡¯m going to change....Change everything. This world will no longer belong to the way of killers!¡±

    Those last words by Zilan were spoken extremely clearly with a deep conviction that sent chills down Jeza¡¯s spine. It was like it was inevitable, a prophecy that could not be changed no matter what happened.

    ¡°Are you going to leave?¡± asked Zilan, this time a sadness could be felt in his words. He didn¡¯t want to say it but Jeza was the only person he trusted that knew anything about his identity and his past. Losing her would not only mean losing yet another person thus having to journey alone but it also meant losing an essential aide.

    ¡°I..won¡¯t¡± She spoke those words unconsciously without even thinking through it. Somehow it just felt right.

    ¡°Good!¡± smiled Zilan. ¡°We¡¯ve wasted some time so could you tell me about your people and the lands you live in?¡±

    Jeza took a minute to think through the best way to inform Zilan about the Beast lands.

    ¡°We live..................¡±

    Their conversation went on for a few hours and ended when the sun was departing and the moon was already high in the sky.

    In the end what Zilan had learnt was very beneficial.

    It looked like he would have to plan ahead a few things.

    The Beast lands were especially vast and could easily fit four Penlai kingdoms. Their history was especially rich and the leaders of old, remained the leaders now. Their enemies of old remained their enemies now. In fact, it could be said that almost all major events in the Brivata Range were linked to events of the past.

    For example, the way the lands were divided. The Four great factions that ruled the Beast lands were actual descendants of the Generals who fought Mungu years ago. Although, they weren¡¯t on the greatest of terms they fairly ruled over the Central region which included Brivata city as well as its surrounding lands.

    As for the other areas, to the far North was known simply as [King¡¯s land] and was one of the most if not the most dangerous place on the planet.

    To the West of Brivata was the [Evel grassland], home of ferocious Beasts that had yet to evolve however there were some that had but simply enjoyed the environment thus never left. These Beast were extremely territorial and needless to say very powerful, at least the current Zilan was no match for them.

    To the East laid the vast [Maji sea], a place that Jeza knew nothing about.

    And to the South, laid the [Inje outskirts]. The place where each faction had a stronghold that acted as the first line of defence against enemies and also the place Zilan was closest to and currently heading.

 Chapter 41 - Trade

    ¡°So who is it you wish to learn from?¡± asked Jeza as she leaned on a nearby tree to rest.

    Zilan who was following behind scanned the area with his eyes before squatting down and using the time to catch his breath.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know his name. I¡¯m only familiar with his work!¡±

    The duo had started trekking three days ago when Zilan was back to full heath. As they moved they had already encountered two groups of five people, each sent to hunt them down and each time they managed to slip away in the nick of time either by way of trickery or just plain luck.

    Thankfully, once they approached the outskirts of the Beast lands, it seemed that their pursuers were quickly becoming things of the past.

    ¡°It looks like there are still some things in this world capable of causing that Order to be wary!¡± was the thought Zilan was pondering on as they travelled deeper into the dense forest that was, the Inje outskirts.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know who he is, then how are we supposed to find him?¡± questioned Jeza, clearly confused.

    Zilan cracked a smile as he flashed the stars in his eyes.

    ¡°I just need a good vantage point and I¡¯ll find him. He left quite the impression the first time I saw his work that finding him will be like spotting a rose among weeds.¡±

    Jeza rolled her eyes as she too smiled. It took a while to adjust to this Zilan but it was obvious that she enjoyed his company more than his emotionless counterpart.

    ¡°What are you going to say to the Lieutenant?¡±

    ¡°Whatever it takes to get into Brivata!¡±

    *Silence*

    Zilan calmly drank down bottle after bottle of water however, Jeza on the other hand seemed to be hesitating over something.

    ¡°You...can¡¯t go to Brivata!¡± Unable to hold it in anymore, she finally let it out.

    ¡°Hmmm..?¡± wondered Zilan.

    ¡°Only Beasts can enter and even then there are many requirements, you....you can¡¯t enter!¡±

    She had been bothered by this but still decided to keep quiet since she feared Zilan would relapse once again. However, now that they were nearing the stronghold it was better to say it now than have ¡°water splashed over your his head¡± later.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± An interesting grin graced his face as he moved to stand up.

    ¡°We should get moving!¡±

    Without giving her a chance to say anything Zilan started walking ahead.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this human?¡±

    She quickly packed up and rushed towards Zilan however almost as soon as she reached him a loud voice suddenly rang out, reverberating through out the forest.

    ¡°Halt! Inje Brigade patrol.¡±

    Jeza immediately grabbed Zilan¡¯s shoulder, signalling him to stop moving.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± whispered Zilan.

    ¡°They¡¯re scouts from one of the Inje barracks. Do as they say and we¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Zilan nodded his head in understanding.

    Two people suddenly dropped from the sky and landed six feet away from him. Both of them resembled male deer but it was clear they had evolved quite a bit.

    For one they stood on two legs just like man and their bodies had distinct changes that made them appear less beastly and more human like for example their posture, limb composition and overall demeanour.

    The two examined both Zilan and Jeza but it was clear Jeza had caught their attention.

    ¡°Remove the disguise. Who are you?¡± asked the older of the two deer.

    ¡°Shadow faction. Scout team Hare, under Captain Tort of North Inje.¡± said Jeza calmly.

    She didn¡¯t remove her human disguise nor did she state her name as those were essential things in her line of work. Not to mention it was one of the Shadow factions core rules never to expose your identity to anyone that could use it against you.

    ¡°Tort? Isn¡¯t he?¡±

    The younger scout carefully reached for the blade behind his back however he was quickly stopped by the older one, who glared at him.

    ¡°Your captain is a suspected traitor. You will need to come with us.¡±

    Zilan looked at Jeza before locking eyes with the younger deer who was secretly eyeing his voidless sack.

    ¡°Now?...... Not yet!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean suspected Traitor? Captain would never....¡±

    ¡°That is not for me to decide. I am simply doing my job. As for the human.....¡± He took his time as he eyed Zilan. ¡°He¡¯ll come with us too!¡±

    Needless to say, the younger deer was shocked. He thought that he could stay behind and loot Zilan who was dressed in robes that although appeared worn out, still looked expensive.

    ¡°Fisi! Go inform the captain that we¡¯ve captured one of the Traitor¡¯s people and someone else. We can¡¯t let this get out to the others through the speaker.¡±

    Fisi reluctantly nodded before launching himself forward, and running at an incredible speed.

    ¡°You...who are you?¡±

    Zilan thought for a moment before pointing at Jeza and saying,

    ¡°I¡¯m the reason you think her and her captain are traitors.¡±

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    Jeza¡¯s body trembled as she listened to Zilan. She quickly turned and glared at him.

    ¡°You¡¯re going too far!¡±

    Zilan ignored it though as he continued to stare at the man-like deer.

    ¡°Is what you say true?¡±

    ¡°My answer won¡¯t matter. All you can do is take me to whoever issued the capture of Tort, if you believe my words then compensation awaits you and if you don¡¯t well....that doesn¡¯t matter either!¡± replied Zilan as he calmly looked around.

    ¡°I¡¯m not taking you anywhere...it looks like her commanding officer is coming here instead.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm?¡± Zilan was confused for a moment on what was going on but then he noticed a green clay-like object stuffed in the human-like deer¡¯s left ear.

    ¡°A communication device? Wait...why is her commanding officer rushing over here?¡±

    Zilan¡¯s expression slightly changed as he thought about it.

    ¡°Tort probably lied! I should have seen it. There¡¯s no way a mere scout Captain could attain that Book, he absolutely had a backer. Ha! So when I lied about me being the reason for Tort¡¯s title of traitor, I actually ended up right? Haha.¡±

    Zilan had gotten it right. When Tort hadn¡¯t come back nor given any communication, his backers came to the conclusion that he had run away with the goods that Zilan was supposed to make. This was further confirmed when news of people who could body-shift ,escaping from Morning Dew city reached their ears. Thus, it was decided that in order to find him dubbing him a traitor was the most effective and least suspicious way of doing so.

    But one thing Zilan had yet to realise was, how could he have deduced all of this in such a short span of time? He was indeed naturally clever but that was in terms of research. When it came to deduction and investigation, Zilan could be regarded average.

    He himself had yet to become aware of it but the way his mind operated had clearly reached another level through the combination of the ten thousand year old ginseng¡¯s power and the second level of the Gift of love.

    The secrets of the second level had yet to be fully discovered by Zilan, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that he didn¡¯t notice that it was working in the background even now. It was not suppressing any of his emotions at all, as that was not needed. Rather, it was simply carrying out its primary purpose by helping Zilan in the analysis and processing of data.

    ¡°Jeza, I need you to do something for me when whoever is coming, gets here.¡± spoke Zilan.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Act as calm and normal as possible!¡± His voice was firm but also had a hint of anticipation.

    Jeza didn¡¯t understand as usual, but at least this time she could prepare for whatever Zilan was going to do.

    Suddenly ahead of them, Zilan could see a black shadow approaching at an unbelievable speed. If Fisi¡¯s speed could be compared to a shot arrow then the approaching shadow was lightning.

    The deer scout immediately lowered his head and moved out of the way for the shadow to appear. He said nothing, only shrinking back to the point that he blended with the forest.

    The shadow appeared directly in front of Zilan not even bothering with Jeza.

    ¡°You are the Alchemist?¡± the voice coming from the shadow sounded grainy and distorted but the underlying scepticism could not be masked.

    ¡°I am.¡± said Zilan confidently.

    ¡°Good! Then they are no longer of use.¡±

    Before he could even blink, the shadow had already shredded the deer officer to pieces and was turning towards Jeza.

    ¡°Stop! Kill her and you will suffer the same fate.¡± In a hurry, Zilan blurted out those words.

    There was no threatening tone or anything just hurried words spoken in a state of shock.

    Nevertheless, it proved to be effective. The shadow stopped moving.

    ¡°He killed him! Why? Because of me? No,no, stay calm....¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± the distorted voice sounded out once again, this time a bit more clear.

    Zilan inwardly tried to calm himself but it was having no effect. Then without notice, the second level fully kicked in, though this time it wasn¡¯t as powerful as only his fear was being suppressed.

    The shadow seemed to notice the change but remained quiet. Zilan on the other hand smiled confidently as he exposed the scales on his neck and let the aura of the Spring Dragon burst out from his body.

    ¡°Do you understand what I mean now? I may not be a full fledged dragon but my bloodline is infinite times stronger than yours and lets not forget my dear father!¡± Zilan¡¯s smile grew even wider. ¡°I wonder, can you or your people handle an enraged Dragon that has already passed through its growth period?¡±

    The shadow quickly dissipated revealing a highly evolved Jaguar-man, dressed in light armour, but looking more like a scholar. Horror and shock were clearly apparent on his face to the point that his body was trembling.

    In disbelief his voice quivered: ¡°Son of an Emperor Beast....A dragon!¡±

 Chapter 42 - Trade (ii)

    Zilan had long since planned to use the fact that he was of a much rarer and Ancient bloodline to his advantage if he was ever faced with a situation that called for it.

    The aura he exuded was undoubtedly that of the Spring Dragon however, the Jaguar was not at the level where he could closely examine and differentiate between it and that of a normal dragon. That did not matter though, since the mere fact that Zilan was a descendant of a dragon was enough to send his mind reeling.

    ¡°Emperor Beast? Must be some sort of ranking.¡± concluded Zilan.

    The Beasts classified themselves in four categories depending on their Ancestry.

    Ancient child which was the lowest.

    Ancient Lord.

    Ancient King.

    Ancient Emperor which was the title given to those with the highest and strongest of Bloodlines.

    ¡°Z.i..lan...you....¡± Needless to say, Jeza too was incredibly shocked.

    That calm and pure aura that gushed forth with a hidden danger just like a waterfall, caused her to step back and just stare.

    ¡°How...¡± Before she began questioning him, Jeza suddenly remembered his words asking her to stay calm.

    ¡°It¡¯s a trick?¡± This was the only explanation she could think of, after all she already had some knowledge on Zilan¡¯s past and knew very well that he was not a Beast. Therefore if she doubted and questioned him now, then Zilan¡¯s well thought out trick would go to waste.

    The scholarly Jaguar was still stuck in a world of his own as his gaze was fixed on Zilan. It didn¡¯t take long though for his mind to come back to reality.

    He then discreetly glanced at Jeza and a thought came to mind.

    ¡°Senior Alchemist, my name is Mnyama. I apologise for acting too out of turn, its just that your presence is one that our faction very much needs and discretion is of the utmost importance. I was not sure if I could trust your companion..but now that I know she is Senior Alchemist¡¯s aide I will no longer act.¡± His voice was no longer distorted. It was calm, genuine yet firm and serious.

    Mnyama was no fool. Despite Zilan¡¯s impressive aura he could quickly tell that the young man before him was weaker than him, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that he had a father who was unquestionably lethal.

    So in order to gain favour with this, half dragon- half human, he didn¡¯t hesitate to call him Senior and treat him with utmost respect. For an Ancient Lord descendant to go so far was something that was rarely seen in the Beast lands where weakness meant death.

    ¡°Today...I Mnyama will use all of my ability to rope in this treasure. Failure is not acceptable.¡±

    To him, attaining Zilan was the same as gaining two dragons as members for his Shadow faction thus his determination upon realisation, was beyond belief.

    ¡°My companion? Isn¡¯t Jeza a member of your faction?¡± asked Zilan as he took a step forward.

    Mnyama turned towards Jeza and gave her a meaningful look and from the looks of it, it appeared she understood something.

    ¡°Zilan, there¡¯s no need to mind about such a thing. Commander must have mistaken me as one of the patrollers.¡± said Jeza as she smiled wryly.

    Zilan sighed inwardly but didn¡¯t pursue the matter further as Jeza looked to be stuck between a rock and a hard place. Not to mention he also needed the Jaguar¡¯s help therefore there was no need to make things more difficult than they already were.

    ¡°Commander not lieutenant!¡± pondered Zilan.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then it appears there¡¯s no problem.¡± After speaking those words Zilan retracted his aura.

    He then looked around and spotted the chopped off head of the deer scout on the ground.

    ¡°Wrong time, wrong place but...the blame does not lie with you. Forgive me!¡± whispered Zilan.

    Both Jeza and the scholarly Jaguar were able to hear his words. Jeza frowned but didn¡¯t seem too bothered by it. Mnyama on the other hand waved his hand and a shadow swept over the pieces of the deer¡¯s corpse, causing them to disappear.

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    ¡°This way the insects won¡¯t disturb his sleep.¡±

    Zilan cursed inwardly but remained composed on the inside.

    Mnyama was actually quite surprised by Zilan¡¯s words. Usually half-breeds were extremely ferocious creatures as they had to live in circumstances of discrimination and oppression.

    After all, half-breeds were almost always produced after a group of Beasts raided weaker villages or towns and had their way with human females. This would result in the children having no place in this world as they were despised by both humans and Beasts. The strong ones would join the army and the weak would become slaves.

    Zilan¡¯s case on the other hand was one that left Mnyama quite confused but he didn¡¯t dare voice it out. Typically, Beasts of pure, Ancient and powerful bloodlines like the dragons would never mate with a species other than their own. This was simply because it was too difficult to conceive a child, and having more than one could be considered a miraculous occurrence, thus these Beasts would never curse their future descendants by thinning the bloodline.

    However, the fact that Zilan was standing before him was a fact. The aura he emitted was real and could not be a fake, and that was due to the simple fact that one¡¯s aura came from their core, to mimic that of another person or being was impossible. As for his ferocity, Mnyama believed it to be there after all, his father was a mighty dragon every move it made could cause chaos and death. The stronger a beast the more ferocious it was.

    ...........

    Zilan¡¯s anger came from the fact that Mnyama had effortlessly killed someone who ought to have been rewarded for finding him. What he didn¡¯t understand though was that in the world of Beasts, killing was a daily occurrence, an undeniable way of life.

    Mnyama for example as a child had siblings but after reaching a certain age, his instincts commanded him to kill them, thus becoming stronger. He did not grieve but instead felt accomplished as he had withstood natures test, and had taken a step towards becoming the Alpha.

    This was the life of most Beasts, killing meant living. So the act of him disposing of two Deer scouts that did not belong to the Shadow faction was a simple task. They were insignificant and in Mnyama¡¯s mind their greatest deed in life was spotting Zilan.

    The two deer would probably disagree if they were still of the living and they would curse themselves for being greedy and taking on a mission to hunt down thieves, so far away from their post near the base.

    ...............

    ¡°There are many things we need to discuss Senior Zilan but for safety I suggest we don¡¯t go to the Inje base. I¡¯ll escort you to my factions ¡®other¡¯ base, there we can talk freely.¡± said Mnyama as he reached into his voidless sack.

    ¡°Safety? Am I in danger?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk once we reach the base.¡± In his hand, Mnyama was holding onto a small black stone that had strange inscriptions drawn around it.

    Jeza¡¯s eyes flashed with astonishment upon sight of the stone.

    ¡°Could that be a void stone?¡±

    Surprised that Jeza could recognise it, he opened his palm and showed it to Zilan.

    ¡°This is the only one I have given to me by the Head himself. With it I can travel to any set location in the world.....but only once.¡±

    Zilan caught on to what Mnyama was implying.

    ¡°It¡¯s this great but I¡¯m using it for you.¡±

    This action left Zilan quite confused as to what the hell was actually going on.

    ¡°It looks like the terms of the agreement I had with Tort are going to change.¡± Mused Zilan.

    He stared at the void stone, tempted to snatch it and examine it before it was destroyed. However that would bring with it a whole new set of problems.

    Ignoring everything else Mnyama channelled his energy into the stone before tossing it between him and Zilan. A small explosion of black mist spread out and sucked all three of them into the dark void.

    A blink of an eye later and they had vanished.

 Chapter 43 - Trade (iii)

    Zilan¡¯s field of vision was shrouded with darkness, his body felt unusually light and a faint force was pushing and pulling him in different directions. To him his speed of movement was steady and calm but in actuality his real speed was something unimaginable.

    Just as he was getting used to the strange sensation, a bright light came into view and before he could react Zilan was thrusted through.

    He instinctively closed his eyes in order to adjust to the sudden assault of blinding light.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± said Mnyama.

    Zilan slowly opened his eyes only to be amazed at what he was seeing.

    ¡°Where is this place?¡±

    Mnyama smiled as he said,

    ¡°It¡¯s the real Inje base of my Shadow faction. The other factions also have their own bases but ours is not only unique but it¡¯s also....special.¡±

    Zilan was in a gigantic cavern that had dozens of levels. However what surprised him the most was the fact that the rocky walls of the cavern were coated with glowing slime of various colours, beautifully illuminating the entire space.

    Also, on the ceiling was an eye catching collection of five gigantic emerald jewels that gave of strange, invisible energy.

    ¡°Follow me!¡± Mnyama moved through the corners and wide corridors before coming to a halt before a solitary black door that connected to nothing.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this...¡±

    ¡°This place is too large so we¡¯ll have to use one of the Head¡¯s voids if I want to keep your existence a secret.¡± said Mnyama as he pointed towards the door.

    ¡°A void? So the Head of this faction has already surpassed the soul-compression stage.¡±

    Mnyama was the first to walk through, then Zilan without hesitating went in and finally Jeza. The experience wasn¡¯t that different from the void stone however one thing that stood out was that he was moving faster.

    When he opened his eyes again Zilan was in a large office that strangely apart from a giant desk, some chairs, and an exquisite rug had nothing else in it.

    However that didn¡¯t bother Zilan much, what disturbed him was the fact that he had yet to even catch a glimpse of another soul aside from Jeza and Mnyama in this ¡®base¡¯.

    ¡°Please, have a seat.¡± smiled Mnyama who had already taken his place behind the gigantic desk in the centre of the room.

    Zilan complied and sat down but there was an obvious hostile reaction from Mnyama when Jeza did the same.

    With his threatening gaze focused on her he asked a question that not only shocked Jeza but left her with no clue on how to answer.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Tort?¡±

    Without thinking she turned to Zilan who surprisingly nodded towards her before opening his mouth to say,

    ¡°He¡¯s dead....we have the bodies with us.¡±

    For a split second, Mnyama¡¯s expression changed however he quickly shifted back as he now was addressing Zilan.

    ¡°How did it happen?¡±

    Zilan paused but unable to come up with a good enough excuse he decided to say,

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±

    Not having a plan wasn¡¯t entirely true in Zilan¡¯s case, in fact he was fairly confident that Mnyama would come to his own conclusion. All he needed to do was make sure to not give him a reason to doubt that conclusion.

    Why was he so confident? Mnyama mentioned danger and the fact that he¡¯s hiding Zilan¡¯s existence from his own people is more than enough basis.

    Just as predicted Mnyama¡¯s imagination ran wild. He swept his gaze over Jeza who had her head lowered and then at Zilan who looked him right in the eye.

    He then sighed and whispered,

    ¡°It must be them again!¡±

    ¡°Them?¡± asked Zilan.

    Before answering, Mnyama turned towards Jeza and in a tone that left no room for discussion ordered,

    ¡°Walk to the left for five minutes, there¡¯ll be a door. Get out!¡±

    Jeza gave Zilan a look but immediately stood up and obediently headed for the door.

    Only when he had confirmed that she had left did Mnyama elaborate.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°For the past few years an unlikely war has been going on in the shadows. Not many people are even aware of the lengths that certain people have gone to and the acts committed in order to come out on top.¡±

    Mnyama paused as he observed Zilan¡¯s reaction to his next statement,

    ¡°It¡¯s even reached a point where collaborations with human kingdoms has become normal and accepted!¡±

    Zilan¡¯s eyes widened,

    ¡°What do you mean? Just what are you talking about?¡±

    Mnyama sighed but continued,

    ¡°It¡¯s true that we do trade with humans occasionaly however, that is trade and it has a minimal adverse affect on our people. Just like humans fight amongst themselves we also have our own internal disputes however there is a time when we unite and forget about our differences and that is when it comes to the fight against humans.¡±

    ¡°You see...not all humans care too much about us, they leave us alone and we do the same but then there comes along that breed of humans that are just wired to steal and destroy....those are the creatures we as ¡®Beasts¡¯ refuse to bow down to. At least, that was the case before these damned Inheritance sites started appearing.

    At first it was impossible to attain anything game changing from the sites, but as time went on the weakest faction in their desperation formed an alliance with not one, but five of our main enemies in order to obtain the rewards of the sites. Before the other factions including us could react, that cursed alliance after exhausting countless resources was able to obtain great power from the Inheritance site. We foolishly pursued and attacked those traitors with our full force but....¡±

    Mnyama¡¯s expression shifted from calm to regretful to enraged in the span of a few seconds. He clenched his fists so tightly that they started shaking uncontrollably.

    ¡°The strongest faction¡¯s Head....and most of his elites were completely and easily wiped out by their power. Unable to fight we fled....but then site after site started being discovered and after exhausting most of our means we were finally able to figure out how to clear the sites but the answer led us to another dead end.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°A team of highly skilled spirit masters, Alchemists, and practitioners is the minimum requirement!¡±

    ¡°With your resources and strength, how is that a problem?¡± wondered Zilan.

    ¡°Ha! The enemy had this information first. If you were them what would you do?¡±

    ¡°I would...n..no way...did they really?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Every Alchemist that does not join them would end up dead, missing or in hiding.....we took too long to catch on and by the time we did every faction had separated and then a scramble for skilled people and Inheritance sites had begun.¡±

    ¡°Right now people in sites all over these lands are dying either protecting those sites from the Alliance of traitors, fighting amongst themselves for the rights to the site or killing each other and dying while trying to attain the treasures the sites hold.¡±

    ¡°In order to survive in this new world where the ideals of the Ancestors who died for them no longer seem to hold weight, our faction has no option but to find, secure and challenge our own sites. Unfortunately, we have a shortage of people skilled in Alchemy and the ways of the spirit so progress has been extremely slow. The only good thing about this whole situation is that ¡®those¡¯ bastards haven¡¯t made a single move, so we¡¯re still stable but I suspect they have agents within those kingdoms.¡±

    ¡°If that is truly the case then this war....Senior Zilan, I....¡± Before he could finish Zilan had already given an answer.

    ¡°I won¡¯t participate in your war!¡± His words were firm as he had confidence that Mnyama would do nothing due to the fear of an ¡®Angry Dragon¡¯ descending upon him. ¡°That is unless you help me achieve my own goals!¡±

    ¡°Right now, I am too weak! In order to get stronger I¡¯ll put myself right in the middle of this thing but first I¡¯ll need to make sure I¡¯m prepared.¡±

 Chapter 44 - Trade (iv)

    ¡°Goals? If it is within my ability then I can assure you it will be done!¡±

    This was his chance and Mnyama intended to grab hold of it, even if he himself could not do anything there was still the Head behind him.

    ¡°There¡¯s someone I¡¯m looking for, an Alchemist! You mentioned that there were some in hiding, if he is among them then I would very much like to find him.¡±

    Mnyama¡¯s smile slowly faded.

    ¡°My choice of words might have been wrong when I said ¡°hiding¡±.¡± said Mnyama. ¡°What I should have said was that they can¡¯t be touched.....they¡¯re protected by the Alchemy association!¡±

    ¡°The Alchemy association?¡±

    ¡°The humans have their own society called the Hall of learning however its strength is far beneath that of the Alchemy association and that is because of two things. One, the Hall comprises of spirit masters as well as scholars and other strange arts while the Alchemy association deals with only Alchemists of beastly descent.¡±

    ¡°The other reason is simply due to the strength of the associations Chairman....I don¡¯t know much about him aside from the fact that our Head both respects and fears him. However, some time ago a rumour spread out that a man who fit the Alchemy association Chairman¡¯s description evaporated an entire lake with a single swipe of his hand and with another swipe restored it completely.¡± Mnyama then shook his head. ¡°Those are only rumours though, but nevertheless, I was ordered to stay out of the Associations business....I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you with that request but I¡¯ll pass it on to the Head and.........¡±

    Mnyama continued to talk however he was yet to notice that Zilan was no longer paying attention.

    ¡°That¡¯s him! It has to be him....no....it can¡¯t be anyone else but him. That flame.....the level of control needed.....I¡¯ve found him!¡±

    ¡°Where can I find it?¡±

    ¡°Find what?¡±

    ¡°The Alchemy association! Where is it?¡± asked Zilan, slightly flustered.

    ¡°It¡¯s located in Brivata city!¡± Mnyama was puzzled as to why Zilan seemed so excited.

    ¡°I had a feeling he¡¯d be there!¡± laughed Zilan inwardly.

    ¡°I need to go to Brivata then....as soon as possible!¡±

    ¡°What?... That...is...doable but...it¡¯s also troublesome.¡± cried Mnyama.

    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it just a matter of using one of those voids to transport me there?¡±

    Voids were created when a practitioner advanced to the [soul-compression] stage. After the element and the soul fused, a space known as the [void] would be left. In this void, practitioners can store whatever they needed inside their bodies making it more convenient and safer than a void sack.

    Unfortunately for Beasts, they developed voids only after surpassing the soul-compression stage. At that stage, the void would grow so strong to the point that they could be used as bridges between two different places, as long as one had travelled there before and left an energy signature.

    ¡°Such an act is forbidden! Our Head himself is one who has enforced this rule against the other Heads.¡±

    ¡°If you want my help, then get me there!¡±

    Tiny beads of sweat started forming on Mnyama¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t letting you go to Brivata the same as announcing that our faction is in possession of a half-blooded Dragon? And if you intend to go to the association and announce yourself then wouldn¡¯t that be the equivalent to revealing my cards! I could get you there anonymously but to think that the others wouldn¡¯t try and recruit you would be naive. But if I refuse to let you go then I¡¯ll let this treasure slip from my grasp.¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Mnyama was deep in thought considering all of the available options when Zilan suddenly weighed in,

    ¡°I made an agreement with Tort that I would deliver explosives powerful enough to destroy a city gate. He is already dead but I can leave the explosives as a down payment and also as a show of my value! I will also agree to any conditions you may have as long as they don¡¯t conflict with my own goals.¡±

    Hearing Zilan¡¯s words Mnyama was surprised but he wasn¡¯t shocked. Explosives could be procured by the faction quite easily so getting a few more drums didn¡¯t really amaze him.

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m sure I can find use for.....¡±

    Mnyama stopped what he was saying when he saw Zilan take out eight Azure coloured, circular objects that resembled fist-sized stones. He then tossed one towards Mnyama and said, ¡°Here they are!¡±

    Mnyama stared in amazement as even with just his initial probing he could feel the fiery power contained within.

    ¡°What...how can this exist? I¡¯ve never seen anything like this...how can such a small thing contain so much power?¡± gasped Mnyama.

    ¡°Do we have an agreement?¡±

    Mnyama hesitated for a moment but after looking at the Tembu Pain¡¯s before him, he couldn¡¯t help but accept.

    ¡°We have a deal.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll work out the arrangements later!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I¡¯d like an answer to.¡± said Zilan.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Who and where is Jeza¡¯s brother?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± The look in Mnyama¡¯s eyes changed when he heard that question. It was evident that he knew something but was resolute in not speaking about it.

    ¡°I see....if you don¡¯t know then there¡¯s nothing that can be done. Is there anyone who might know?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± replied Mnyama.

    ¡°Could you find out for me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask.¡± was all he said.

    ¡°Sigh~ Fine then, tell me about when I can go to Brivata.¡±

    Mnyama took a moment to think before speaking,

    ¡°There are requirements you¡¯ll need to meet if you want to go to Brivata. I can help you with some but helping you with others will attract more unwanted and unnecessary attention.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°In order to enter Brivata, you will need to register yourself in the Population log and that comes with a price of five amethyst coins or anything of equivalent value. Once you are in the log, in order to stay in Brivata you¡¯ll be required to find an occupation. Anyone who doesn¡¯t contribute to the city in some way is not allowed to stay there, and finally every month you will be required to pay a monthly fee to the Council of Brivata.¡±

    ¡°We can assist you with the fee payments and registration however as for your occupation and other needs we can¡¯t get involved otherwise we¡¯ll be risking your involvement with us becoming discovered.¡±

    Needless to say, Zilan was beyond shocked. All of the rules and costs to staying in Brivata were just outlandish. They didn¡¯t even include the cost of finding a place to live, food, clothing, purchasing of resources, among other things.

    ¡°What¡¯s so special about Brivata for it to have so many barriers to entry?¡± was something he couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°Hmm....In Ancient times when the King¡¯s power came raining down from the sky, it created holes through the shield that bastard god set up, allowing the Universe¡¯s energy to descend upon us. Brivata is one of the places that is located directly under one of the larger gaps, thus it has one of the densest, purest and broadest concentrations of Universe power in the world making it a paradise for all Beasts.¡±

 Chapter 45 - Soul

    Zilan stayed in the Shadow factions secret base for a few days as he was waiting for Mnyama to finish the registration process for both he and Jeza.

    During this time he had a few things on his mind such as Flesc.

    ¡°What exactly did he sacrifice himself for? Was it to get me to join his faction and help them or did Tort manipulate him as well?

    Because of his sacrifice I was able to gain my life back but for what reason exactly did he give up his? Undying loyalty or a victim of trickery?¡±

    Zilan couldn¡¯t help but want to know more about Flesc because without him, he would have been no different from a corpse. However just because he wanted answers didn¡¯t mean he could simply ask Mnyama for them. The outcome of such a question could lead to him either being ignored or his relationship with Flesc somehow being used to exploit him.

    For matters close to his heart, Zilan would find a way to handle the matters himself, involving others was a risk not worth taking. At least those were the lessons he had learned from the past.

    So then why ask about Jeza¡¯s brother? Because he wanted to know if the matter was big enough for the commander to take it seriously or if it was something Mnyama would view as insignificant. It was a risk he had to take and now that he had leverage in the form of him being a ¡°Dragons son¡± it was the best time to take such a risk.

    Even if Mnyama did make plans to use this against him, it wouldn¡¯t seriously affect him. After all, he already had the problem of finding, securing and rescuing Jeza¡¯s brother if necessary, so if Mnyama and his faction was somehow responsible for Askari¡¯s disappearance then that would actually help Zilan as he no longer needed to locate him and the fact that he was being used would mean that Askari would be kept safe.

    Even if the Shadow faction wasn¡¯t involved but still tried to use that information against Zilan, it wouldn¡¯t mean much as with his abilities he could attain the knowledge once he reached a certain level of strength.

    ...........

    Zilan laid down on the extremely comfortable bed that was clearly made for someone at least twice his size. He closed his eyes and took two deep breaths.

    He stopped thinking and just relaxed. For the first time since he broke from the spell, he felt safe and slowly he was taking back control of his life. Even if his future was uncertain, compared to his past organised, planned and monitored life, it was , that he had his freedom back and precisely that uncertainty was proof of his freedom.

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡± Hihi¡¯s youthful voice suddenly rang out, surprising Zilan.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡±

    ¡°Hihi...had an insight!¡±

    Zilan remained silent for a moment before faintly chuckling.

    ¡°While others were going through hell, this bastard was actually cultivating!¡±

    ¡°So what do you plan to do from now?¡± inquired Hihi, trying to change the subject.

    ¡°There¡¯s an Alchemist I need to meet. There are some things I need to learn about and he is the only one who holds the answers.¡±

    ¡°How do you know about him? Have you met him before? And what¡¯s so amazing about him? Hmph! Hasn¡¯t mistress provided you with enough good things? Going out to seek new masters...¡±

    ¡°What grandmother has given me is indeed great but what this Alchemist possesses is also something that should not exist in a lesser realm like this one.¡± Zilan¡¯s eyes burned with desire as he spoke.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Hearing Zilan Hihi also grew intrigued,

    ¡°What does he have and how do you know he has it? Hurry up and tell Hihi!¡±

    Zilan smiled as he recalled the day he first became aware of the Chairman of the Alchemy associations existence.

    ¡°The restaurant had just started taking off and I was spending every spare minute I had on my research into Beasts when one day, the Royal troop passed through Morning Dew city. It was a rare and greatly welcomed occasion for our city so all the best delicacies we had to offer were to be presented and naturally the custard the Dual-winged sparrow became famous for was among them.

    The custard caught the attention of some of the troop and Ficha as well as myself were invited to an event where the Troop were going to show off their spoils from a high class mission. Apparently they were doing this to reward the Governor and the sect for being such great hosts but in actuality they probably just wanted to boast.

    I remember I was really bored with the shiny trinkets and decorative weapons that I almost left; honestly I find it hard to fathom how such things are so valued by humans. ¡°

    ¡°However at that moment, something that completely flipped my view on Alchemy appeared. I used to think that Alchemy was a simple profession, something that lacked recognition by the Universe and was therefore not one of the major ¡®Ways¡¯ but I was wrong.¡±

    ¡°What did you see?¡± asked Hihi impatiently.

    ¡°A flask!¡±

    ¡°Zilan, are you messing with Hihi again?¡±

    ¡°That flask upon first sight might seem rather ordinary but when I really looked, a new world instantly opened up to me and that is when I realised that a true monster had created that flask.¡±

    ¡°Hihi, if I told you that the energy used to make that flask if concentrated and cultivated enough could destroy you with a single touch, would you believe me?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Such a stupid question, who do you think Hihi is? I am the genius.....¡±

    Cutting him off, Zilan¡¯s gaze suddenly turned serious.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m not lying to you! The energy used to create that flask, the power, the purity, it was simply perfection but not just that, the flask, it was embedded with actual soul. What do you think this means, Hihi?¡±

    ¡°Hihi...thinks...you should just say everything at once and stop complicating things!¡±

    Zilan scratched his head as he remembered that asking such a question to Hihi was the same as asking it to the wall.

    ¡°It means that the Alchemist who created it is not using a Beastly flame nor is he using one of the ten Heavenly flames, the Alchemist who created that flask either knowingly or unknowingly managed to find a way to actually...burn the inexhaustible and most pure thing in the Universe. His own soul¡¯s energy!

    Tranquillity and ferocity at the same time. Not to mention who knows what ability his inner soul is now able to display.¡±

    ¡°The fact that an object can be embedded with a soul...that is a major secret of the Universe....and it only proves that Alchemy is a major ¡®Way¡¯ and holds keys to unlocking certain secrets. I cannot even imagine what he has managed to create with his understanding of the Art of Alchemy, I must see it for myself!¡±

    This time even Hihi was speechless. His very existence was the greatest example of the power that a soul could produce and for a living thing to be able to embed his soul into objects,.... wasn¡¯t that the pinnacle of creation?

    Zilan was also on the same wave length however he was taking it a step further.

    ¡°In theory I could one day bridge the gap between ¡®Ways¡¯....but that is still a long way away. First I have to find a path that will actually lead to me learning the art of burning ones soul.¡±

 Chapter 46 - Brivata

    ¡°How are you going to reach him?¡± asked Hihi.

    ¡°I intend to plant myself in the Alchemy association!¡± replied Zilan.

    ¡°Oh! It looks like Hihi¡¯s genius is starting to rub off on you...hehe.¡± laughed Hihi.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t a matter of smarts, Mnyama said that the Chairman rarely leaves the association so in order to get close to him I need to become a member.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, tsk....Zilan let this genius enlighten you on something. Sometimes the most obvious choice is the best one.¡± Hihi¡¯s voice although slightly childish sounded surprisingly serious. ¡°The fact that this Chairman rarely leaves his organisation and is aware of his role as their pillar, means that the Alchemy association is the most important thing to him in the world.¡±

    ¡°So what would happen if a genius suddenly appeared in his organisation? People don¡¯t live forever...so then wouldn¡¯t he look at this talent as clay that he can mould into his future successor? The most obvious choice is sometimes the best one but only because you don¡¯t know the full story. If you were aware of all the circumstances surrounding this Chairman¡¯s situation, you would still arrive at the conclusion of joining his organisation however the choice would not have been as obvious!¡±

    Hihi¡¯s words both shocked and enlightened Zilan however if he only knew that what Hihi had so proudly and confidently said was but a direct repetition of words once spoken by Sera the Spring Dragon then he might have collapsed from how thick Hihi¡¯s skin really was.

    To so arrogantly repeat the words of another and pretend to actually be a wise scholar while not even understanding half of the words uttered from his lips, only a truly shameless person can accomplish such a magnificent feat without batting an eyelash.

    ¡°So Zilan you must remember to listen to Hihi no matter...._¡±

    Hihi¡¯s self praising statement was suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door.

    ¡°You can enter.¡± said Zilan as he stood up from the bed.

    Mnyama calmly entered the room, walked towards Zilan and with a smile said,

    ¡°All the preparations have been made. Your registrations as well as accommodation have both been arranged, as for the rest there are few things we need to talk about.¡±

    ¡°Good! Lets talk then.¡± Laughed Zilan. The good news came a bit later than he may have wanted but now that it was done he could hardly care anymore.

    Mnyama found himself a seat before asking Zilan,

    ¡°Do you intend to get involved with the Alchemy association?¡±

    His tone was neither forceful nor soft but it was clear how important the subject was.

    ¡°I do!¡± Immediately replied Zilan.

    Mnyama stared at Zilan for a moment before nodding his head and saying,

    ¡°Fine. As long as you remain within the Association, your affiliation with us shouldn¡¯t become known to others however the Head has some conditions.¡±

    ¡°Conditions?¡±

    ¡°More accurately its a contract so that you don¡¯t forget who your true allies are.¡± Upon finishing that sentence, Mnyama took out a white beast skin about thirty centimetres wide and fifty centimetres long. The beast skin was filled with words, that conveyed the terms and conditions of Zilan and the Shadow factions ¡®arrangement¡¯.

    Zilan skimmed through the contract and all in all, it appeared fair and reasonable. However there were a few conditions that caught his eye such as,

    ¡°When Alchemy services are required, you must give assistance.¡±

    ¡°When an Ancestral site is located and ready to be entered you must appear and proceed with us.¡±

    ¡°You are not allowed to give assistance to any other faction without permission to do so.¡±

    The most eye catching condition though was the last one,

    ¡°If you intend on joining the Alchemy association then as long as the above rules are adhered to and the contract is signed, we can provide some aid.¡±

    This extra stipulation needless to say extremely pleased Zilan however, as he thought about the contract as a whole he couldn¡¯t help but feel that it sounded too good.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Either there are secrets beneath the surface or I am greatly valued by this faction.¡± thought Zilan as he laughed inwardly.

    ¡°Is everything okay Senior Zilan?¡± asked Mnyama as he tried to get a read on Zilan from his expression.

    ¡°Hmm, it looks like everything is in order.¡± Replied Zilan.

    ¡°Great.¡± Mnyama clapped his hands in joy and then proceeded to fetch a peculiar feather from his voidless sack.

    ¡°Sign with this, its a spirit tool that will draw out a small portion of your life blood and use it as ink. This way the contract is one that you stake your life on and should you breach the terms some ¡®punishment¡¯ will be inflicted upon you.¡±

    Mnyama shoved the pen into Zilan¡¯s hands and spoke his words as quickly as possible so that they wouldn¡¯t discourage him from signing.

    Surprisingly though, Zilan didn¡¯t hesitate in signing the contract. He knew exactly why the shadow faction had gone to such lengths to create a ¡®blood agreement¡¯.

    They were simply afraid that in case something happened to him, they would be the primary targets of revenge for his non-existent and all powerful Dragon father. There was also the other more obvious reason which was to be able to effectively control Zilan.

    Zilan currently had power to do anything he wanted as he had a backer more powerful than the Shadow faction so in order to keep him in check they implored a tactic where they have minimum liability in case of unforeseen events and maximum rewards should everything go according to plan.

    Who¡¯s to say that Zilan would listen to them if it was just an oral agreement? Plus they have no way of threatening him. Thus the only way their arrangement can work out for both sides is a blood agreement.

    Once he was done signing, Zilan felt a slight change occur in his body but unfortunately he couldn¡¯t pin point it. He then handed the beast skin back to Mnyama who happily placed it in his voidless sack.

    ¡°So when do we leave for Brivata?¡± inquired Zilan.

    ¡°When do you wish to leave? Everything has been prepared, we¡¯ve even procured a guide for you within the city.¡± stated Mnyama.

    Zilan was very satisfied by the treatment he was receiving.

    ¡°Then I¡¯d like to leave immediately!¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Mnyama then led Zilan outside of the room and unexpectedly Jeza was there, presumably waiting to talk to Zilan.

    She had a complicated expression on her face upon seeing Zilan. After all, it was him who had informed her that Mnyama had refused to tell him anything about Askari despite clearly knowing something. He then told her not to worry and that he would fix things in time however that made her even more anxious as time was something that was not on her side.

    Later she then found out that they¡¯d be going to Brivata which was the undisputed heaven on earth for all Beasts. It was impossible for her not to feel even an ounce of joy or excitement at the idea.

    Which left her in a position where her feelings were just too complicated and conflicting.

    ¡°Are you ready? We¡¯re about to leave.¡± said Zilan as he stared at Jeza.

    She simply nodded as she had forgotten the reason she came to see Zilan. Maybe it was to vent her frustration or to question him on his plan to actually find Askari? She couldn¡¯t remember!

    Mnyama then carefully led the two through many winding corridors and voids however this time Zilan could clearly see that there were people within the base and not just a few of them. Their numbers as far as he could tell were definitely more than a hundred, his estimate came not just from those he could see but also from the bustling noise they created.

    The three jumped out of a void and arrived next to another void door however this one had countless, complex inscriptions that caused Zilan to stare in disbelief.

    ¡°Who could have created such a thing?¡±

    Hearing Zilan¡¯s question, Mnyama proudly answered,

    ¡°The founder of our Faction!¡±

 Chapter 47 - Brivata (ii)

    Zilan was shocked at the level of power and intricacy that it would take to create a void door such as the one he was currently looking at.

    ¡°Just what level of power has this founder reached?¡± wondered Zilan.

    Mnyama noticed the look on the Zilan¡¯s face and once again he was slightly surprised at Zilan¡¯s perceptive abilities.

    ¡°Take these, without them the pressure from the barrier surrounding Brivata city will crush you.¡±

    In Mnyama¡¯s hands were two bronze badges that in addition to miniscule inscriptions all around it, had four distinct yet indescribable images carved onto it.

    Upon contact with his hands, Zilan felt a warm energy coming from the badge before it went inside his body.

    Confirming that nothing was wrong, Mnyama then led the two of them into the void door.

    The moment Zilan stepped into the door, before he could even think let alone blink, he had already arrived at his destination and unlike before, his eyes didn¡¯t need to adjust nor did he need a moment to collect himself. The reason for this, was simply because the speed at which he travelled was so fast that his body barely registered that anything happening.

    ¡°Welcome to one of the four gates, the Bronze gate!¡± said Mnyama as he walked ahead.

    Zilan on the other hand remained still, unable to fully take in what he was seeing. Before him, was a gigantic bronze gate that had similar inscriptions as those on the badge but on a much larger scale.

    He estimated its height to be around two hundred and fifty metres at the least and its width at around a hundred metres.

    Directly in front of the gate were four statues that were clearly very old, yet looked unusually polished and life like. Each of them were of a different Beast, a Bear, a Lion, a Salamander and a Turtle.

    The statues were very basic, only outlining the features of the four creatures and not showing any unique characteristics.

    What really surprised Zilan though, was the fact that when he looked up at the sky the sun seemed extremely close and bright and the clouds were literally a jump away from his touch. What did this mean? It meant the city of Brivata was not located on the ground but in the sky!

    ¡°How is this possible?¡± asked Zilan as he continued to look around, taking in his surroundings.

    ¡°Ha! Don¡¯t believe everything you see, Senior Zilan. This place exists yet also does not exist, it is only a bridge to Brivata and nothing more. It¡¯s beauty though one has to admit, that definitely exists.¡± commented Mnyama.

    ¡°Does not exist....bridge?¡± whispered Zilan.

    Mnyama didn¡¯t bother answering Zilan¡¯s questions as there was no point of knowing such information.

    ¡°Walk towards the gate. You¡¯ll be scanned and sent to the city.¡± said Mnyama.

    ¡°Are we not going together?¡± questioned Zilan.

    ¡°My apologies but I still have many things to attend to on this end. There¡¯s no need for concern though, on the other side your guide will be waiting to assist you with anything you require.¡±

    Zilan thought about it and in the end came to the conclusion that Mnyama¡¯s presence was not necessarily a necessity therefore bringing him along or leaving him behind did not matter as much.

    Mnyama then turned to Jeza and ordered her to change back to her fox form. She obediently followed the command however something he said after caught the attention of Zilan.

    ¡° Don¡¯t forget.¡± Were the words he spoke but for some reason a strange sense told Zilan that those words had something to do with him.

    He couldn¡¯t describe it but he just felt sure that Mnyama¡¯s statement was in a way related to him.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.Zilan did not voice his thoughts but made sure to keep them in memory.

    After getting some general information from Mnyama, Jeza and Zilan then walked up to the gate. Each step was heavier than the last but they continued forward until they no longer had the strength to advance.

    ¡°What is this invisible pressure?¡±

    The bronze badges hanging from their waists let out beams of golden energy that directly impacted the gate causing it to tremble.

    The entire space also shook however, Zilan and Jeza¡¯s feet remained firm and unmoving.

    ¡°Zilan Malaika and Jeza Filisi. You may proceed!¡± A loud yet faintly mechanical voice reverberated through out the space.

    Zilan had changed his last name for obvious reasons, he had very powerful enemies after him and he wasn¡¯t about to gift wrap himself to them.

    ..............

    Before he could say or do anything, the Bronze gate abruptly opened sucking both Jeza and Zilan in.

    A blinding white light forced him to keep his eyes shut and when he opened them again, he was in an entirely different place.

    ¡°A temple?¡± wondered Zilan.

    ¡°Not quite. This is the landing bay for new ¡®arrivals¡¯. My family manages it.¡±

    An unfamiliar voice coming from behind Zilan caused him to be on guard. He immediately turned around only to find a male leopard probably around the same age as him, dressed in warriors robes</a> smiling at him.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Ah! Forgive me, my name is Kifo and I as well as my family will serve as your guide during your stay here.¡± He respectfully bowed as he spoke.

    ¡°So you¡¯re members of the shadow faction?¡±

    Kifo¡¯s slightly narrow eyes suddenly widened,

    ¡°What makes you say such a thing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m simply speculating, otherwise why would Mnyama trust you with this duty?¡± stated Zilan as he took a few steps towards Kifo.

    ¡°Hmm, it would be best if you don¡¯t speculate any further. Personally, I do not mind but there are some who will not be as...receptive when you mention the names of devils.¡±

    ¡°Devils?¡±

    ¡°All four of them are devils but....we should leave it here. Whether you are one of them or simply being used doesn¡¯t matter, what matters is that you remain safe and happy, which is why I am here!¡±

    ¡°You are a strange one. When you say those things to my face not knowing whether or not I am one of them or not, do you not feel fear?¡± asked Zilan.

    ¡°Hmm, it isn¡¯t that I¡¯m not afraid but rather I¡¯m confident enough to say it. Where we are standing now is a very important place and with us gone or against them, losses will inevitably be suffered by them. By the way, what are you? You smell too much like a human.¡±

    ¡°Is my smell a problem?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯ll make keeping you safe a bit troublesome but nothing I can¡¯t handle.¡± laughed Kifo.

    ¡°This person is too calm.¡± thought Zilan.

    ¡°Oh! I wouldn¡¯t want to cause you any problems, maybe I¡¯ll just let a little bit leak out.¡±

    Zilan¡¯s aura of the Spring dragon slowly escaped from his body and the first to notice it was none other than Kifo. All the hairs on his body stood on end and his intense golden-green eyes locked onto Zilan.

    Surprisingly though, it wasn¡¯t fear in his eyes but actual excitement.

    ¡°Hmm, hmm, hmm, you....are you strong?¡± was the question Kifo asked after looking at Zilan from different angles.

 Chapter 48 - Brivata (iii)

    ¡°Am I strong? That depends on your definition of strength.¡± Replied Zilan.

    Kifo unblinkingly stared at Zilan for a few seconds. An eerie grey light flashed in his eyes before he suddenly calmed down and steadied himself.

    ¡°Hmm...strange...very strange. Your strength....would you care to show it to me? For some reason I cannot ¡®see¡¯ you...hmm....this has never happened before!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no point in doing such a thing.¡± said Zilan as he walked forward.

    ¡°Hmm...no point, eh? No matter, you¡¯ve taught me something good today. Just because abilities are divine doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re absolute. Haha...It looks like I owe you one.¡±

    Zilan was confused as to what exactly was going on inside Kifo¡¯s head. He had literally done nothing yet somehow was awarded credit.

    There was one thing though that Zilan was sure of and that was, ¡°Kifo is special!¡±

    Very few beasts have powerful Ancestors and there are even fewer that have Ancestors who actually possessed abilities directly given to them by the Universe itself, for example the rain dragons survival ability.

    The fact that Kifo has a divine ability also goes to show that his innate potential is beyond exceptional , but despite all that the main thing that caught Zilan¡¯s eye was Kifo¡¯s intellect that he could clearly see was a crop above the rest.

    ¡°You owe me nothing.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, is that so? Very well then, we should get going.¡± said Kifo.

    As he said that, Kifo turned around with his hands behind his back and led the way out of the gigantic jade tiled hall of the ¡®landing bay¡¯.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? We could go directly to where you¡¯ll be staying but doing so without telling you about Brivata and its key rules would put you in a very dangerous situation in the future.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see for yourself soon enough.¡±

    Zilan calmly followed Kifo towards the exit which was surprisingly, just a large silk purple curtain.

    ¡°Just through here.¡± said Kifo as he moved the curtain out of the way for Zilan and Jeza to pass.

    When Zilan stepped through the curtain, a pleasant but strong wind blew past him causing his hair and clothes to chaotically flutter.

    He raised his arm to shield his eyes from the wind and as he looked into the distance, he simply could not believe what he was seeing.

    The landing bay was located on a fairly tall mountain on the outskirts of the city and from his vantage point he could see what seemed to be a never ending sea of buildings, walls and Beasts.

    ¡°What you¡¯re seeing right now is only a fraction of the entire city and about half of the Bronze sector.¡± Kifo moved beside Zilan as he spoke.

    ¡°Bronze sector?¡±

    Kifo smiled as he pointed far into the distance where the outline of a gigantic wall that appeared to reach the heavens could be seen.

    ¡°From where we are standing now, all the way to that barrier is the Bronze sector. The largest of all the sectors and the one with the least resources. Beyond that are the Iron and Gold sectors!¡±

    ¡°So even here, the haven of Beasts, barriers between classes exists?¡± thought Zilan out loud.

    ¡°Hmm, this isn¡¯t a matter of class! This is simply the effect of strength. Each sector is necessary and represents greater strength, without them our society would crumble....At least that is what the devils say.¡±

    ¡°Why are the walls necessary?¡± wondered Zilan.

    ¡°To honestly answer that I¡¯d have to cross those walls and see it with my own eyes but from what my father says, beyond them lies even more resources than here. Of course, as is the same with everything in this world only the strong are entitled to anything of benefit.¡±

    ¡°What about the Alchemy association? Where is that located?¡± asked Zilan, slightly worried.

    ¡°Oh! That place....probably the best way to describe it would be to call it a city within a city. Equipped with its own laws, customs and management.

    As long as you are a talented Alchemist that place is your home, no matter which sector you come from that place will openly welcome you.¡±

    ¡° Perfect!¡±

    ¡°So what are the rules mentioned?¡±

    ¡°There are many that you should know but for now I¡¯ll inform you of only the most important. The first one and most well known is that no one is allowed to absorb the Universe¡¯s energy during the night.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know but anyone who breaks the rule is...well.. punished very severely.¡±

    ¡°As for the other rule, it involves the joining of factions , various organizations territories and use of certain spirit tools. It¡¯s a very simple rule and easy to understand.¡± Kifo paused for a moment as he turned to face Zilan. ¡°If you value your life, don¡¯t involve yourself, associate with or intervene in other factions business!¡±

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Zilan.

    Kifo took out a rolled up medium sized beast skin from his voidless sack and handed it to Zilan who carefully opened it.

    The beast skin had a very colourful map drawn on it. The entire map was compartmentalized into boxes of varying sizes and colours, with names placed on all of them.

    ¡°There are two things you can take from that map.¡± said Kifo. ¡°One, is that any encroachment on boxes that are not of your faction will usually result in your death and as the for the second thing, it is the reason why you will end up dead!

    In Brivata, the true currency is land! The more land, literally the more individual and collective power one possesses. Never forget that!¡±

    Zilan narrowed his eyes as he looked at the city from above.

    ¡°This...This is where my journey will begin!¡±

    .........

    After digesting what Kifo had to say, Zilan then asked where they would be staying.

    ¡°Hmm, you can choose anywhere with black coloured boxes and that¡¯s where you¡¯ll stay.¡± A strange smile formed on Kifo¡¯s face as he finished his sentence.

    Zilan caught onto it and thought back on Kifo¡¯s words. ¡°More land means more power!¡± and it just so happened that the black squares were the second most numerous on the entire map. However there had to be something more going on.

    After five minutes of staring at the map to no avail, Zilan looked towards the city beneath and a thought suddenly came to mind.

    ¡°The strong are entitled to things of benefit! Which means that there is land which is superior to the others among the black squares.¡± whispered Zilan. ¡°But how do I find them?¡±

    Needless to say, Kifo was slightly taken aback. He was obligated to guide and protect Zilan while he remained in Brivata however he had no intention of going above and beyond his required duty.

    ¡®He would put in the minimum required effort¡¯ and that is why he initially intended on dropping Zilan at one of their average ¡®Mud lands¡¯ and not their prized ¡®crown lands¡¯ that had higher concentration of Universe power and resources such as the naturally growing spirit plants.

    However he had taken an interest in Zilan so he was going to let his luck dictate where he would stay, never did he expect that Zilan would actually figure something out.

    ¡°Hmm, hmm, interesting...I don¡¯t want to believe it but he may be the one grandmama talked about..... but then again this is the third person I¡¯ve found who fits the description.

    Hmm, I¡¯ll give it more thought if he manages to point out the sacred grounds on the map.¡± thought Kifo.

    Simply looking at the map did not help Zilan in trying to locate the best possible land.

    ¡°The better the place I stay in, the more benefits it will bring to my foundation and cultivation. I have no choice but to cheat.¡±

    He then turned to the slightly taller Kifo and in a gentle yet demanding tone asked him to turn around and close his eyes.

    ¡°What?¡± The expression of confusion and amusement on Kifo¡¯s face was one that you could tell from his awkward appearance, he did not show often.

    Nevertheless, he was going to play along. The only difference was that he wasn¡¯t going to close his eyes, instead he was going to go behind the curtain.

    Zilan signaled Jeza to follow him, just to make sure.

    Once he received the signal from Jeza, two stars appeared in his eyes and an awe inspiring sight laid in front of him.

    It looked exactly like a war between rainbows, so many colours of energy surprisingly not clashing and instead existing in perfect harmony with one another. Bonding together, only to separate and then bond again.

    ¡°These are the moments when I thank the Universe for giving these eyes.¡± smiled Zilan.

    After a few more minutes of looking around, he then began to focus on his task. As he looked at the black squares and compared them to the energy around them, he understood just how much influence Kifo¡¯s family possessed.

    It was then that he noticed something laughably interesting to the point of it being nothing short of sinisterly ingenious.

    On the map was a tiny black spot ¡®.¡¯ that was barely noticeable however when Zilan looked at the skies above said spot he found the largest and purest concentration of the Universe¡¯s energy compared to all the black squares.

    ¡°Hahaha..¡± He couldn¡¯t restrain his laughter when he thought about the reason as to why someone would put the spot on the map in the first place.

    ¡°You can come back in, I¡¯ve decided where we¡¯ll be going!¡± said Zilan as he wiped the tiny beads of tears from the corners of his eyes.

 Chapter 49 - Training

    Kifo hesitantly pressed down on his bronze badge that was significantly larger than Zilan¡¯s, and suddenly a void door appeared before the trio.

    ¡°How?...How could he have found it? This is beyond odd.¡± thought Kifo as he stared at Zilan in both wonderment and slight annoyance.

    ¡°Would you mind telling me how you found the sacred grounds?¡± asked Kifo.

    Zilan met his gaze as he said,

    ¡°If I tell you then you must agree to help me with something.¡±

    Without giving it a thought Kifo immediately nodded,

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    ¡°Good! All I can say is that you are not the only one with special abilities.¡± laughed Zilan.

    Despite the vagueness of those words Kifo¡¯s eyes still widened. A thought that he had always doubted, never completely believing in, suddenly appeared in his mind again but this time for different reasons.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± asked Zilan.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We should get going.¡±

    Directly after speaking those words, Kifo stepped into the void door and soon after so did Zilan and Jeza.

    When they stepped out, Zilan found himself in a rather large court yard that had all manner of intriguing plant life and insects.

    In the centre of the courtyard was a medium sized cottage that had four large and peculiar patterns drawn around it. They were constantly throbbing with golden light just like a heart does when it beats, pumping blood to the rest of the body.

    ¡°This is?¡± inquired Zilan as he took in the scenery.

    ¡°Huh, yes,...this is my family¡¯s sacred land. I need to go alert Father that you¡¯re here so feel free to go inside. Also, you have about an hour of daylight left so use that time to absorb and familiarize yourself with Brivata¡¯s universe energy.

    I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    After saying that Kifo once again pressed on his bronze badge and a void door appeared. He then walked into it, leaving Zilan and Jeza alone in the courtyard.

    ¡°This is Brivata! Is it what you¡¯d imagined it to be?¡± smiled Zilan as he looked toward Jeza.

    ¡°That...isn¡¯t as easy to answer as you might think. This place and what we were told as children, it¡¯s like they¡¯re two completely different places.¡±

    ¡°Oh! What exactly were you told?¡±

    ¡°Exactly what we wanted to hear. ¡®In Brivata no one goes hungry, In Brivata there is no needless killing, In Brivata everyone is equal and everyone is happy¡¯

    However not even an hour since we arrived here and talk of protecting ourselves from dangers has already begun.

    It¡¯s honestly funny, when I think about the difference between the thoughts I had coming in here and what I¡¯m thinking now.¡±

    Zilan didn¡¯t find it difficult to relate to Jeza¡¯s mindset at all. However there exists a big difference between relating to something and understanding the other parties feelings.

    ¡°What are you thinking now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking that this is probably the most fitting version of ¡®paradise¡¯ for my species. After all what¡¯s a little more suffering at the hands of your own people when compared to what we endure from humans? At least maybe here, I¡¯m not a walking treasure.¡±

    For some unexplainable reason, Zilan felt no remorse when he listened to Jeza¡¯s words and it was clear that it wasn¡¯t the work of the Gift of love influencing him.

    ¡°Strange.¡±

    He took notice of this but didn¡¯t know what to make of it. Little did he know that he was actually adapting and unknowingly because of his inhuman constitution, his body was somehow absorbing the Universe energy around him just from breathing in and out, although on a much, much, much smaller scale than when he was absorbing the ginseng.

    This was causing his mental strength to grow slowly but substantially, and given the warnings from Kifo, Zilan¡¯s mind and body were subconsciously putting on guards against everything including both emotional and physical impact. Preparing for anything!

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    Was this fortuitous discovery something amazing to possess or will it prove to be a hindrance as it develops further? Only time will tell.

    ¡°Hmm, from what I see Beasts share more things in common with humans than I was led to believe. Anyway, talking about this is meaningless let¡¯s head inside. There are some things I¡¯d like to try out.¡±

    Jeza was confused as to whether that was an insult or a statement stemming from an insight. Regardless, she made sure to remember it.

    Zilan calmly walked up the stone steps, opened the door to the cottage and walked in. Inside looked very much like what you¡¯d expect an old man¡¯s house to look like. There was old furniture and in some places none at all, the rooms had a distinct medicinal smell, but the thing that stood out the most was a large prayer mat with similar patterns as those on the outside of the building laid out in the sitting room.

    Two stars appeared in his eyes as Zilan examined the prayer mat.

    ¡°Interesting....so this pattern has the ability to draw in and store all of the Universe¡¯s power it can handle.¡±

    ¡°But what if I modified it to direct the energy to me? I can¡¯t be the only one who¡¯s thought of this, can I?¡±

    As Zilan continued to analyze the prayer mat, Jeza saw no purpose for her presence there so she looked for a vacant room she could rest in and went inside.

    Zilan on the other hand didn¡¯t hesitate to sit on the prayer mat.

    ¡°This....¡±

    His meridians enlarged to the point that they could be seen from outside his skin however, Zilan felt no pain or discomfort. In fact, he had never in his life felt so refreshed.

    The power that was going through him, gave him a strange feeling of , ¡°This is right. This is how it¡¯s supposed to be.¡±

    The Universe power that came flowing down from the skies of Brivata differed greatly from the energy he had absorbed from the ginseng.

    After all, the ginseng was the same as Zilan now. It had once absorbed the universe¡¯s energy directly from the sky. Therefore, the energy it contained obviously fell behind that of Brivata in terms of purity.

    This was because Brivata¡¯s Universe¡¯s energy had much fewer impurities than those contained in the ginseng.

    There was also a much simpler reason as to why Zilan was responding so well to Brivata¡¯s energy and that was because of his Inhuman constitution.

    Zilan¡¯s body was designed to be able to contain the purest of Universe energy, therefore absorbing it somewhat directly from the Universe was simply a natural occurrence.

    Unfortunately as Zilan was happily taking in all of the Universe energy he could, the patterns around the cottage suddenly ceased to glow.

    Night had fallen and as per the rules no one was allowed to absorb the Universe¡¯s energy.

    Just as he was feeling down on why he couldn¡¯t absorb more, Zilan turned to his wrist and saw that one mark of tribulation had shed off and the remaining one was noticeably fading.

    ¡°It looks like coming here was an even wiser choice than I thought it would be.¡± laughed Zilan.

    ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s so funny?¡± The door to the cottage opened and in came Kifo with a small smile on his face.

    ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just starting to like this place.¡± Replied Zillan as he stood up.

    ¡°I should hope so, this place is our sacred land.¡± chuckled Kifo.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this person? One moment he appears shocked beyond words and now he¡¯s here laughing with me.¡±

    ¡°Ah! That reminds me, what is the nature of the favour I owe you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple, I only want you to assist in my training.¡±

 Chapter 50 - Training (ii)

    ¡°Training? Of what kind?¡±

    Zilan had come to the realization that his use of the Book of Path and his superior intellect would have its limits in certain situations and when these more or less guaranteed to happen situations occurred, without anything else to rely on his demise would quickly follow.

    Therefore his training could be delayed no longer.

    ¡°First combat training and then eventually we¡¯ll work on something much more interesting.¡±

    Kifo¡¯s mouth formed an ¡®o¡¯ before turning into a wide smile. There were few things in his life that made him genuinely happy however, the feeling he got when he successfully advanced or gained an insight into something was undoubtedly ranked amongst the top. Thus he loved training.

    ¡°No problem. When do you want to start?¡±

    ¡°I have something to deal with first so¡­.¡± Zilan subtly scratched his wrist before continuing. ¡°We¡¯ll start the day after tomorrow.¡±

    Kifo didn¡¯t want to stick his nose in Zilan¡¯s personal business so he didn¡¯t bother asking anymore questions.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to rest then but before I go, my father told me to inform you that preparations are steadily progressing and in two days¡¯ time, he¡¯ll come see you.¡±

    ¡°Must be the Alchemy association preparations.¡±

    ¡°Good! I look forward to it.¡±

    With those words from Zilan, their exchange had come to an end therefore Kifo took his leave and Zilan made his way to one of the empty rooms.

    He had no intention of resting though, in fact he planned to not stop until he was sure that tomorrow would be the day that the first of the five stages of the [Marks of tribulation] would be conquered and as a direct result he would unlock certain abilities as well substantially boost his already good physique.

    (An: 25/5 = 5)

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    The next day.

    Early in the morning, Zilan walked out of the room shirtless. Painted on his upper body were not only the four patterns seen around the cottage but also two other circular paintings, one on his chest and the other on his back.

    The purpose of the paintings was to draw the Universe¡¯s energy directly onto himself and not pass through intermediaries such as the cottage and the mat. However that was not its only use as it also just about doubled the amount of Universe¡¯s energy he could absorb.

    He took a slow deep breath before heading out of the cottage and looking for a spot within the foliage that suited his needs.

    It took a few minutes but he finally found the perfect spot underneath a tree whose trunk was as thick as a large man¡¯s waist and reached a height of three Zilan¡¯s standing on top of one another.

    Zilan sat cross-legged, facing the tree.

    Before he commenced the absorption process, he stretched out his arm and touched the trunk of the tree.

    ¡°You will die today¡­¡± whispered Zilan as he then turned around and looked at his beautiful surroundings. ¡° If everything works, you will all die today. Your life will be sacrificed to help me achieve my goals¡­¡­goals, that if successfully met will reshape this rotten world, making it a better place.¡±

    Zilan simultaneously looked up at the sky and retracted his arm as he laughed,

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m talking to you, honestly I don¡¯t, but I feel much better now that I have.¡±

    Since childhood Zilan had always possessed a strong connection with nature seeing as it was his attribute. However even after being crippled, he still shared a slight connection with Nature which was bolstered by the fact that he could actually see just how alive plants were. How they lived, breathed, grew, reproduced and eventually died.

    That¡¯s why he felt a responsibility to at least say something. Especially since the plants around him were not mere trees and leaves. These were life forms that had bathed in the Universe¡¯s energy for quite some time and had evolved to an extent beyond the normal plant life.

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    With that out of the way, Zilan began laying down layers of inscriptions around himself.

    It didn¡¯t take long before he was finally ready to commence with the absorption process.

    The moment he slit his wrist and let blood drip onto the inscriptions was the instant when his part of the courtyard suddenly lit up with a faint lime green colour.

    Immediately after, the air around the whole courtyard started trembling, and the Universe power in the atmosphere started gathering above Zilan¡¯s head.

    He made a series of hand gestures which then caused the paintings on his upper body to glow with a blue luster.

    This action then triggered the gathered Universe power which was now almost the size of a boulder to quickly rush into Zilan¡¯s pores. This action was not gentle at all, as the energy forcefully pushed its way into him.

    After all, the Universe power was akin to a waterfall whose water needed to pass through a series of straws to get through.

    The initial impact caused Zilan to almost spit out blood but thankfully his strong body was able to bear it at least for now.

    ¡°This won¡¯t last long!¡±

    He then began to make a series of gestures with his right hand while adding onto the inscriptions around him. Once he was done, Zilan slapped his chest where the circular painting was and smeared some of his blood over it.

    The now even larger Universe power above Zilan instantly reacted as it shockingly halted its movements. This didn¡¯t last long though as it began circling him, draining the energy out of all the spirit plants in the vicinity before abruptly surrounding Zilan from all sides and then finally sealing him in a cocoon like structure.

    Inside the cocoon Zilan¡¯s could be seen with his eyes closed. He was directing all of his focus into absorbing the energy.

    An hour passed and the cocoon had decreased in size, another two hours and yet again the structure had shed some weight. Unfortunately it was still a long way before the entire thing was digested.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    About thirty meters away from Zilan¡¯s position were two people whose eyes were wide, in complete disbelief as to what they were witnessing.

    These two people were none other than Jeza and Kifo.

    Initially, Jeza had tried to stop Kifo but she soon found out that it was impossible for her to contain him, therefore she simply tagged along as she too was curious.

    However, never could she have imagined that Zilan would be devouring the Universe power on such a large scale that even she would be able to tell. Of course, she was unable to see it but her senses which were not too sensitive to the Universe¡¯s energy were still screaming out.

    Kifo on the other hand was different, he was born in Brivata and so was quite different from Jeza. He was so sensitive towards the Universe¡¯s energy that right now he could faintly see an outline of a large amount of Universe power surrounding Zilan.

    Granted he was aided by his Divine ability.

    ¡°Who is he?¡± asked Kifo.

    Unable to answer, Jeza opted to remain silent.

    Honestly Kifo didn¡¯t really care too much about the answer as he had already come to his own conclusions.

    ¡°I was right to go see Grandmama yesterday. This¡­¡±

    Time moved on and evening was fast approaching. The duo had made themselves comfortable as they watched over Zilan or more accurately observed him intently.

    ¡°How can there be someone in this world who can absorb and contain so much of the purest energy in the world without combusting? What is he? Are dragons this formidable?¡± wondered Kifo.

 Chapter 51 - Training (iii)

    A large cocoon made of pure energy encased Zilan, in a place where all the surrounding plant life had withered and died. Even the soil appeared infertile and barren however, this only served to increase the beauty of the cocoon.

    Unfortunately, Kifo could not witness all of its beauty as only a blurry outline of the size of the cocoon could be seen by him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, he¡¯s almost absorbed it all!¡±

    The dumbfounded look on Kifo¡¯s face granted Jeza some amusement. At first she too was shocked at what Zilan was doing but she had gotten over it now, perhaps it was due to the fact that she had seen him do unexplainable things before or perhaps it was because she couldn¡¯t completely see what was happening. Either way, she patiently awaited the explanation Zilan would give once he emerged.

    Speaking of Zilan, he was not having a good time at all.

    ¡°This damned thing won¡¯t stop! The process should have ended two hours ago.¡± cursed Zilan.

    Kifo was indeed sensitive to the Universe¡¯s energy however, even he could not see the spirit plants around Zilan and beyond voluntarily giving all the energy they possessed to him. Such a thing was unheard of, the plants were effectively committing suicide.

    For Zilan who already had a mountain of Universe energy to bear, obviously was not pleased when his load kept on getting heavier and heavier for reasons he couldn¡¯t figure out.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±

    If he knew that his little soliloquy was the cause of his current misfortune, what exactly would Zilan do?

    The Universe power continued to weigh on him as it hurriedly entered his body. He then proceeded to store it all in his sea of consciousness.

    Thankfully, the amount of energy was dwindling and he could feel it.

    At last, after the passing of another half an hour, the last of the Universe¡¯s energy was absorbed by Zilan.

    However the cocoon did not vanish, instead it suddenly turned entirely blue.

    ¡°It¡¯s time!¡±

    Zilan then began circulating the obscene amount of Universe power throughout his body, making sure it reached every muscle and fibre of his being.

    When his body could take no more, he then directed the remainder which was about a quarter of the total towards his soul. Effectively strengthening his mind to a degree where he felt something break inside him.

    He didn¡¯t know what exactly had shattered but Zilan could still feel that a major, unexpected change had just occurred.

    Dwelling on it though was not an option, because as the Universe energy in his system continued to strengthen his body, the blurrier the remaining mark of tribulation became and it was only a matter of time before he shed it off.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    Just as the sun set in the west, and darkness began to envelope the world, the final mark of tribulation vanished.

    The cocoon instantly started to rotate at speeds that the naked eye could not follow. Unknown changes started happening inside and outside Zilan¡¯s body.

    ¡°This is¡­.¡±

    The first change to occur was that Zilan¡¯s mind set shifted towards that of a predator. His senses then suddenly became super charged, heightening to a degree that he couldn¡¯t fully comprehend.

    Blue-ish, emerald-ish scales that resembled those of the flow python appearing across his body, was the next significant change that followed however, from the pain of his insides shifting about, this process was far from over.

    Before long, the way Zilan perceived sound had completed changed. He was now picking up on vibrations using his jaw bones and inner ear.

    However because of the noise generated from the spinning of the cocoon which was accelerating, in theory, his evolution. These vibrations were only serving the purpose of distracting and annoying Zilan.

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    His tongue¡¯s sensitivity also reached an all-time high, when he could actually capture scent particles in the air and transform them into olfactory information. Basically, he was now capable of directional smelling with his tongue.

    Zilan¡¯s sight also changed as he suddenly possessed astonishing heat-sensing pit organs that could detect infrared light. Add on the fact that his sense of touch had also risen to a degree beyond that of a normal person¡¯s body and Zilan could now only be regarded as a Monster.

    Not to mention the other new additions to his body he had gained.

    ¡°These two transformations¡­[Predator¡¯s mind] and [Flow python¡¯s body] are amazing.¡± Thought Zilan.

    Unfortunately just as he was about to get up and break out of his cocoon a large force of energy originating from the blue ball of liquid in his head unexpectedly pressed down on him.

    Before he could even react, the scales on his body completely vanished and he was knocked unconscious. However, he did manage to at least hear a distant voice utter the words ¡°Dragon¡¯s¡± before he passed out.

    The blue cocoon after completing its purpose, evaporated leaving a bare chested Zilan lying on barren land.

    Jeza was the first one to react running straight at Zilan, worried that something might have gone wrong with whatever it was he was doing.

    Kifo on the other hand, stood unmoving and speechless. At the final moments just before the cocoon had completely vanished, he was able to catch a glimpse of something that gave him an inkling as to what the cocoon was.

    ¡°It¡¯s similar to the Divine Baptism of humans but¡­.that¡¯s impossible he¡¯s already past the 10th level. What did he create? Why can I not I see through any of it?¡±

    If only he knew, how futile his actions to try and see through Zilan¡¯s insights that were essentially secrets of the Universe, with abilities that were far beneath those required, were. Maybe Kifo might not feel so lost.

    ¡°Hey, it looks like he¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll take him inside for now.¡± yelled Jeza as she lifted Zilan over her shoulders and carried him towards the cottage.

    Waking up from his own world of incomprehensible thoughts, it was only now that Kifo realised that at least a quarter of their sacred land was now barren land and from the looks of it will nothing would ever grow there again.

    This was something he couldn¡¯t keep silent about, it needed to be reported to his father as soon as possible.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    The [Path of Blood] was truly a profound cultivation method as even in a state of unconsciousness, the amount of energy being released by the Blue ball of liquid was increasing by the minute and Zilan¡¯s cultivation was rising almost as fast.

    This continued throughout the night until Zilan finally awoke the next morning.

    Needless to say, the way in which he saw the world was now completely different.

    He was used to opening the scorched gates as that was an ability he¡¯d had since birth however when his very body had suddenly become a ¡®sensor¡¯ for anything and everything in his surroundings Zilan could only close his eyes and forcefully stop himself from using his new abilities.

    Once everything was back to normal, he took a deep breath and began examining himself.

    Two minutes later and a gigantic smile could be seen on his face.

    ¡°Around the 66th level¡­.¡±

    However aside from the two abilities he was aware of, there were two that he could feel existed somewhere but for reasons unknown he couldn¡¯t access them. They were so close he could just barely grab a hold of them with his consciousness but then something would interfere and they¡¯d disappear, reappearing somewhere far away in his mind.

 Chapter 52 - Training (iv)

    Zilan meditated for three hours after he woke up, making sure that his system was stabilised and everything was working in perfect harmony.

    By the time he was done, his cultivation had reached the 70th level. Unfortunately though, he was unable to identify the two abilities he had unlocked.

    He didn¡¯t let it put him down though as the two abilities he did manage to unlock, were so extraordinary that for now, it was enough to keep him satisfied.

    His body for one, had gotten so many additional features that he could no longer be associated with the species of humans.

    It was scary for him to adjust to it, but the more he explored himself, the more ideas of how he would avoid danger in the future popped into his head.

    For example, right now his greatest enemy was searching everywhere for him and the one thing that could expose himself to them was none other than the thing that he relied on to avoid danger. His otherworldly eyes! They have no equal in the Universe in terms of sight however, they are also a great weakness especially since he has no great power to protect them from all the forces in the Universe who seek to take them for their own benefit.

    Therefore he needed to attain trump cards that could substitute for his eyes. Thankfully his body currently, had now become the perfect solution.

    For one, he had amazing sensory and mobility capabilities however, the greatest benefit Zilan had gained was that he now possessed another layer of cover.

    It would be impossible for the ¡®Order¡¯ to locate him, if he transformed into someone else. That is to say, the Zilan they know was a cripple, he now is not, also the Zilan they know has no features of a Beast and yet the Zilan of now is closer to being a reptile than he ever was to being a human.

    With all of these combined, and adding on his current environment where it would be perfectly normal for Zilan to expose his now reptilian self, he was in the perfect position currently to establish himself anew in this foreign haven.

    ¡­¡­¡­.

    Now all that was left on Zilan¡¯s mind was to test his current self, and thankfully he had the perfect partner close by.

    He then pulled out some loose clothes from his void sack, got dressed and headed out in search of Kifo.

    Surprisingly, the person he was going to look for was sited outside the cottage, staring into the distance. His mind completely pre-occupied with something else.

    ¡°Kifo!¡±

    It was only after hearing Zilan¡¯s call, that he finally came back to reality.

    ¡°We did set a meeting to train today, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d arrive this early.¡± smiled Zilan.

    Kifo frowned as he didn¡¯t know how to speak to Zilan after witnessing what he did, the night before. He had gone back to the main family house but unfortunately, he could not find his father and involving the Elders of the family would cause nothing but unnecessary chaos, therefore he made an executive decision to keep quiet about it. However, this decision sparked an internal debate within him.

    ¡°I have questions.¡±

    ¡°Oh! If you help me, then I don¡¯t see why I cannot help you.¡± Laughed Zilan as he moved to an open space.

    Kifo got up and followed, still thinking about what he should do. What Grandmama had told him was irrelevant when faced with Elders who thought of the family¡¯s wealth as their own.

    ¡°How do you want to train?¡±

    ¡°Basic combat. We¡¯re not allowed to use Beast force, we shall instead rely only on our physical attributes.¡± said Zilan as he got into a stance.

    A faint smile could be seen on his face, as memories of him and his father training came flowing back to him. He didn¡¯t enjoy combat much back then, instead opting to focus on archery, which not only came naturally to him thanks to his eyes but also because it hurt considerably less.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to hold back.¡± stated Kifo as he too got into a stance.

    Zilan¡¯s smile quickly faded. He took two deep breathes before focusing on Kifo and activating [Predator¡¯s mind]. Immediately after, a blue light flashed in his eyes and scales that resembled those of a flow python spread throughout his body covering him entirely. The only exception was his neck where his dragon scales could be seen.

    Needless to say, Kifo was shocked by the transformation. He could tell that Zilan¡¯s scales did not belong to a Dragon and yet there he was covered in them. Unfortunately he couldn¡¯t begin questioning Zilan as from his expression he could clearly tell that the other party was dead serious about this training.

    *Bang*

    Zilan was the first to make his move, kicking off the ground and exploding at incredible speed towards Kifo.

    In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Kifo and sent a fist flying towards his stomach. However just as the punch was about to connect, Zilan felt the air to his side vibrate and his predator¡¯s senses, which acted like primal instinct, told him to retreat immediately.

    He couldn¡¯t fight against his instincts so his body unconsciously backed away and surprisingly the Kifo who was standing in front of him disappeared and the unknown danger to the side was actually the real Kifo.

    Despite his quick retreat, Zilan still took a strike to the shoulder. His face curled expecting pain, however he was surprised to find that there wasn¡¯t even a scratch on his scales nor did he feel any discomfort.

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    Kifo on the other hand put some distance between him and Zilan. He then turned to look at his claw which was now numb and was releasing minute waves of stinging pain.

    ¡°What a hard shell.¡± Exclaimed Kifo as he inwardly re-evaluated Zilan.

    ¡°It looks like I underestimated him too much, there was no need to hold back at all.¡±

    His eyes flashed and in the next instant Kifo had disappeared from his spot. Zilan¡¯s eyes darted around in search of him, however he couldn¡¯t spot Kifo until suddenly he felt a movement in the air above him.

    He instantly launched himself forward but it was too late, Kifo was already upon Zilan and he did not waste any time whatsoever in beginning his attack.

    All kinds of pounding was done to Zilan who seemingly could not escape from Kifo, no matter how much he darted away. It was like a relentless, indestructible fly was on his tail, constantly moving around and biting him.

    His exterior protection made it difficult for Kifo to cause any significant damage to Zilan with just his own physical strength so he decided to focus on Zilan¡¯s legs, targeting and hitting them exclusively.

    Needless to say, Zilan was growing frustrated. He knew exactly where Kifo was and yet he couldn¡¯t even touch him due to his blistering feline speed and quickness.

    So Zilan decided to stop and wait for his opportunity, it took a few chipped scales and mild bruises but his chance finally came when Kifo decided it was a good idea to grapple with Zilan.

    Perhaps it was his own pride as a strong person, wanting to test himself against Zilan instead of avoiding direct confrontation. Unfortunately, that was not the right decision.

    Using his overwhelming strength, Zilan grabbed hold of the head of Kifo, who was trying to choke him out, and directly lifted him up and threw him down. He didn¡¯t let go though, as he lifted Kifo up once more and drove him to the ground again.

    He had managed to do some damage to Kifo as was evident from the cuts and bruises on his body. There were even a few patches on his fur.

    Zilan didn¡¯t want to stop though as his instincts pushed him to grab Kifo once again and go for the finishing blow. He had no control of his actions and even if he did he probably would not have protested and this was because the Predators mind had completely transformed Zilan¡¯s mind set making him want nothing more than to finish off his prey.

    Kifo noticed the crazed yet emotionless look in Zilan¡¯s eyes and his instincts told him to get away. However, his pride had been damaged and he wanted to put Zilan in his place, so instead he broke the rules of the training and released his Beast force.

    His speed elevated tenfold to the point where Zilan¡¯s readings of Kifo¡¯s position seemed to be lagging.

    Fuelled by his Predator¡¯s mind set, Zilan released his Blood force which was purer than the Beast force by many times over thus narrowing the gap between the two¡¯s cultivation levels.

    Kifo was the first to attack, this time not fearing direct confrontation, he pounced towards Zilan and kneed him right in the gut.

    He then proceeded to throw an elbow to the back of Zilan¡¯s head, causing him to drop face first.

    Zilan didn¡¯t give up though, boosted by his cultivation, his senses were even clearer. He stretched out his hand and grabbed hold of Kifo¡¯s foot, he then proceeded to fling him far away.

    Zilan then quickly got up and gave chase, his only goal being to pulverise Kifo.

    Speaking of Kifo, he recovered very well using his agility to bounce of trees and safely land on the ground. He then whispered a few words and his fists became covered in black flames.

    ¡°I¡¯m not playing anymore!¡± shouted Kifo as he accelerated towards Zilan and sent a punch flying to his face.

    Luckily, Zilan saw it coming and so managed to grab Kifo¡¯s flaming fist. Too bad the result he had in mind was totally the opposite of what actually happened.

    Almost all the scales on his arm were blown off completely, causing blood to flow from his arm. He was also sent flying in the opposite direction due to the power of the punch.

    This was the first real injury to his body Zilan had gotten since he was able to cultivate however, even that was not enough to stop him.

    An ancient air began circling Zilan as he slowly got up from the cracked ground.

    The scales on his neck were flashing and a strange smile could be seen on his face.

    Noticing something was off, Kifo charged towards Zilan in order to give the final blow. He was too late however, as Zilan spoke a few words in the Ancient tongue of the Dragons,

    ¡°Emperor Dragon¡¯s Order.¡±

    As soon as those words were spoken Kifo¡¯s mind went blank and his body halted all movement, he then fell to his knees unable to move a muscle.

    A white mist was being released from Zilan¡¯s body as he slowly approached Kifo, and there was only one thing on his mind. To kill his prey!

    However unexpectedly, just as Zilan was nearing Kifo, he began spitting out mouthful after mouthful of blood.

    His eyes became bloodshot and all his strength disappeared from his muscles, and the next thing that occurred was Zilan plopping to the ground appearing half dead.

 Chapter 53 - Warning

    Zilan¡¯s eyes darted open, he jumped to his feet and looked around.

    ¡°This is¡­..¡±

    The air before him violently trembled and seconds later, none other than Hihi appeared in front of him. His appearance had slightly changed, as his scales were now even fierier, with hints of flames occasionally flashing.

    ¡°Hihi always knew you were stupid but this, Hihi has never seen a Dragon do something so foolish.¡±

    Despite his childish tone, it was clear to Zilan that Hihi was being serious.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Hihi sighed deeply before looking upwards and spitting out a ball of fire. The tiny flame flew at blistering speed upwards until it suddenly exploded.

    With the explosion, came the entire scenery of the Cloud Inheritance Palace changing.

    Zilan was now standing atop a hill, looking over a vast wasteland that was littered with nothing but gigantic bones and rotting corpses. However, these corpses weren¡¯t something Zilan had ever seen before, these were the actual remains of Dragons who¡¯d battled and paid the ultimate price.

    ¡°It¡¯s about to start, watch carefully.¡± stated Hihi.

    Right on cue, the earth began shaking and chaotic winds blew away the corpses sending them flying miles into the distance. From the sky, lightning fast giants started falling one after the other.

    They resembled goblins but had three sets of wings on their backs.

    ¡°Kraaaa!¡± One of the goblin giants screamed at the Heavens as more of his dead brethren were falling out of the sky.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Zilan.

    ¡°Watch!¡± said Hihi as he motioned him to look towards the ground.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing ther¡­..when did he get there?¡±

    On the ground sited on a strange pink steed was, a man. He had blue hair, broad shoulders, was dressed in black armor and had a scar running down his right eye all the way down to his chin.

    ¡°It appears you creatures don¡¯t know your place.¡± The man did not shout and yet his words caused not only the earth to shake but also caused the space around him to rip and crack.

    Some of the goblin giants that were still alive perished instantly however about a dozen who looked to be the leaders still stood strong.

    The largest of them attempted to say something but was cut off when the man on the pink steed said a few words in the ancient language of the Dragons. His left eye transformed into those of a dragon and a bright blue mist started escaping from his body.

    ¡°Emperor Dragon¡¯s Order!¡±

    What happened next was that all of the Goblin giants simultaneously fell to their knees and were completely immobile.

    ¡°Order : Dissapear!¡±

    A light wind then blew across the desolate valley, and wherever it passed nothing was left. The very earth was vanishing, as a trail of space was left in the winds wake. Naturally the goblin giants were no exception as they too disappeared from existence.

    ¡°Trash.¡± cursed the man as he too disappeared without a trace.

    ¡°Who was that?¡± asked Zilan.

    ¡°That is one of Mistress¡¯s children, his name isn¡¯t important, but what is important is the ability he used. It is the same one that you foolishly used against that kitten.¡±

    The Cloud Inheritance Palace suddenly reset and went back to normal.

    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t know I was using it. I could tell and feel what was happening but I could not stop myself, I don¡¯t even know how I was able to say those words. I just felt them go through me.¡±

    ¡°Hihi knows that you didn¡¯t do it on purpose. If that was possible then that kitten wouldn¡¯t be alive and neither would you.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Hihi doesn¡¯t understand it fully either, but because of your strange mixture of blood and experiments with abilities. Hihi thinks, you might have forced your body to draw out one of your abilities when it was not yet ready to even be aware of their existence.¡±

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    ¡°So what is wrong with me currently?¡±

    ¡°Nothing irreversible, but you¡¯ve still taken a lot of internal damage.¡±

    ¡°That ability inflicted damage to my body?¡± wondered Silver.

    ¡°No, the Emperor¡¯s orders only degrade the spirit and the mind. What injured your flesh was none other than yourself.¡±

    Hihi stared at Zilan¡¯s strangely before answering,

    ¡°Somehow, you broke through one of the mental barriers when cultivating and thanks to that it forcefully stopped you from going any further.¡±

    Zilan widened his eyes when he heard Hihi say that he¡¯d broken through a mental barrier. Those were barriers placed on the soul, affecting how much it could influence a person¡¯s abilities and senses.

    To break through meant to rise above mere mortal reasoning and proceed on the path to ascension. This basically meant that his comprehension ability was now enough for him to gain insights into the world as if he was looking from the outside.

    It may seem insignificant but the mere fact that it could pull Zilan from a state that gave him the power to kill Kifo was enough to show just how powerful his mind now was.

    ¡°That must be the second ability that I couldn¡¯t unlock.¡± smiled Zilan.

    He was amused by the fact that one of his two previously hidden abilities almost killed him and that the other one was what had saved him.

    ¡°As Dragons, our blood and legacy give us the strength to compel lesser beasts to obey however, that is the limit for normal dragons.

    For us Emperor Dragons, our ability to compel isn¡¯t as simple as mind control. It goes even farther than that, we use our soul¡¯s power to cripple others minds, their bodies, and then we use our ¡®will¡¯ as Emperors to do whatever else we wish with space.

    However what you did was not only unexpected but also extremely foolish. For someone who has no ¡®will¡¯ to forcefully try and subdue the mind and soul of someone who has a higher cultivation, is simply courting death. Even if your mind is more powerful, you are not yet at a level where you can control the mind of another.

    Even the simplest of minds are powerful beyond your imagination, remember that.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡± said Zilan.

    ¡°Another thing you also must never forget is that, we are not to cross the line and interfere with the space of lesser realms.

    That is why Mistress did not attempt to come for you. As doing so, would destroy this plane.

    If even she abides by those rules, then you must to do the same.¡±

    This was the first time Zilan had gotten such a serious lecture from Hihi. It was strange yet also a needed wake up call.

    The [Path of Blood] cultivation system did too many things too well as that was how he designed it. He needed great power so he created something that bolstered all aspects of cultivation. The mind, the body and the spirit.

    Unfortunately, he did not take into account how mixing bloodlines and techniques of different creatures would not only affect him, but also affect the other abilities he possessed. This was something he needed to think about.

    ¡°You can leave.¡± said Hihi as he sent Zilan¡¯s consciousness out of the Palace.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    His eyes slowly opened, only to be hit by bone piercing pain moments later. His entire body and mind were throbbing and pounding erratically. Everything seemed so loud and vibrant with even the slightest brush of air against his skin sending explosions of pain throughout his nervous system.

    ¡°He¡¯s awake.¡± An elderly voice reached his ears, however Zilan was in too much pain to pay attention to the words. In fact, he wanted nothing more than for them to just go away.

    ¡°Good! When he¡¯s calmed down, we¡¯ll send him to Hall leader.¡± said another much more youthful voice.

 Chapter 54 - Compensation

    Zilan spent an entire day in agony and during this time strange things were happening to him. For example he started to uncontrollably sweat whenever the pain grew unbearable. However, little did he know that this was actually the automatic defense mechanism of the [Survival of the Rain Dragon] ability.

    The only difference was that instead of sweat, the Rain Dragon King would secrete a liquid that would cover it up completely.

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    In Zilan¡¯s case, his body was covered entirely in sweat and occasionally parts of him would become invisible and in some instances his whole body would completely vanish.

    It did not stop there though.

    As the pain grew Zilan¡¯s body suddenly reacted in a strange way causing his body temperature to increase so much so that his sweat was evaporating.

    Surprisingly, this hot vapor that was now in the air started creating illusionary images of different scenery and environment.

    It truly is astonishing how lucky Zilan is, as even in times of great suffering, he is still able to break through and advance one of his trump cards.

    Unfortunately though, his body couldn¡¯t keep up with the antics of his life saving technique in its weakened state and so he fell unconscious.

    ¡­¡­¡­..

    The next day.

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    Zilan¡¯s eyes slowly opened only to find that he was no longer in the cottage at the sacred ground. In fact, this place bore no resemblance to the tranquil, and refreshing atmosphere of the sacred land at all.

    Before him was a lavishly decorated room, the likes of which Zilan had never seen before. Not even the Governor¡¯s mansion in Morning Dew city could compare.

    There were beautiful carpets, exquisite furniture including the large, comfortable bed he was currently resting on however, the rooms most striking feature was undoubtedly its sheer size, which was at least the size of the entire Dual winged sparrow.

    Still sore all over his body, Zilan struggled to get on his feet but instead of being down he was actually quite excited.

    ¡°In just one days¡¯ time, my injuries are all virtually healed. The recuperative abilities of my body are greater than I expected.¡±

    His only regret was that for him to attain this knowledge, he needed to go through excruciating pain.

    Just as he was about to make his way towards one of the doors he thought to be the exit, a different door in the opposite direction suddenly opened and in came Kifo, with an entourage of much older, dignified looking individuals following closely behind him.

    ¡°Good, he¡¯s awake! Head Elder Mwizi will be pleased.¡± said one of the five Elders walking behind Kifo.Stolen novel; please report.

    Zilan narrowed his eyes as he looked at the smiling expressions on the faces of the old men walking towards him. Just from that he could tell that these people were no good, after all he had seen that kind of grin many times before in the past.

    Therefore he decided to find out exactly what was going on.

    He took two steps forward and then deliberately tripped himself. Startled, Kifo lunged forward and grabbed hold of Zilan.

    A light smile bloomed on Zilan¡¯s face as he sent his consciousness into Kifo who immediately felt like water had just splashed on him and was steadily flowing down his body.

    ¡°A distant Descendant of one of the five Dark Feline Lords, cultivation is currently at a standstill at 91st level, possesses the Divine Abilities [Feline Perception] as well as [Dark Fortress] however subjects bloodline appears to be rejecting the [Dark Fortress]. Possible reasons include, extremely thin bloodline, a blood seal and unworthiness.

    Analysis of brain¡­¡­.¡±

    In that short amount of time between Zilan falling down, Kifo catching him and then helping him up, Zilan was able to get some of the information he needed. Due to mental blocks that he couldn¡¯t get around because of his lack of power and current inability to reveal that he can open the scorched gates, Zilan couldn¡¯t get any more information from probing around Kifo¡¯s mind.

    Which was too bad because the biggest shock Zilan had received was that this fellow actually had not one but two Divine abilities, which in this world was even rarer than the existence of a Beast with an Ancient Emperor bloodline.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Kifo as he supported Zilan to stand up.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Zilan stared into Kifo¡¯s eyes with a curiosity he¡¯d never thought he¡¯d possess towards the affairs of another person of similar age. After all, he was a person who¡¯d seen, comprehended and adjusted one of the Universe¡¯s principles and made an entirely new way of cultivation.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± he already knew the answer to that question as he had already delved into parts of Kifo¡¯s mind however, staying quiet and just following along didn¡¯t seem right.

    ¡°The Head Elder would like to see you.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Was I not supposed to meet with your father, the Clan leader?¡± coughed Zilan as he straightened himself out and removed his arm from Kifo¡¯s clutches.

    ¡°Father isn¡¯t around, thus the matter of what should be done about the incidents that have taken place over the last few days will be addressed by the Head Elder Mwizi as well as the other esteemed Elders.¡±

    ¡°Can I not rest?¡± smiled Zilan.

    The faces of the Elders in the room immediately turned sour.

    ¡°Ah! It won¡¯t take long, young Master will be back in bed very soon.¡± said one of the Elders as he forced a smile.

    Zilan very nearly burst out laughing after hearing that but he somehow managed to hold it in.

    ¡°These people look at me and think of all the treasure they can exploit out of the ¡®son of a Dragon¡¯. They can¡¯t even hide their own emotions.¡± sneered Zilan.

    ¡°If it won¡¯t take long then I suppose I can go along.¡± He looked towards Kifo and noticed the threatening glare he was giving the Elders who were all smiles. Unfortunately, none of the old men bothered giving any attention to Kifo, who they only brought along because this was the fastest way to get Zilan to the negotiation table.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In order to annoy them even more, Zilan reduced his walking speed to a snail¡¯s pace as he followed behind the group. The amusing thing was the fact that the fake smiles of understanding on the Elder¡¯s faces never faded.

    Half an hour later, on a trip that required less than ten on normal occasions, the group finally arrived at their destination.

    One of the Elders moved forward and pressed against the large pitch black door before mumbling a few words.

    A few seconds after he had moved away from the door, it suddenly vanished and a large hall came into site.

    It resembled a theatre with the hundreds of empty seats, raised platform where three thrones could be seen, and otherworldly lighting that came from an unknown source.

    One by one the Elders went inside and naturally Zilan was the last one to enter however, something peculiar happened the instant he walked in.

    His mind abruptly went completely blank, to the point that he could not see, hear, smell or feel anything, there was only infinite blackness. His body began swaying and just as he was about to fall over an explosion occurred in his mind.

    It blasted away the darkness in his mind and cleared away all of his unnecessary thoughts.

    The only problem was Zilan was no longer inside his body, he had somehow become a transparent entity with no physical body.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

 Chapter 55 - Compensation (ii)

    Zilan didn¡¯t know what to make of his current situation. He could see himself walking around, speaking perfectly well with the group of Elders who proceeded to escort him towards a room to the side.

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    The only problem was, he didn¡¯t understand why he was not him and instead was now a separate entity outside of his own body.

    Therefore without at least understanding the situation, Zilan decided it was best not to follow his body.

    He instead began wandering around the large theatre like hall, trying to get a handle on what he was.

    Thankfully, he had read on the strange abilities that Masters would develop after breaking through a mental barrier and from what he was experiencing now it appeared he had developed a super charged version of the [Splitting of the Mind] which was an ability allowing a cultivator to do two things perfectly well without any burden on the mind.

    An example would be powerful Master swordsmen who Dual-wielded.

    However as he thought more on the abilities gained from breaking through mental barriers, another idea came to mind. He knew little of this ability but he was aware that it allowed a practitioner to temporarily let their consciousness wander out of their body.

    As he thought more on this though, he quickly came to the conclusion that what he was experiencing now was not that, nor could it even be a combination of the [Splitting of the mind] and the ability to let his consciousness wander.

    At least that was what his gut told him. It was then that another thought, like lightning suddenly struck his brain.

    He couldn¡¯t confirm it but he had a feeling that he had somehow unlocked the third and final level of Zaum¡¯s Gift of love.

    For his theory to have any weight though, Zilan felt that there must be more to this ability if it truly was a gift from Zaum, and that it must also have something to do with analysis.

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    He looked around himself but couldn¡¯t feel or see anything different. He even tried touching and striking various things, only to directly faze through them.

    ¡°What am I missing?¡±

    As he grew frustrated, Zilan raised his head up high to shout out his frustrations however, what he did instead was drop his jaw in astonishment and cluelessness.

    ¡°What are those?¡±

    Directly above Zilan, were dozens of thin strings of grey energy all rising up to unknown heights. With his eyes, he followed the strings all the way down to their origin.

    ¡°That room. The Elders?¡±

    Without hesitation, he bolted towards the room, easily fazing through the door.Stolen story; please report.

    In the room, Zilan could see all the Elders sitting on chairs directly below a platform where his body and an almost eight foot person wearing layers of robes and a veil, could be seen conversing.

    Attached to the heads of all the Elders, were those thin strings of energy.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this type of energy before.¡± Thought Zilan as he slowly approached one of the Elders with the intention of grabbing his string.

    Just as he was about to clutch the string though, an unknown invisible barrier stopped him from getting closer.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    Completely stumped as to what was going on, Zilan decided to take a deep breath and think everything he was seeing through.

    He observed everyone in the room closely for five whole minutes before deleting all the information he deemed useless and focusing just on two factors that stood out.

    These two factors included, the fact that Zilan¡¯s string despite being thin was completely red in color, at first he thought it was because he had broken through a mental barrier but after examining it even closer, he found that the flow of energy of his string could only be described as chaotic when compared to the organized flow of the Elder¡¯s strings.

    Unable to find an answer as to why he was different, Zilan opted to put it at the back of his mind and instead direct his attention towards the other factor which was far simpler to understand.

    The sizes of the strings varied, that is to say, Zilan had noticed that Kifo¡¯s string was slightly wider than his and the Elder¡¯s strings were even wider than that, followed by the huge string of the veiled Elder, he presumed to be Mwizi.

    Thus he came to the conclusion that, ¡°Maybe I can¡¯t touch the string because all of these people have a greater cultivation base than myself which means my best option would be¡­.¡±

    Zilan singled out Kifo¡¯s string and decided to go ahead and try and grab it. He didn¡¯t dare try this on his own red string because an internal warning told him not to.

    Once again, just as he was about to clutch the string, a barrier appeared however, this time he felt that he could power through it and that¡¯s exactly what he did.

    *Pap*

    The instant Zilan came into contact with the string, his consciousness travelled or more accurately was dragged around for what seemed like an eternity, sometimes he¡¯d stop and open his eyes only to see infinite darkness and then millions of tiny lights of varying colours appeared.

    Just as he was about to grasp something, he¡¯d be dragged yet again to another place.

    This continued until he suddenly found himself in a forest staring at the trunk of a gigantic tree, that went on for miles.

    Unfortunately, just as he was about to raise his head to get a good look at the tree Zilan was blasted back to the room he was originally in.

    His hand was no longer touching Kifo¡¯s string and time seemed to have not moved since he had left only resuming once he was back.

    ¡°Life and consciousness! The Universe!¡±

    What Zilan had managed to obtain from his seemingly long journey were three principles he honestly could not comprehend but what he did understand was that his ability was beyond scary.

    ¡°These are the strings of life and fate. The connections to the Universe! Just what are we? The scorched? What exactly are we? To be able to see so much.¡±

    Just as Zilan was contemplating this, he suddenly felt a movement in the air above him. He turned to look, only to see two pairs of feline eyes watching his physical body.

    ¡°That is Feline Perception at its peak. So he¡¯s watching me!¡±

    Zilan then began to follow the massive string that looked more like a tiny stream towards its origin. Unfortunately, just as he stepped foot out of the theatre like hall, his non-physical self was sucked back into his body.

    Before he could process anything though, a prompt from the Book of Path appeared.

    [Descendant Zilan has not mastered the Gift of Love. Only a fraction of the third level¡¯s power has been explored, due to the Divine mental formation laid out in this structure.]

    ¡°A fraction?¡± whispered Zilan. ¡°That can¡¯t be!¡±

    ¡°Is something wrong Young Master Zilan?¡± asked Head Elder Mwizi in a deep voice.

    It was only now that Zilan realized that he was back in his body and that his words were audible.

    [The Gift of Love¡¯s third levels abilities are limitless as is Master¡¯s Zaum¡¯s love]

    That was the final statement from the Book of Path.

 Chapter 56 - Compensation (iii)

    The Book of Path¡¯s message made Zilan wonder.

    ¡°What kind of formation can do¡­.wait....what if!?¡±

    As he thought about the formation placed around the theatre, Zilan couldn¡¯t help but feel that he was approaching things wrong.

    The [Gift of Love] was basically a Divine ability, it would be impossible for any earthly device or interference to force it to be awakened or mastered.

    What did that mean then?

    ¡°I¡¯ve already met the requirements, my body and my mind are ready, which can only mean this ¡®formation¡¯ is substituting for something that is essential for me to access the third level.

    Something that I am not yet aware of, and is far more powerful than the formation, if it allows me to use more than a fraction of the third levels power.¡±

    ¡°Young Master Zilan?¡± asked Mwizi, interrupting Zilan¡¯s thought process.

    ¡°Ah! Yes¡­.we were¡­¡± Before Zilan could finish that sentence, memories of him conversing with Mwizi suddenly came back to him.

    Less than hour earlier,

    Zilan had just entered the room when he noticed the large Head Elder waiting for him at the head of the room.

    ¡°Young Master, please come in. I understand that you¡¯re not in the best of shape so I prepared some medicinal tea, a personal concoction that I stumbled upon in my youth and have spent years developing.¡±

    His deep voice reverberated throughout the room, and despite his kind words, his tone made him appear overbearing and even slightly threatening.

    Zilan though, honestly could not care less. He was just here to see just how a top clan in the Bronze sector handled its matters.

    ¡°You practice Alchemy?¡± asked Zilan half-heartedly as he moved away from the group of Elders and walked towards Mwizi.

    The Elders seemed to have a problem with this however, before any of them could voice out their grievances, Mwizi waved his cloth covered hand, stopping them.

    ¡°No,no....I only dabble in the healing arts, nothing so advanced as to be considered Alchemy.¡± Laughed Mwizi. ¡°If Young Master would be so kind as to honor me with some pointers on how to improve the concoction then I would be most pleased.¡±

    Zilan slightly raised his eyebrows as he examined the covered face of Mwizi.

    ¡°Was I misinformed? Isn¡¯t young Master an aspiring Alchemist? Is that not why you are here? If I¡¯m wrong then¡­.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Zilan¡¯s cool demeanor evaporated upon hearing that even Mwizi knew of his goal to get to the Alchemy association.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Have I in some way offended you young Master Zilan?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why?.....¡± whispered Zilan as he looked at Mwizi from head to toe.

    ¡°Why what?¡± asked Mwizi.

    ¡°Why¡­you are talking to me as if we are equals. Your words may imply different but your tone¡­.says something else entirely.¡± The scales on Zilan¡¯s neck dimly glowed, sending a shockwave of alarm throughout the room.

    The instincts of all the Beasts present despite being stronger than Zilan could not deny the fear they felt from a being of superior bloodline warning them.

    It was something they couldn¡¯t fight because their fear and cause of alarm stemmed from something they couldn¡¯t control, their dna.

    Surprisingly though, Mwizi appeared to be fairing quite well. In fact he seemed rather calm.

    ¡°Apologies for my wrongdoings, this old one will remember the words from young Master today.¡± said Mwizi as he took two steps back from Zilan, a show of respect.

    The rest of the Elders followed suit, satisfying Zilan to a degree however, it was time for this farce to end.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you will remember, now enlighten me on why I¡¯ve been summoned here?¡±

    Mwizi pointed towards Kifo before saying,

    ¡°Our own young Master, was tasked with the honor of being your guide and caretaker however after only a few days into your stay with us, it appears he not only failed to guide you properly but he even aided you to a degree.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And that is why we will not adhere to the clan rules this time, instead because of our own indiscretion both parties will have to compensate the clan. Clan leader has already dealt with Kifo¡¯s matter which leaves only young Master to settle his debt.¡± Said Mwizi, all the while making large gestures with his hands.

    ¡°I see, and if you don¡¯t mind me asking what exactly did I do?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­other things we can ignore and forgive given young Master Zilan¡¯s status however, the complete destruction of part of our people¡¯s sacred land is something that we cannot overlook! This matter affects the development of our clan¡¯s talent, thousands of outstanding talents have flourished only because of the sacred land and now that a part of it is destroyed, the number of future standouts in the clan will reduce.¡±

    ¡°To my knowledge, isn¡¯t the sacred land open to only the Elders?¡± This question was based on the information Zilan had gotten from Kifo¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Excuse me, but that statement is wrong! The sacred land is also open to the outstanding youths of the clan.¡± clarified Mwizi, and it was clear he was starting to get annoyed.

    ¡°Ah! I don¡¯t understand, how thousands of outstanding talents could have flourished because of the sacred land. Truly Laughable! What is it that makes them outstanding if there are thousands of them? Do they drink water and suddenly become outstanding? Please share your secret with me!¡± laughed Zilan.

    However before any of the Elders could react, he posed a question to Mwizi that silenced the room and effectively tamed their rage, replacing it with cluelessness.

    ¡°You are either lying to me or exaggerating the situation, but why would a reputable Elder such as yourself do something like that?¡±

    Zilan was about to pose a follow up question when his mind suddenly went blank and he felt a force come inside him.

    Currently,

    ¡°You were in the middle of accusing me of something.¡± Replied Mwizi clearly holding his voice back.

    ¡°I see¡­well it looks like I owe you an apology.¡±

    Needless to say, this change in Zilan¡¯s tone made not only Mwizi and the Elders drop their mouths in shock but Kifo too was stunned by this.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­.?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll save you the time by stating that I¡¯m willing to compensate you exceptionally well for any misgivings you want to think up however, I have an additional condition.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean exactly?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know, all further negotiations will be done between I and the fellow watching this show from afar. If you or anyone else objects to this arrangement then I¡¯ll have no choice but to be rude.¡±

    <hr>

 Chapter 57 - Compensation (iv)

    Mwizi as well as the other Elders instantly understood Zilan¡¯s meaning and they knew exactly to whom he was referring to however, they could not help but feel unsatisfied by the arrangement.

    They had gone through all this trouble precisely because they wanted to keep the Clan leader out of the situation. Bringing him in now, would mean they would be losing control of the negotiation and along with it, any opportunity to take something for themselves would also be lost.

    ¡°The sacred land is a place managed, protected and used by the Elders. Any matter related to it has always been dealt with by us. Why should this instance be any different?¡± asked Mwizi breaking the uncomfortably silent atmosphere.

    ¡°Once again, I don¡¯t understand why you are using that tone when speaking to me! I¡¯ve already told you what I want, whether or not you listen and your clan is compensated for its loss is up to you. Either way, it doesn¡¯t really affect me.¡± spoke Zilan.

    ¡°Young Master Zil¡­.¡±

    Zilan quickly stopped Mwizi from uttering anything else by saying,

    ¡°You have five minutes to decide.¡± Strangely though, he was not looking at Mwizi but instead at the ceiling behind him.

    The Elders looked at each other and seeing as they had virtually no say in the matter decided to try and persuade Kifo.

    Unfortunately for them, Kifo burned that bridge as soon as he noticed what they were planning.

    ¡°You all are despicable.¡± He said.

    Time continued to move and it looked like no agreement was going to be reached. Mwizi had tried contacting the Clan leader but nothing came from it.

    However, the most disappointed of everyone present was undoubtedly Zilan. He needed answers about the formation and he knew that the best way to get them was to ask the person in charge.

    Not to mention he was just about tired of staying in this place and wanted nothing more than to head to the Alchemy association as soon as possible.

    The time limit was almost over when suddenly the door to the room opened and a female maid walked in.

    ¡°Master requests the presence of his son and his Honored guest.¡±

    As soon as she delivered that message, the young, petite maid quickly took her leave.

    The Elders sighed in relief that the clan would be getting some repayment for the damage of the sacred land but they still had a bitter taste in their mouth when they thought about what they could have received if this matter was handled by them.

    Kifo nodded towards Zilan before separating from the Elders and heading for the door. Zilan also started to make his out when suddenly Mwizi grabbed him by the shoulder.

    ¡°I will remember this, I hope you do too.¡± He whispered, before retracting his hand.

    Zilan only smiled, not giving much thought to what he determined to be an empty threat.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have had to see that. I¡¯m sorry.¡± said Kifo as he clinched his fist.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve seen worse.¡± Replied Zilan as he followed closely behind.

    ¡°The things here aren¡¯t quite what they seem. Head Elder Mwizi¡¯s family and my own have been fighting for power for generations.

    Recently, ever since my father fell ill Mwizi has been gathering large support and now his power within the clan is probably just shy of that of the Clan leader.¡±

    Listening to him go on, Zilan couldn¡¯t help but take notice of one glaring factor.

    ¡°To use Feline perception to that level and have that large of a string of life¡­..it is impossible for that man to be ill.¡± Thought Zilan.

    However, he didn¡¯t want to address this matter nor did he want to get involved any more than he already was thus he was left with no choice but to stop Kifo from elaborating any further.

    ¡°It would be best if you kept your clan¡¯s issues to yourself. Telling me will serve no purpose.¡±

    Hearing this, not only did Kifo not get upset but he actually felt embarrassed.

    This then led to the foreseeable outcome of the remainder of their walk spent in silence.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    Kifo slowly opened the door to a surprisingly normal looking room that had absolutely nothing in it aside from a single cushion in the centre of the room.

    As he was about to enter, he was suddenly stopped by Kifo who was following the instructions given by a voice coming from an unknown location.

    ¡°My son only.¡± was heard in a weak, croaky voice.

    ¡°Wait here, Father will see you when he is finished with me.¡± were Kifo¡¯s final words before walking into the room and closing the door behind him.

    Zilan was left with no words to utter as he didn¡¯t really know how to take this. On one hand he wanted to know something and thus needed to be somewhat polite. However, there was also the fact that he was currently playing the part of the arrogant son of a Dragon and in order to keep his image up or stay true to character he would have no choice but to take offence.

    In the end, when he thought about the value of the information he was going to receive he decided his act could be temporarily paused, at least until he had what he wanted.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    An hour later and Zilan was still waiting outside the room. Nevertheless he didn¡¯t complain about it, instead opting to patiently wait.

    Fifteen minutes later and his wait finally came to an end. Kifo walked out of the room with his head down before quickly passing Zilan by.

    He had no time to question Kifo though as a now different more vibrant voice called for him to enter the room.

    Zilan didn¡¯t dawdle, strolling right into the room. What he didn¡¯t expect though was for his surroundings to abruptly change and turn into a crimson chamber filled with various ornaments and Ancient artifacts. It did not shock him though, as he had literally experienced leaving his body less than two hours ago.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy we¡¯ve finally met. I was briefed on you, but I must confess I didn¡¯t expect you to stir up this much trouble.¡± The voice addressing Zilan was coming from an old leopard who¡¯s scars and wizened appearance painted Zilan a picture on who Kifo¡¯s father was.

    Zilan smiled as he admired the beautifully illuminated chamber,

    ¡°Your voice is different, and I imagine you¡¯re hiding your actual healthy and strong appearance for reasons that I don¡¯t really care that much about.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? What is you care about then?¡±

    ¡°The formations laid out in that theatre and I suspect in this chamber as well. I also very much care about my trip to the Alchemy association which you were tasked with handling.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a few things you have on your mind. For someone so young to think so much, I don¡¯t know whether to be impressed or pity you. In any case, I will do my utmost to assist you.¡±

    ¡°Good, let¡¯s get started.¡±

    ¡°Just a moment, I should mention that I too have a set of conditions that must be met if we are to come to any kind of agreement.¡±

    ¡°What are these conditions?¡±

    ¡°No need to worry, they are things that are easily accomplishable by someone like you. Have a seat and we can begin.¡± A wide smile graced the face of the clan leader as he spoke.

    It was truly a strange sight to behold especially since Zilan had a feeling that his appearance as well as this crimson chamber was nothing but an illusion. A mind formation similar but lacking in the kind of power that the one in the theatre holds was most likely responsible.

 Chapter 58 - Compensation (v)

    A chair suddenly appeared before Zilan, he had no idea where it came from but seeing as he had other more important matters to attend to, he chose to sit on it and keep his curiosity to himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±

    ¡°Good, now we can finally talk! I have three conditions, two of which are easily explainable however, the last one is extremely complicated and also non-negotiable.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you what I want so I¡¯d appreciate it if you hurried up and did the same. If I¡¯m able to meet your conditions, then consider them done.¡± said Zilan in a slightly annoyed tone.

    ¡°Ha! You young people, always trying to rush things. It would be best if you got rid of that trait.¡±

    Zilan didn¡¯t bother giving a response but not because he didn¡¯t want to. The real reason was because he believed that by refuting the clan leader¡¯s words he would only be sparking another off topic conversation or debate.

    ¡°The first thing I¡¯d like you to do, is deliver a certain item to the Alchemy association. You need not concern yourself with what the item is or who it belongs to, all I require you to do is carry it with you, the owner will come to you. What say you? It¡¯s a rather simple task is it not?¡±

    ¡°Done, but I don¡¯t even know when I¡¯ll be leaving here.¡± Replied Zilan.

    ¡°After tomorrow, you will be on your way. As to the exact details of the journey, we will discuss them after I¡¯m finished listing my conditions.¡±

    ¡°Fine, go on.¡±

    ¡°The second thing I¡¯d like you to do is double whatever payment you intended to give my clan for the damages that you caused.¡±

    ¡°Also Done¡­but why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean. You created a mess and morally, you are obligated to clean up that mess, which in reality does not amount to much of a punishment. That is why double should be sufficient, the clan is compensated and I get to teach a youngster a small life lesson. Everyone benefits.¡±

    After saying that, the smile on the clan leaders face slowly faded, replacing it was a cold resolute expression that sucked the harmonious air in the chamber away.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Obviously noticing the change Zilan could not help but ask.

    ¡°The final condition¡­what I¡¯m about to tell you cannot be spoken outside of this place nor can Kifo ever find out. Do you understand?¡±

    "I do.¡±

    ¡°Good. I want you to take Kifo with you, he cannot stay here anymore.¡± said the clan leader.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Such a simple question yet its answer is the complete opposite.¡± The clan leader scratched the fur beneath his chin before sighing deeply.

    ¡°Kifo is not my son. In fact I do not have the slightest clue from whence he came.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Zilan knew about Kifo¡¯s uniqueness however, he did not think that there was such a story behind him. ¡°How can that be? He looks like you and his ability¡­..How?¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­.I too asked myself that question every single day until the time came when I finally grew to love the child as my own.¡±

    ¡°You must know something about him.¡± stated Zilan.

    ¡°The only thing I know about Kifo, after all of this time, is that his name means ¡®Bringer of Death¡¯.¡±

    ¡°In which language?¡± asked Zilan.

    ¡°The forgotten language of our Ancestors.¡± The clan leader had a glow in his eye as he spoke of his Ancestors.

    ¡°Is that all you know?¡±

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    ¡°On Kifo, yes! As for the people who put him in my care, I know far more than I¡¯d like to. One of them who came here a long time ago is responsible for that formation in the theatre.

    He said it was a gift but I¡¯ve grown to know better.¡±

    ¡°Why did they choose you?¡±

    ¡°I do not know. All I could get from them is that this clan of mine shares a bond with them somehow.¡±

    ¡°Them?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes! There was more than one of them who came to deliver Kifo. When the man left, a woman stayed behind to watch over Kifo.

    He playfully refers to her as ¡®Grandmama¡¯, a name that doesn¡¯t showcase just how horrifyingly scary she is. In fact, she is the one ¡®requesting¡¯ that you take Kifo along with you.¡±

    ¡°If I choose to decline this request, what would happen?¡± Zilan took in a breath before slanting on his chair. To take in someone who had such a mysterious and most likely dangerous background would be nothing short of asking for trouble in the future. Even his own name promised misfortune.

    ¡°She asked me to pass on a message in case you said something like that. I personally do not understand its meaning however, she did say that if you too fail to understand, then she will have no choice but to pay you a visit.

    As someone who has lived much longer than you, I can honestly tell you that whatever comes after will be the farthest thing from pleasant you have ever experienced.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the message?¡± inquired Zilan, who was not in the best of moods.

    ¡° ¡®You have beautiful eyes¡¯ is what she said. I don¡¯t see how that is in anyway relevant but that woman often speaks in tongues and very rarely do I decipher anything.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that is what she said?¡± Zilan¡¯s hands started shaking and cold sweat began dripping down his back. His mind raced, cursing himself for being too careless and at the same time thinking of ways to get out of the situation.

    ¡°Indeed. That is what she wanted me to pass along in the case that you declined.¡±

    ¡°And what if I accept?¡±

    ¡°In that case you will get all the details on the formations you¡¯re interested in as well as a note and a few small gifts.¡±

    ¡°A note¡­from her?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. It will be yours as soon as you agree to the terms I¡¯ve listed.¡±

    ¡°Fine. I accept!¡± said Zilan, in hopes of getting a clue as to what this ¡®Grandmama¡¯s motives were.

    ¡°Good. When I receive my compensation, I will see to it that you get your end of the deal.¡±

    Zilan was speechless, he¡¯d almost forgotten about the compensation. Before, he would need half a day to produce something worthwhile for the clan leader however, now that he had asked for double, Zilan would need an entire day to get the items finished.

    Normally, a day would be reasonable and didn¡¯t matter much but in this case, where an outside party had his life on the palm of her hand, he urgently needed to know exactly what she was planning and whether or not he was in a life-threatening situation.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to take time to prepare, but you have my word I will get it to you. So please, all I need is the note_....¡±

    ¡°I apologise but that will not happen. A deal is a deal and you yourself stated, if I remember correctly, that as long as you are able to meet my conditions then I should consider them done.

    Thus there will be no further negotiations, leave me.¡±

    With those words, a powerful gust of wind carried Zilan out of the room and closed the door behind him.

 Chapter 59 - Compensation (conclusion)

    Annoyed, flustered, panicked, calm, depressed, clueless, are just some of the many emotions that Zilan experienced during his walk back to the room he woke up in.

    ¡°Yet another mess.¡± chuckled Zilan, who¡¯s mind was getting rather tired of fate dealing him unlucky situation after unlucky situation.

    Once he arrived in the room, the first thing he did was slap himself twice before mumbling, ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time and it won¡¯t be the last. You must overcome it all Zilan.¡±

    He better than anyone knew that giving himself the ability to cultivate as well as continuing to traverse his ¡®path¡¯ was the same as directly defying fate, and all of this bad ¡®luck¡¯ was it fighting back, attempting to correct itself.

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡°What do I make now?¡±

    The main thing Zilan was focusing on was what he would give as compensation. He already had ideas on what he was going to give but that was before the clan leader asked for double.

    Now, with so little time left, it would be impossible to make two of the weapon he had in mind. Which meant his only realistic option was to create one thing that was double the value of the weapon he was going to build.

    ¡°To act as proper compensation it¡¯ll need to be something that will last long, is usable by many, can benefit the entire clan and is not only rare but also extremely valuable.¡±

    Two things came to mind after thinking about the requirements. The first was a formation from the book of path which could assist a person in cultivation however, its side effects if not used perfectly could be devastating, not to mention how taxing it was on both the minds and the bodies of normal people who are unable to see their condition and constantly adjust themselves mid-procedure.

    Clearly that idea was not going to work which left the second thing.

    ¡°A technique manual.¡±

    The problem with this idea was that Zilan could not just pick one from the Book of Path and hand it over to the clan leader.

    Those manuals were not only too advanced but they also could mess with the current balance of power in not only this Bronze sector but in other sectors as well if they landed in the hands of someone who had enough intellect to draw out even 10% of their power. After all, when in possession of good things news will inevitably travel and the strong will be devoured by the even stronger.

    Why doesn¡¯t Zilan use these manuals for himself then? The answer is simple and also the same as for why he chose the weak flow python¡¯s core. If one wants to truly stand above the rest, he cannot rely on shortcuts to gain temporary strength, he must build an unbreakable foundation first and even if it is to take a lifetime it would be worth it.

    Therefore, if Zilan is to give the clan leader a technique manual he¡¯ll have to create one from his own insights and of course with some guidance from the Book of Path.

    The process of creating the manual will definitely not be an easy one however, at least he had a starting point already in mind.

    ¡°Consciousness!¡± smiled Zilan.

    He had just had an outer body experience and with that feeling and image fresh in his mind, the theory of consciousness was one he was dying to explore more of.

    Luckily he had the Book of Path to help fill in some of the blanks.

    Two stars suddenly appeared in his eyes and Zilan went to work on studying consciousness.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    Six hours later.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.The more Zilan read and familiarized himself with how consciousness actually worked, the more he understood, on how he could harness it.

    One of the things he had noticed for example was how primitive, less intelligent animals behaved. More specifically when it came to dangerous situations, they were much fiercer and could endure much more compared to humans.

    Zilan believed that this was because in those situations they were not burdened with something all highly intelligent life forms possessed, ¡®consciousness¡¯.

    Which basically meant that in animals nothing intervened between stimulus and response, idea and action, and mind and body.

    A practical example of this is the breathing patterns of primitive animals. When faced with danger, they composed themselves with a deep breath, then lashed out as they exhaled sharply.

    These realisations led Zilan to conclude that a force existed which could be used to manipulate consciousness in man.

    Picking up on this, a prompt from the Book of Path appeared highlighting one word, ¡®Qi¡¯.

    Zilan immediately began reading on it and what he found upon finishing could be said to be neither good nor bad.

    It turned out Qi was indeed a force that could be cultivated and one of its uses did include the manipulation of consciousness. However, it had one huge flaw and that was its link to spiritual power, an energy that Zilan will forever be unable to associate with.

    There wasn¡¯t all bad news though, in fact the very fact that Qi existed meant Zilan could once again produce the impossible and create a force like Qi but instead of being connected to the Heavens it will directly connect to the Universe.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call it Prana.¡± Laughed Zilan.

    In truth creating the new force would not be difficult. In fact, it was rather simple, at least for Zilan it was.

    All that needed to be done was adjust the breathing techniques to beat to the tune of the Universe instead of Heaven and for a man of the scorched like Zilan, it was easier done than said.

    ¡­¡­¡­.

    With all the information in his mind and a plan for the experiment already mapped out, it was time for Zilan to begin work on the technique manual.

    Naturally, he was not going to give away the key to ¡®Prana¡¯ or even hint of its existence to the clan leader. What he plans to create is not something that will enlighten them in the ways of manipulating consciousness.

    It will be something far cruder, which lasts for a significantly shorter period of time.

    ¡°A striking technique that increases the fists power ten times over, for fifteen minutes.¡±

    Zilan meanwhile will remain with the secret of Prana, allowing him to enter a state where his entire body¡¯s functions will simultaneously increase tenfold for as long as he can handle it.

    The principle behind it was the same as that of a panicked mother who just witnessed a small tree fall on her child¡¯s legs. In normal circumstances it would be impossible to move the tree because of the conscious thought to do it however, because it is her child in danger, she will be able to move the tree thus bypassing the conscious effort to do so.

    That is to say her consciousness will no longer limit her because she is acting eighty five percent subconsciously and only fifteen percent consciously. Which just happens to be the perfect equilibrium to cultivate and manipulate, Prana.

    Zilan took a minute to calm himself before picking up his quill and beginning to jot down the breathing techniques necessary to use the technique ¡°Conscious fist!¡±

 Chapter 60 - Treasures and Mysteries

    A few hours later.

    Zilan was done putting together the proper breathing patterns necessary to throw a fist influenced by Prana, thus making it stronger.

    He made sure to put in only the essential information, leaving out all the crucial details about the theories behind the technique. To be honest even if Zilan was not this careful, it would still be an extremely difficult task for anyone who did not have access to a vast store of information to be able to understand consciousness let alone Prana.

    Nevertheless, that was not a risk he was willing to take.

    Satisfied with his very first original technique, Zilan was ready to present it to the clan leader and for obvious reasons he was in a rush to do so.

    Thus, not bothering to clean up, Zilan sped off towards the clan leader¡¯s mysterious room.

    It did not take long for him to reach there seeing as he was running at full speed. Strangely though, he found the door open but before he could react, a powerful suction force pulled him inside and just like his previous visit to the room, its appearance was completely different on the inside than when he was looking in from the outside.

    More specifically, he was currently standing in a tent like structure whose air was very hot and humid.

    ¡°That was faster than I¡¯d expected.¡± Laughed the clan leader. ¡°I was looking forward to extending your stay with us for a little while longer.¡±

    The old leopard suddenly appeared before Zilan, showing him to a seat.

    ¡°Why would you want that?¡± asked Zilan.

    ¡°Why? Forgive me, but that question is a foolish one. What would you do when the silence of the people who¡¯ve watched and controlled your life for years was suddenly broken by the appearance of a mysterious youth of even stranger descent? Wouldn¡¯t you try to gain some answers from him?

    Haha¡­.many things have now been set in motion because of you, things that make the past century feel like time had just stopped, awaiting your arrival so that it could move once again.¡± stated the clan leader.

    ¡°What things have been set in motion?¡±

    ¡°I do not know. From what I can perceive, your fate is yet to be decided which means the people who you interact with, their fate also changes.

    Don¡¯t bother asking how I know this because you too will be able to see it, once our deal is sealed.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Zilan then quickly took out the scroll he¡¯d prepared and handed it to the clan leader who did not waste time examining it.

    ¡°Do you mind if I ask how you came upon such a wondrous technique?¡± asked the old leopard after only a few minutes of going through the text.

    ¡°I do mind.¡± Immediately giving his reply, Zilan made it clear he was not going to discuss ¡®Conscious fist¡¯.

    ¡°Ha! There it is again, the hastiness of youth but no matter, I accept the compensation. You can have what was promised to you.¡±

    As soon as he said those words, a voidless sack appeared on Zilan¡¯s lap.

    ¡°Included in there, is the item I requested you carry with you along with a note of my own.¡±

    Zilan didn¡¯t pay much attention to the clan leader¡¯s words. After receiving the voidless sack, he swiftly took his leave, heading back to his own room.

    However, unable to wait until any longer, he opened the voidless sack and took out a peculiar beast skin that had been folded and sealed with some type of inscription.

    Upon touching the inscription, the beast skin abruptly unfolded itself and interestingly became straight, with not a wrinkle in sight.

    ¡°I have lived an extremely long and eventful life however, the final task left to me by my late Master has been the most agonizingly difficult thing I have ever had to endure.

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    For centuries, I have searched and waited for a true descendant of the scorched to appear but each time I received but one thing, disappointment.

    The [Scorched Fate ring] , the item that you seek, was the only thing I had to guide me but it too remained silent until finally, a few years ago it showed me that this clan was where I needed to place Kifo.

    You must protect him, care for him like a brother and do not let him stray from the path for without each other, neither of you will be able to attain what you seek.

    This encounter is something that is meant to happen, it is an unavoidable fate and also, it is something your ancestor would have wanted. So if not for my Master¡¯s sake, do it for your Ancestor.

    I was forbidden from revealing anything pertaining to your Ancestor thus I can say no more.

    Remember to always rely on each other in times of strife as there will be many in the foreseeable future. I can no longer watch over Kifo as my time to rest has finally come, thank you for freeing me.

    I leave you with gifts that will no doubt aide you in your journey and a special gift that I hope you will come to understand in the future.

    ¡®As tara tus imma maisha.¡¯

    Farewell, son of Zaum.¡±

    As Zilan read, he couldn¡¯t help but feel confused. He could feel the pain in her voice and he empathised however, there were many questions left unanswered within the note.

    The three main ones being the fact that Kifo has supposedly been alive for far longer than he¡¯s actual age which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. The other questions include the name of the formation Zilan wanted being called the [Scorched fate ring] and the fact that one of his Ancestors is or was somehow involved in all of this.

    ¡°This note has brought up more questions than answers.¡± sighed Zilan.

    He was now back in his room and after lying down for a few minutes to digest the information he¡¯d just received. Zilan realised that some answers could be revealed from the gifts contained in the voidless sack.

    Taking his time, Zilan proceeded to take out all the items inside the voidless sack one at a time.

    The first thing he removed was at least ten paper talismans tightly wrapped together in a bunch. He didn¡¯t examine them much as he was sure he already knew their functions and their power.

    ¡°Paper cannot hold enormous amounts of power.¡± was his conclusion.

    The next item he removed was a pitch black glove that looked worn out however, when Zilan ¡®opened¡¯ his eyes and took another look, he could not understand what he was seeing.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Divine Elemental tool.¡± Laughed Zilan.

    Divine Elemental tools were divine spirit tools that knew no elemental barriers. More specifically, they could be used just as effectively by everyone even if their attributes were complete opposites. For example, someone with a fire attribute and someone with the water attribute could both use it perfectly.

    However, that was only part of the wonder of the glove. It also housed its own divine abilities that could be passed on to a user that it acknowledged as its Master.

    ¡°This is the problem with Divine spirit tools, the spirit placed within it makes it hard to use.¡± joked Zilan.

    The next thing Zilan pulled out was a blood red, irregularly shaped rock. Aside from its strange appearance, he could find nothing else that made the rock special.

    Moving on from that, a ring that had four tiny, exquisite gems of different colours surrounding it was taken out by Zilan.

 Chapter 61 - Enlightening findings

    At first Zilan could not find anything strange or mysterious about the ring in his hand. No matter how hard he looked, aside from it being a magnificent work of art, he was unable to discern anything from it.

    However, Zilan did not give up because he felt he and the ring had a bond that was growing stronger with every passing minute. He did not want to let the ring go and very soon after, Zilan fell into a trance.

    His eyes slowly shifted from side to side as strange images of hundreds of completely different and unfathomable formations, appeared in his mind. After slowly showing themselves one by one, the formations suddenly began to join together in a very profound manner, quickly becoming a single gigantic formation, whose secrets Zilan could not even begin to see through.

    As soon as the formations became one, it began to glow with a white, otherworldly splendor that penetrated Zilan¡¯s sea of consciousness and instantly illuminated the entire space next to his soul.

    The next thing that happened was extremely shocking.

    Alongside the two stars in Zilan¡¯s eyes was the grand formation. It forcefully activated his scorched eyes and pushed their abilities to the limit. The result?

    Four illusionary Orbs of varying sizes suddenly surrounded Zilan, each was of a different colour perfectly matching the gems that could be seen on the ring.

    Zilan carefully stretched out his arm and touched the largest of the orbs. A grey spherical one, whose radiance was clearly much brighter than the rest.

    *Bang*

    The moment his arm came into contact with the orb, dozens of small strings of energy suddenly burst out of the orb and stretched into the far, far distance beyond Zilan¡¯s sight.

    Above the orb, a line of text appeared reading, ¡°Connections of fate¡±.

    Zilan instantly froze.

    ¡°This is what he was talking about.¡±

    The ¡®he¡¯ Zilan was thinking about was obviously the clan leader and his words which hinted towards Zilan being the trigger towards many movements across the lands could only mean that he too had seen this sight.

    However, Zilan was not entirely wrong but he was wrong nonetheless. The clan leader had never seen the ring Zilan was currently holding, he only had access to three formations laid down as gifts to him by the mysterious ¡®Grandmama¡¯ and her colleague.

    He had also never seen the strings of fate nor had he ever seen the spherical orb. In fact, he had never seen anything, he could only feel the movements of himself prompted by Zilan¡¯s arrival, as for the dozens of others being affected, these were just faint ripples in his consciousness. Nevertheless, for the ripples to appear in someone like him who was not well versed in controlling the formations, this only went to show the great waves Zilan and his every action was causing to people who were not even aware of his existence.

    Suddenly, just as Zilan was about to reach out and touch the other orbs, he heard a crisp *crack* noise. It was not loud nor was it especially striking however, it echoed throughout his mind and the next thing that followed was the collapse of the images before him.

    Needless to say, Zilan was extremely shocked. Everything had disappeared almost as soon as it had appeared, and to make matters worse he barely understood any of it.

    ¡°This¡­.¡±

    His confusion was somewhat resolved after he looked at the ring before him and found that not only were all four gems cracked but the body of the ring also appeared to be damaged.

    ¡°Why did it break?¡± wondered Zilan as he carefully put the ring down.

    Unsatisfied with the outcome, he then decided to use his eyes to see the makeup of the ring in hopes of repairing it.

    However, the unthinkable happened.

    Even with his eyes staring directly at the ring, nothing came up. It was almost like he was looking at the thing normally.

    Fear seeped into Zilan¡¯s bones as he looked away from the ring in order to confirm his ability was still working and after doing so, he confirmed that nothing was wrong with him. His ability as a man of the scorched was on full display as he saw through a nearby table.

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    This didn¡¯t calm him down at all though. In fact, it could be said that Zilan¡¯s fear had risen slightly.

    What were the scorched eyes? These were the only things in existence that could open the gates that locked away the secrets of the vast Universe. An unfathomable power laid within them, and nothing could escape them. At least that was what Zilan thought until today.

    Never had nothing appeared, when he looked at something. Leave alone the normal scorched people, Zilan was a genius and a one of a kind one at that, someone who was the holder of the Book of Path and yet even he could see nothing.

    A prompt from the Book of Path suddenly appeared, opening the door to a whole new world of questions for Zilan.

    ¡°You do not possess the key to view this information.¡±

    ¡°What key? How is this information more special than the secrets of the Universe?...¡± The flustered Zilan asked many questions. He just simply could not fathom what was going on.

    ¡°You¡¯re Ancestors compiled their own notes and they too had their own findings. Unless you have the specific key, according to the rules set by the first Master, that information cannot be revealed.¡±

    ¡°My Ancestor created this ring? Who was it?¡±

    Just as he had asked that question, the front cover of the Book of Path appeared before Zilan and thirty names could be seen. Among the first ten, one was highlighted in golden light,

    ¡°Akili Zaum.¡± The amazing thing though was that a title out of nowhere abruptly appeared alongside the name. ¡°Path of Fate, Knowledge, Enlightenment and Limitation. A guide for the younger generation and the one closest to Zaum the All-seer.¡±

    Still confused, Zilan continued to ask more and more questions however, it quickly became clear that the Book of Path was done answering anymore of them, leaving Zilan to contemplate by himself.

    He took two deep breaths, attempting to calm himself before shifting his gaze towards the damaged ring once again.

    ¡°Scorched fate ring.¡± He whispered.

    He continued to stare at the item in his hands for hours on end before he suddenly paused.

    All things aside including the title and the fact that he was supposedly the one closest to Zaum.

    Zilan realised he¡¯d been asking the wrong questions.

    ¡°How many gifts was he given by Zaum?¡±

    The Book of Path finally responded with a shocking proclamation of, ¡°None! Two eyes, three stars each.¡±

    This time despite being shocked Zilan managed to keep calm.

    ¡°Monster!¡± was the only word he uttered.

    For someone to be able to create an item such as the scorched fate ring without the Gifts of Zaum was truly a realm that even Zilan was not yet at.

    Of course Zilan himself was a monster being able to go against Heaven and create an entire system that opposed it. However, despite such a great feat, he was able to discern that this ring was probably just a grain of sand in a desert, compared to the other insights his Ancestor might have had.

    It was just a feeling but Zilan was completely sure that this was the case.

    It might not seem that great of an accomplishment being able to create the scorched fate ring but one had to know that its abilities were basically the third level of the Gift of Love.

    A gift directly from Zaum and yet this Ancestor with limited knowledge and who knows what other obstacles he had to face, was still able to understand it and create such a treasure.

    Not to mention, the fate orb was but one of four others.

    His Ancestor was someone who was definitely his equal if not slightly above when it came to overall knowledge. A humbling realization for someone like Zilan, who always believed even from a young age that amongst members of his bloodline, he was definitely the greatest genius.

    It wasn¡¯t a crushing sort of realisation but rather one of encouragement and resolution. If this Ancestor wished for him to take Kifo under his wing then there was definitely a worthy reason behind it.

 Chapter 62 - Alchemy Association (i)

    ¡°What are Chaos stones doing in this realm?¡± Hihi¡¯s childish voice suddenly rang out in Zilan¡¯s mind.

    ¡°These are Chaos stones? How is that possible? Why did they crack then?¡± asked Zilan.

    A smug ¡®Hmph!¡¯ could be heard from the small dragon before he said,

    ¡°These are probably the lowest grade Chaos stones however, Hihi believes the reason for them cracking is mostly because of you and whoever was using it before.¡±

    Zilan remained silent as he brought up a few pages on Chaos stones he had written on in the past. After reading through it, he looked at the gems embedded on the ring and felt that the two although similar did not appear to be the same.

    There was a saying by a Master long ago regarding Chaos stones that Zilan had taken to heart,

    ¡°By itself a Chaos stone is limited and in most cases useless however, once combined with something else, the stone will absolutely not disappoint.¡±

    The other name for Chaos stones was ¡®Ultimate catalyst stone¡¯, and this was because they possessed the amazing ability of being able to bond with anything and create a treasure.

    The origin of the chaos stones is unknown and finding one, let alone four was extremely difficult and was entirely dependent on luck. However, there was one place where these stones could be found in abundance but unfortunately an equivalent price would need to be paid if one wished to take them.

    This price was pain and hardship! The realm where these Chaos stones could be found in spades, is a type of environment that even an existence like Zilan¡¯s Grandmother, Sera the Spring Dragon would not dare enter lightly.

    ¡­¡­¡­..

    An example of the Chaos stones power can be seen in an instance where a practitioner throws a fire ball at it. The next thing that would happen would be the stone turning into a fire tool whose power would be multiple times stronger than the fireball.

    Its uses were many and was not to be confined by such a primitive example. The stone could be used in any Alchemy and Spirit experiment making whatever that was being crafted infinitely more valuable and useful.

    The uses of the stones didn¡¯t stop there though because if it did then why would powerful non-Alchemist practitioners seek them out. In truth, the stones real value laid in the fact that it could also allow intellectual and spatial entities to influence it.

    A prime demonstration would be the scorched fate ring which contained knowledge of fate and was clearly programmed with a set of commands that made it work properly.

    The real priceless function of the Chaos stones though, was in fact its ability to create an entire world with certain sets of instructions and scenery as well as a practitioner¡¯s entire knowledge if they wished, all from nothing but energy combined with mental guidance. It could even change shape and turn into anything a Master wanted.

    Zilan already possessed something that had been crafted with the help of Chaos stones and that was the Cloud Inheritance Palace which had already existed but in order to pass it onto the weak Zilan, a vessel was required.

    ¡°These aren¡¯t Chaos stones!¡± Zilan deduced.

    If they were then something would have appeared when he stared at them with his scorched eyes. He believed them to be something his Ancestor had created using the Chaos stones as a basis.

    Of course, Hihi did not know any of this so he continued on with his arrogant lecture. He didn¡¯t care if Zilan was listening or not, he only did it to confirm to himself that he really was an unparalleled genius in both strength and brains.

    ¡°These stones must have cracked because you exceeded the programming and also because they¡¯ve been used for far too long. Their energy is finally depleted.¡± said Hihi.

    ¡°Exceeded the programming?¡± Despite the arrogant proclamation, Zilan felt that the analysis made sense and he wanted to know more.

    ¡°Mm. Hihi believes that the person who created this ring was weaker than you and he most likely programmed it to draw out all his potential so that he could see to his maximum power. Naturally since you activated it, the ring tried to draw out all of your power but because of your higher strength and the fact that it¡¯s extremely old, it was unable to complete its objective.¡±

    Zilan couldn¡¯t find a point to disagree with after listening to the whole statement. In fact, he had a new found appreciation for Hihi as he was definitely a being that had seen many things in his lifetime.

    ¡°Hehe, isn¡¯t Hihi great? Hmph! This genius has blessed you with some enlightening knowledge and you don¡¯t even thank Hihi? See if I help you again!¡± He said these words expecting Zilan to immediately apologise and give thanks however, he was met with a completely different response.

    ¡°How can a person thank his meal for tasting good?¡± After saying that with a happy smile, Zilan¡¯s door suddenly knocked.

    Just in time too, since it was clear that Hihi was about to explode in anger.

    ¡°You can come in.¡± responded Zilan.

    In came Kifo with a complicated expression on his face.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Zilan.

    ¡°Fath¡­Clan leader has asked me to inform you that the people who are going to take you to the Alchemy Association have arrived. He also requested that you read his note and ensure the safety of the item.¡±

    As soon as Zilan heard the awkward pause and confusion in Kifo¡¯s voice, he had already understood the situation.

    ¡°So she told you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Said Kifo.

    ¡°Everything?¡± Kifo silently nodded.

    ¡°Even about me? About who I really am?¡±

    Kifo avoided Zilan¡¯s gaze with slight fear clearly visible in his eyes.

    ¡°I see¡­.so now what?¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.Kifo looked at Zilan completely confused,

    ¡°What do you mean? Wasn¡¯t I¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand my obligation and task however, I have my own goals that I must achieve. My life is my own to dictate! Do you really have no plan? No ambition? No goal? If that is the case then¡­._¡±

    Before he could finish, Kifo suddenly interrupted him saying,

    ¡°I want to know what I am. Grandmama told me that by following you my path will be made clear, is that true?¡±

    ¡°It is! However, my path is one that will be filled with blood and countless obstacles. If you wish to follow then you need to show me you can endure what is coming.¡± stated Zilan.

    ¡°How do I do that?¡±

    Zilan then took out a pill from his voidless sack and threw it towards Kifo,

    ¡°Swallow it and endure. If you succeed then you can come along but in the case that you fail, you will wait for me here and only when I have completed my task at the Alchemy Association will I come and fetch you.

    I need to warn you though, if you are weak minded then this test could seriously impact your future cultivation. Whether or not you take it is up to you.¡±

    After finishing his sentence Zilan simply ignored Kifo and put his hand into the voidless sack given to him by the Clan leader. He slowly pulled out what appeared to be a fang of some sort, extremely cold to the touch, to the point that he even needed to employ some blood force to restrain the cold energy from entering inside him.

    Wrapped around the tip of the fang was small black cloth. Zilan undid its bindings and read out the words written on it,

    ¡°Delivery of this fang equals a life debt that I, as the Patriarch of the Lingering Darkness clan will definitely repay!¡±

    Once he was done reading, Zilan destroyed the note and placed all of the items including the scorched fate ring into his own voidless sack. He then turned towards Kifo who blankly stared at the violet coloured pill in his hands.

    ¡°That pill is¡­¡±

    Before he could explain what the pill was, Zilan was stunned to see Kifo suddenly swallow it. His eyes revealed a powerful resolution, like he had decided to take a step forward and never again would he look back.

    It had to be known that not even an hour had passed since Kifo had been informed that he was actually not the son of this clans leader. However, for some odd reason he was not entirely broken up about that. In truth, he had already suspected that something about him was different on numerous occasions but he just did not wish to admit it.

    He lived a life that he genuinely enjoyed. Even though there were many things he could not have, he still felt blessed to be loved and to be a part of something bigger than himself. His greatest wish was to grow up one day and shoulder the responsibility of leading his family against their overlords, becoming an independent clan but now, he knew not who he was and the only one who could give him answers was the kid before him, who was also a mystery.

    The only thing he could do now was do what all men should do when faced with adversity, move forward! If a mountain appears, climb it! If an ocean blocks your path, then swim throught it! Kifo had always been resolute whenever he made a decision and today was no different. He would either seek out the answers himself and probably fail or he would follow this youth on a journey his Grandmama called ¡®fated¡¯.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    As Zilan watched this, an unexpected smile bloomed on his face. If one thought about it carefully, his circumstances as well as Kifo¡¯s were oddly similar. The only difference being, one act was born from love while the acts that forced him to live a lie, were born from pure greed.

    Two people manipulated by outside parties and both had chosen to resolutely move forward. The only question that remained was whether or not Kifo could endure the pill Zilan had given him.

    ¡°For ten minutes you will suffer in your deepest nightmare however, within your mind it will feel like a week. If you are able to speak soundly once the time passes, I will have no objections towards your joining me.¡±

    Of course, having already been immersed in the nightmarish world Kifo could absolutely not hear Zilan¡¯s words, especially the next few ones.

    ¡°If you can successfully endure, your cultivation should also benefit. Especially your soul.¡±

    The pill Zilan had prepared could be described as a double edged sword. He had initially prepared it for his own use, in order to train his mental energy and properly stabilize it however, the fact that he needed to test Kifo was something he couldn¡¯t take lightly and absolutely needed to be carried out.

    After all, what was fate to Zilan other than something that tried to bar his way at every opportunity. Just because someone told him that he and Kifo were fated to be comrades didn¡¯t mean he needed to listen and then instantly welcome him like a long lost brother.

    Better than anyone, Zilan was aware of how dangerous the people who were after him really were therefore he would absolutely not allow his life to be threatened because of a mysterious person¡¯s ¡®story¡¯. In fact, if Kifo had been reluctant to take the test or had threatened Zilan even indirectly, then his life would have ended in that instant.

    Luckily, Kifo acted in a way that reminded Zilan of himself. Besides, if the two really were fated to meet then it was probably a forgone conclusion that Kifo also possessed powerful enemies otherwise why seclude him.

    ¡°Two minutes remain¡­.¡± whispered Zilan.

    If Kifo passed, then Zilan was seriously going to take him under his wing. They both shared a bond that involved Zilan¡¯s Ancestor and that Grandmama¡¯s ¡®Master¡¯. Thus for the sake of the past generations of his bloodline, Zilan would do his utmost and play his role.

 Chapter 63 - Alchemy Association (ii)

    Kifo¡¯s entire body was soaked in sweat. Just from looking at him, it was clear that whatever he was experiencing was extremely terrifying.

    Once in a while, he would murmur words that made no sense causing Zilan to wonder if he would actually get through it.

    ¡°One minute¡­¡± stated Zilan.

    It was at this time that something strange occurred.

    A black marking suddenly appeared on Kifo¡¯s forehead. It glowed with a black luster, before releasing a wisp of dark energy that entered his right eye.

    The energy was so overbearing that Zilan couldn¡¯t help but freeze, not daring to make a single move. Deep in his heart he could feel just how frightening the dark energy truly was.

    A minute quickly passed and the black wisp of energy quickly exited Kifo¡¯s eye however, as if noticing Zilan¡¯s presence the energy suddenly turned and rushed towards him.

    Its speed was too extreme, and Zilan could not react in time to even attempt to block it.

    ¡°SCRAM!¡± Hihi¡¯s voice filled with indescribable power abruptly sounded out in Zilan¡¯s mind.

    A small transparent dragon¡¯s claw then stretched out from Zilan¡¯s shoulder and just like one would shoo away a fly, the claw proceeded to smack the black energy away.

    Noticing that it had met a powerful opponent, the black energy returned to the mark on Kifo¡¯s forehead and instantly disappeared, like it had never appeared in the first place.

    ¡°What¡­What was that?¡± asked the flustered Zilan.

    ¡°Hmph! Just a ghost that doesn¡¯t know its place.¡± Replied Hihi.

    This was the first time Hihi had ever taken action, even when he was in danger, Hihi had never once budged, yet this time he made an exception. What did that mean then? Obviously, it went to show just how powerful that wisp of dark energy was.

    Hihi knew that the energy was something Zilan definitely could not block and thus acted, otherwise he would have left it alone. After all, his mission was to oversee Zilan¡¯s growth therefore as long as his life was not at risk, Hihi would not act.

    He may be young and inexperienced however, the fact that he was the one Sera chose to put her trust in was not a mistake.

    ¡°A ghost?¡± wondered Zilan, still shaken by the sudden turn of events.

    ¡°Bah! Hihi is going to rest and won¡¯t be able to see you for a while. Watch out for that kid, he is definitely not simple.¡±

    As a powerful Soul King, Hihi¡¯s power was a matter of fact but for him to be able to come to such a small realm, his abilities needed to be suppressed. With that last action, quite a bit of his energy had been expended, not because of the dark wisps strength but rather, the moment he exposed his claw outside the Cloud Inheritance Palace, the world around him immediately became his enemy, putting extreme pressure on him.

    ¡°Zilan¡­.Have I passed?¡± Kifo¡¯s weak voice suddenly interrupted Zilan¡¯s state of mind causing him to divert his attention back to the source of his shock.

    ¡°Eh¡­how was it?¡± With this question, he wanted to find out if that dark energy was deliberately released by Kifo or not and also to find out what exactly it was.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I remember battling with five shadows that I¡¯ve never seen before and then after being stabbed in the heart, some black creature appeared and destroyed everything around me.¡± said Kifo as he clutched his chest. He could still feel the excruciating pain, he had experienced.

    ¡°What happened after that?¡±

    ¡°I opened my eyes. Did¡­did I pass?¡±

    Zilan was deep in thought. The situation had all of a sudden turned into an unexplainable mystery.

    ¡°Judging from his reaction, he should be just as surprised as me so then what exactly lies inside him.¡± Pondered Zilan.

    Kifo didn¡¯t interrupt Zilan from his thoughts. He simply remained still, anxiously awaiting the answer.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The longer I stay in this place, the more strange things keep appearing.¡± stated Zilan, after a full five minutes.

    ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ve passed?¡±

    ¡°Mm. From today, you¡¯ll follow me. Betrayal will be met with severe repercussions.¡± said Zilan as he stood up and walked away. ¡°Take me to the see the people of the Alchemy Association.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    As the two walked side by side, Zilan couldn¡¯t help but steal a few glances whenever Kifo was not paying attention.

    ¡°Ghost?...What did Hihi mean by ghost?¡±

    ¡°I had them rest in the sitting room, before I came to fetch you. We¡¯re almost there.¡±

    One had to admit, the Lingering Darkness clan truly was huge. Even the Governor¡¯s Mansion in Morning Dew city could not compare. Which really made one wonder just how powerful the clan exactly was.

    However, that was a question for another day as the duo had finally reached their destination.

    Two men came into view, one was an old and chubby Cock-like man with an air of arrogance surrounding him, almost like the oxygen he was currently breathing, was somehow beneath a person of his stature.

    His companion on the other hand appeared to be the complete opposite. A middle aged mountain lion like-man with a calm, natural smile plastered on his face. His deep reddish-brown hair looked very lush and healthy.

    His green eyes in particular, gave off a tranquil impression to all that looked at them, just like the calm waters of a mountain spring, slowly flowing down the slopes.

    The two men were both dressed in green robes which gave of the smell of nature and plant life but that was not the thing that captured Zilan¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Fourth Grade Alchemy Masters!¡± remarked Zilan, inwardly.

    In total there were ten ranks in the field of Alchemy, and to be a fourth grade Master was a great accomplishment.

    In fact, any power would be willing to part with an arm and a leg just to invite one of them to craft a single thing. Only the Alchemy Association could raise and bring these people who would be praised as Grand geniuses together.

    Zilan could tell the rank of the two men by looking at their chests where pins with four beautifully crafted cauldrons could be seen. He was especially stunned by the middle aged man who looked to be in his mid- thirties yet had already reached such a high rank.

    Fourth rank may not seem high but from Zilan¡¯s knowledge, he knew that there were only a handful of people who had reached a rank higher than sixth thus the two individuals before him were definitely exceptional even among the geniuses of the Alchemy Association.

    ¡°Why did they come here then? Just to fetch me? Probably not!¡± concluded Zilan.

    When the two men saw Kifo and Zilan approaching them, the middle aged man showed a pleasantly surprised expression after catching a whiff of the smell escaping from Zilan¡¯s body.

    The old man on the other hand, didn¡¯t even bother looking. He immediately stood up and as if giving an order said,

    ¡°We¡¯ve got what we came for. We only have enough time to pick up that boy of the Iron sector before the ceremony begins.¡±

    A gentler tone could be sensed when the old man spoke about the child from the Iron sector.

    The middle aged man didn¡¯t immediately respond to the old man. He instead smiled towards Zilan before waving his hand for them to follow him.

    Zilan smiled back while slightly bowing his head as a show of respect, before moving behind the middle-aged man.

    ¡°They¡¯ve got what they came for? Hmm, could it be they¡¯re here for the item the clan leader gave me. If that is the case, then this must have something to do with the Shadow faction since they¡¯re the ones who arranged this whole thing.¡±

    After thinking up to there, he decided to put it at the back of his mind. After all, his objective of getting to the Alchemy Association had been met, other people¡¯s business had nothing to do with him.

 Chapter 64 - Alchemy Association (iii)

    Zilan and Kifo were currently sited in an exquisite carriage. The interior was made from only the best and rarest materials causing Zilan to admire the person who had designed it.

    However, if that was all the carriage had to offer then it wouldn¡¯t be worth mentioning.

    ¡°How many people did it take to craft this beauty?¡± smiled Zilan, he had finally gotten used to riding on the carriage.

    Excluding him, Kifo and the two Alchemists, there were two more people on board who they had picked up outside the Iron sector. Two young boys who sat next to the old Cock, silently observing their surroundings.

    All these people were sited on the carriage that currently was flying through the air at a moderate speed.

    The first time Zilan had laid eyes on the carriage, he was curious as to what was going to pull it since he couldn¡¯t see any Beast or creature around it. In fact, the carriage looked like it was designed not to be pulled by any creature and this was because it had a very peculiar shape as well as only three wheels. Two in the rear and one at the front.

    It was a great shock to him once the carriage started flying however, after some time he gradually calmed down. The same went for Kifo who was also taken-aback when the carriage had taken off, but as for the two snow white wolf-like boys who had joined them later on, they did not so much as bat an eye lash.

    It was evident from their reactions that they did not view the carriage as anything special.

    Kifo had ridden an air ship twice in his life and that was only to attend sector meetings however, the carriage he was currently on was definitely a cut above the rest. Its speed, its design, everything about it was special and that was what stunned him.

    ¡°Open the gate.¡± commanded the old Cock after hours of flying.

    Zilan looked towards the middle aged mountain lion man whose smile quickly faded. He pressed on his arm rest causing a strange array of runes to fly into the air and surround the carriage.

    Seconds later and a gate twice the size of a normal house appeared in the sky above. To be specific, it was more of a portal than a gate since it had no shape to it, only a light purple vortex of light was visible.

    As soon as the portal appeared, the carriage instantly made its way towards it before finally entering it.

    A feeling similar to that of travelling through the void was felt by Zilan however, the unstable and fierce energy was on a whole other level. It would be practically impossible for him at least, to pass through the portal with just his flesh and bone, thankfully the carriage was around.

    ¡°We¡¯re finally back!¡± sighed the Old Cock. His words implied that he had been outside the Associations grounds for a very long time and naturally Zilan couldn¡¯t help but catch onto this sliver of information. Ever since his mental state had improved, his perception had also risen to another realm making his already amazing intelligence shine even more.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. After all, the words of the Old wise sages of the past taught that it was possible for an intelligent person to also be an idiot but for a perceptive person, he could never be associated with fools, such a person could only be said to be lacking sufficient knowledge.

    Therefore, the current Zilan had reached the realm of being intelligent while also perceptive. Something quite difficult to achieve.

    He always had the knowledge but due to his ¡®unique and sheltered¡¯ circumstances, he had never encountered an extremely dangerous situation that required him to be resourceful with his thinking but now, if he lacked the ability to be shrewd then only death or a lifetime of torture awaited him.

    ¡°What a wondrous place.¡± whispered Kifo.

    After crossing the portal, the air around them was completely different from that of the Bronze sector. It was thick with the Universe¡¯s energy causing all that took it in to feel slightly lightheaded and in some cases experience a state of drunkenness.

    Zilan was quite comfortable in such an atmosphere. He felt as if he was being embraced by the world itself, causing a wide satisfied grin to appear on his face.

    "There¡¯s still some time before the ceremony officially begins. Lets get you registered first before heading over.¡± said the old Cock.

    Of course, his words were meant for only the boys from the Iron sector.

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Replied one of the boys who appeared a bit older than Zilan.

    ¡°Mm. Amani, I¡¯ll leave those two to you, they¡¯ll take the tests after the ceremony, like the others.¡±

    Amani smiled towards Zilan before proceeding to land the carriage on a patch of land very close to a giant building that was at least the size of a small lake.

    The Old Cock and the two snow wolves then exited from the carriage.

    Amani pressed on his arm rest once again and the air ship took to the sky.

    ¡°What is your name?¡± This were the first words Amani had spoken since Zilan had met him.

    ¡°Zilan.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll remember you. For a half breed to walk the path of Alchemy is not easy but from your smell, it appears you¡¯ll have no problems settling in.¡±

    Amani could smell the fragrance of fire and medicinal herbs coming from Zilan''s body however, mixed in with it was the scent of humans along with the unmistakable and unique smell of a powerful Beast thus he didn¡¯t inquire further.

    ¡°This Junior appreciates Seniors words.¡±

    Amani simply continued to smile after hearing this.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you two to receive your credentials and someone from that office will show you to the Ceremonial grounds. All of the new recruits will be gathered there to listen to the rules of tomorrows tests, which will determine whether or not you¡¯re qualified to remain here.¡±

    Zilan was puzzled by Amani¡¯s words. Why would he take them to get credentials before taking the test.

    Seeing the look on Zilan¡¯s face, Amani patted him on the shoulder before saying,

    ¡°My judgment of people is rarely wrong. Don¡¯t worry about the rest and do what you came here to do. Expand your knowledge and suck whatever you can from this place, do not let anything or anyone stop you for even in a place of learning conflicts are as common as the clouds in the sky.¡±

    ¡°This junior will remember Senior¡¯s words.¡± said Zilan as he cupped his hands.

    ¡°Just call me Uncle Green, it¡¯s what my nephew uses. I¡¯ll introduce you after the ceremony, he too will be taking the test.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    The carriage was gradually slowing down and descending.

    After much deliberation and noticing that they were nearing their destination Zilan couldn¡¯t help but ask,

    ¡°What is the Alchemy Association?¡±

    From the sky, he could see hundreds of towering buildings clustered together. There were even castles and towers whose grandeur made him feel like this was a dream world and not reality.

    How could one power be so powerful and what exactly was its purpose?

 Chapter 65 - Alchemy Association (iv)

    Hearing the question from Zilan, Amani¡¯s body trembled for a moment. He then strangely looked at Zilan before suddenly breaking into hearty laughter.

    The air within the carriage shook, evidence that Amani¡¯s cultivation was not weak.

    ¡°What is the Alchemy Association, eh?....Unfortunately, that is a question that I am unqualified to answer. The only thing I can tell you is that if you earnestly pursue the ¡®way¡¯, then the Association can be whatever you want it to be.¡± Amani then paused to see the reactions of the two kids before continuing. ¡°In the words of my Master, if you wish for the Association to be a shield then a shield it will be, it can become your greatest weapon and it can also be used as a tool or even a mere stepping stone. As long as you earnestly pursue the secret of the ¡®truth¡¯ and have the corresponding talent, anything is possible.¡±

    After saying those words Amani simply continued to smile, not speaking anymore. Whether or not they understood his words was not a concern for him.

    As a child those words had inspired him and caused him to dream but in the end after reaching his current rank, he felt that even those words did not do the Association justice.

    After all, these words were not spoken by someone at the top but rather, someone aiming for the top. Only the Grand Alchemists could answer Zilan¡¯s question perfectly.

    Zilan quietly pondered on Amani¡¯s words in silence and pretty soon the carriage landed on a stone paved road that had hundreds of air ships much like the one they were in now, all neatly parked to the side.

    Amani didn¡¯t bother parking the carriage. He directly controlled it to move to the entrance of a large building whose shape could only be described as , ¡°Interesting¡±.

    ¡°Some people truly are talented, to even make something like this..¡± sighed Zilan inwardly.

    Before him was a gigantic black cauldron shaped building that exuded a strong yet non-harmful pressure that forced people to raise their heads and admire it, in all its glory.

    Faint barely visible inscriptions could be seen all around the monstrous building. They resembled a colony of ants marching along and around a giant tree.

    Very few people could actually figure out that the giant black cauldron was not just a mere building but in reality a spirit tool.

    Naturally, Zilan was aware of it the moment he laid eyes on it. To him, it was a work of art and at the same time a symbol of power. What were castles and majestic towers of the human kingdoms when compared to this cauldron? Nothing more than bricks, and the occasional fine materials were used in construction, extremely pitiful!

    It was like an Emperor facing a beggar.

    ¡­.

    The carriage stopped right in front of the entrance causing many peoples gazes to fall on it. Today was the day of the Opening ceremony and many clans and factions had brought their most outstanding youths in the field of Alchemy to come and get their credentials however, none of them could directly park outside the entrance.

    Even they though were powerful they were nothing in comparison to the behemoth that was the Alchemy Association.

    ¡°Who does this person think he is?¡± sneered someone from one of the influential clans.

    Unfortunately for him, the moment Amani stepped out of the carriage the man regretted ever opening his mouth. He quietly retreated back into the crowd with the youth he had come with.

    ¡°Damn it, to think it was the genius of the ¡®Purple Heart, Two flames Camp¡¯ Amani. My luck is too bad!¡± Initially, he had wanted to show off a bit, in front of the Alchemists present but how stupid did he look now. Trying to enforce laws on someone who was basically the law, made him appear retarded.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Many people began to distance themselves from the man.

    In truth, if it had been someone less ranked and not Amani, the man really did come from a place that demanded face but did not show it to others easily. He was also an Alchemist and had come to the Alchemy Association this time, in order to attain a ranking pin and not to study.

    Amani navigated the large hallway, leading two people to the registration counter. This scene came into the eyes of many people, who were especially curious as to who Zilan and Kifo were as well as who they were to Amani.

    ¡°Could they be his disciples? But¡­isn¡¯t that a Half breed?¡± exclaimed someone among the crowd.

    Zilan was quite shocked seeing so many youths here with the aim of getting credentials before their trials. These people probably had a certain level of confidence but nevertheless, he could not help but sigh. The world truly was unfair, at first he thought he was an exception because of Amani but now he understood that these big clans and factions had their own sway as well.

    Many among the crowd frowned upon seeing Zilan, they were not bold enough to speak out. They were privileged from birth due to their bloodlines therefore to them there was nothing more precious. How could a Beast destroy their descendants path by mating with a human? They couldn¡¯t understand it but that didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t feel disgust upon seeing Zilan.

    Amani brought them to the counter and spoke to the lady behind it,

    ¡°Prepare two environment arrays for the Bronze sector badges and arrange for someone to guide these boys to the Ceremonial ground.¡±

    The lady immediately nodded and with a slight bow stood up and left for one of the inner most rooms.

    Amani calmly smiled as he surveyed the surroundings. Many people were still staring at him in awe while others were glaring at Zilan.

    Suddenly the crowd parted in two as they made way for two people to pass. The taller and much older one looked to be in his early forties and was wearing green robes with three cauldron pins on his chest. The man had a body similar to that of a man however, it was completely covered in feathers. His head was that of a crow and was strangely small, on his back two large midnight-black wings the size of large doors could be seen.

    Beside him, stood a youth who looked at people as if they were roaches that were far below him. His entire body was covered in rock like scales and his eyes in particular shone with a cold unique energy, which only appears in highly evolved blood-lines. His hair was dark red and seemed to be giving of faint sparks of flames with every step he took, causing all eyes to be locked onto him.

    The crow-man walked up to Amani and first looked at the four cauldron pins before giving his greetings,

    ¡°It looks like I was a step behind you, Brother Amani. It looks like while you were outside you experienced some fortuitous event that aided you in your insights, congratulations!¡± It was only now that he took notice of Zilan and Kifo¡¯s presence. ¡°Oh! Did you finally take on a disciple, although this one¡­¡­..¡±

    Before the crow could finish speaking, Amani smiled towards him before turning away and completely ignoring him.

    To others who didn¡¯t know much, this act may seem arrogant or even overbearing but to the people who knew the real story which was that Amani and the crow were great rivals and could even be called enemies, this act was too normal.

    ¡°Ndege, you talk too much.¡± stated Amani, calmly.

    He knew first-hand how poisonous of a person this bird was. Now that he¡¯d broken through earlier, their enmity could only grow stronger and not weaker.

    ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t be like this, we¡¯ve both come to let our disciples experience the Association, how about it, let us make a bet?¡±

    Amani continued to smile even after hearing this. This was his nature, he would seldom speak unless necessary but there was an exception and that was, ¡®only if something interests me will I voluntarily speak.¡¯

    This bet did indeed intrigue him.

    ¡°What kind of bet?¡±

    Ndege smiled mysteriously before pointing to his Disciple and declaring,

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet that this kid outperforms yours. If I lose then I¡¯ll give you the Purple Five refinement flower.¡±

    Amani¡¯s smile instantly disappeared. His eyes fixed onto Ndege and started radiating intense killing intent however, that was all he did because he was well aware of the consequences of fighting in the Registration building.

    ¡°Something you originally stole from me and now you want to give it back?¡±

    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s just a bet. No need to get so worked up.¡± The people around could feel the air becoming more and more hostile, making people wonder if those two were actually going to battle.

    It was at this time that a soft feminine voice travelled to Amani¡¯s ear.

    ¡°This one has prepared everything. There¡¯s a person waiting to guide them to the Ceremonial ground.¡±

    Amani calmed himself. He then grabbed a few vials from the lady at the counter and walked off but just as he was about to leave he said,

    ¡°That bet, I¡¯ll accept it! If I lose, I¡¯ll allow you to pick one item from the camps Treasury.¡±

 Chapter 66 - Alchemy Association (v)

    Hearing Amani¡¯s words instantly caused Ndege¡¯s laughter to resound throughout the hall. He never would have thought Amani would agree to the bet.

    ¡°Good! This is how it should be. You are truly deserving of the title, Master of Hearts.¡± After saying those words Ndege turned around to leave, not bothering to look at Zilan or Kifo.

    His disciple on the other hand spared a few condescending glances for Kifo however, when it came to Zilan, the rock scaled youth felt that by looking at a disgusting creature he would be degrading himself, thus he just walked away.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Thought Zilan.

    He too did not know why Amani would accept the bet without knowing much about him. It was truly puzzling. As for the attitude of Ndege and his disciple towards him, Zilan could not be bothered to respond.

    He could easily stop it all by releasing his aura and allowing these collection of high and mighty Beasts to understand that his blood was on another level compared to theirs however, he understood that now was not the time.

    His current objective which would help him achieve the overall goal of learning from the Associations Chairman was simple. He needed to stand out and not just by a little.

    This time keeping a low profile was not an option, only by outshining everyone would he be closer to achieving his goal. If others were geniuses who shone like stars in the dark, enchanting sky then he could only take the place of the moon and look down on everything, illuminating the world.

    However, now was not the time and even if it was, he needed to be acknowledged for the right reasons, such as his advancements in the ¡®way¡¯ of Alchemy. Anything else in a place like the Alchemy Association where even uber powerful factions could not throw their weight around, was trivial.

    Thinking up to this point, Zilan indifferently stared at Ndege and his disciple before rushing to catch up with Amani.

    Kifo quietly stuck to him and before they knew it, they were standing alongside Amani. Clearly, he had slowed down his steps for them.

    ¡°Master of Hearts. What a strange title for an Alchemist.¡± mused Zilan.

    He looked up at Amani and found the same tranquil smile on his face. It was almost like nothing had happened in the registration hall.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that, I¡¯ll take care of Ndege.¡± He patted Zilan¡¯s shoulders as he said that.

    ¡°Give me your sector badges.¡±

    Both Kifo and Zilan took out their bronze badges and handed them to him. They watched as he poured two vials of sparkling yellow liquid onto the badges before reciting something in a strange tongue.

    Bright black runes then suddenly appeared from the liquid and began encircling the badges. This continued for five breaths worth of time till finally, they sunk into the badges.

    ¡°Here, the environmental array will allow you to use the void setup of the Association. It has other uses but for now that¡¯s all you need to know. Explore it yourselves when you have time.¡± said Amani before handing the badges the back.

    Zilan stared wide-eyed at the badge in his hands.

    ¡°So even this is possible. Arrays may be weaker than formations but it looks like they thrive with greater harmony once their size significantly rises.¡± With just a glance, he could tell that the array on the badge was just a small part of a much larger array that probably covered the entire Association.

    What he was not so sure about was how sector badges and the Alchemy Association were connected. It would be much harder to add an array to a foreign item and judging by how easy it was for Amani to do it, the badges were most likely not foreign items.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Just as Zilan was about to put away his badge, Amani asked him and Kifo to stretch out the hands holding them.

    It was at this moment that shock seeped into Zilan¡¯s bones.

    Amani had also taken out his badge and it was neither Bronze nor Iron but actually the most powerful sector¡¯s, Gold!

    ¡°Before I forget, in the Association the currency is completely different. Almost all transactions are done using ¡®Mystic grains¡¯. The grains are used as a form of contribution points.

    I¡¯ll give you some as an example.¡± smiled Amani.

    He then proceeded to tap his badge and ten miniscule green grains about the size of bread crumbs floated towards Kifo and Zilan¡¯s badges. Five each.

    Kifo was slightly surprised, it was obvious he favoured Zilan yet he still gave him an equal amount.

    ¡°There are many things the grains can be exchanged for, so use them wisely.¡± After saying that Amani put his badge away and pointed towards a man in the distance.

    ¡°This is as far as I¡¯ll accompany you. That man will take you to the Ceremonial grounds, after that I¡¯ll introduce you to my nephew.¡±

    ¡°This man is too puzzling. His words say one thing but his actions gives one the impressions that he has other motives.¡± Nevertheless, Zilan still respectfully bowed for the kind Senior¡¯s assistance.

    Amani as usual nodded, smiled and left.

    The duo walked over towards the person Amani pointed to but once they were close enough to see him, surprise could be the only word that described their emotions.

    He was dressed in pitch black clothes and had a fire emblem on his chest. His appearance was that of a mountain goat with humanly features however, the surprising part was that his face was burned halfway. It had been covered with some form of mask but it was still hard not to notice the gruesome nature of the goats face.

    ¡°Follow.¡± said the mountain goat.

    Zilan nodded and walked behind him.

    Kifo who had yet to say a word since he departed from his home suddenly asked Zilan a question,

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring that fox girl along?¡±

    Zilan¡¯s expression instantly turned sour after hearing Kifo.

    ¡°It would be too hard for her to adjust.¡± was all he said before increasing his pace to match the goat¡¯s.

    Noticing his unwillingness to talk about it, Kifo maintained silence.

    Zilan on the other hand was having an inner conflict. In truth, his original plan was to bring Jeza along even though it would be extremely difficult for her to fit in.

    He thought this way because of the experiences he¡¯d gone through with her but then he changed his mind.

    The reason? Jeza was negotiating her own agreement with Mnyama.

    The exact details of the agreement, he did not know but he did understand that it entailed spying on him and that was something at least in this stage of his plan he could not tolerate.

    He fully intended to fulfill his promise despite her actions and this was not only because he was grateful to her for the help but also because if he was in the same situation, he would probably do the same. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately he chose to leave all he cared about aside, for example wiping Hula¡¯s memories because he did not want to be burdened with additional weaknesses.

    ¡­.

    Leaving Jeza behind was tougher than he¡¯d thought it would be however, this stage of his plan was too critical. Any major interference or setback would cause his goals to be nothing but the fleeting dreams of a child.

    He did not leave her empty handed though. Various techniques and elixirs were given to her so that her strength could increase otherwise, if she remained the same then in the future, she too would end up becoming a weakness.

    Life was too cruel and sacrifices needed to be made. Without having the will to chop of one of your arms after being poisoned, then only death awaited!

    It was the same for Zilan, he was determined to succeed because his success meant a better world or at least a world where people could control their fate instead of bowing to the will of Heaven.

    ¡°Open the array and move to the ceremonial ground.¡±

    Without knowing it, Zilan had arrived at a strange platform that had runes and inscriptions all over it.

    Seeing the two kids not respond the goat-man pointed towards the platform and said,

    ¡°For most places you can just use your badges to travel around without the need of the transportation array however, special places like the Ceremonial ground require more power thus the need for platforms like this. Now, go stand on it and insert some energy into the badge.¡± Sometimes the man spoke patiently but then his voice would suddenly turn fierce which confused both Kifo and Zilan.

    Nevertheless, they went onto the platform and inserted their energies into their badges.

    A breathtaking, three dimensional overhead view of the entire Alchemy Association appeared in their minds. At first it was hazy however, soon it became clear and the sight blew them away.

    A place in the top right of the Association map was labeled ¡®Ceremonial ground¡¯ and seeing as that was where they needed to go, he sent some of his energy into the location. Unexpectedly, a powerful suction force pulled all of his energy in and before Zilan could react his location had totally changed.

 Chapter 67 - Opening Ceremony

    Before Zilan, a grassland that could only be described as magical could be seen. Beautiful butterflies fluttered about and gigantic birds gracefully flew up above in the slightly pinkish sky.

    It was almost like he had arrived in another world. Compared to the already rich in Universe energy Cauldron building, this ceremonial ground had energy almost twice as thick.

    In the distance, there was a vast mountain range that stretched farther than the eye could see causing Zilan to wonder just how big this place was. From the three dimensional map he had seen, this ground was one of the few which didn¡¯t display an overhead image. Only a vague sign could be seen thus leaving him guessing as to how big this place truly was.

    ¡°Wow.¡± Beside Zilan, stood Kifo who couldn¡¯t help but exclaim at the exquisite sight before him.

    As the two were lost admiring the ceremonial ground, the platform they were standing on suddenly flashed and a figure emerged from the blinding light.

    ¡°Follow.¡± was all he said.

    This voice belonged to the goat who had led them to the platform. Apparently his job was not yet done.

    The two exchanged glances before following behind the half-faced goat.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    They had only walked for fifteen minutes when suddenly they felt their bodies going through a screen of light. They hadn¡¯t noticed it at all till the moment they were inside it.

    This greatly stunned Zilan who felt as if his body was being scanned as he passed through the light screen. The feeling lasted only for a split second but it was enough to cause him to frown.

    ¡°These things¡­what are they looking for?¡± he wondered.

    After passing through the light screen, his vision blurred and in the blink of an eye his surroundings had once again changed.

    Currently he was standing right below a slightly tall hill whose top was completely flat. It was almost as if a peerless sword had cut it, intending for it to look like that.

    Around him were thousands of people. There were young children from ten years old to old men who gave the impression that they had generations¡¯ worth of experiences.

    It was quite a sight to behold and Zilan didn¡¯t think too much about it. After all, why should he care about others circumstances when his own were yet to be made clear.

    He needed to pass the test first before anything else.

    On the flat surface of the hill, a large pitch black platform could be seen and standing on it currently were at least a dozen people.

    They all wore green robes and had at least three cauldron pins on their bodies with the oldest of the dozen, having a shocking five pins on him.

    The old white gorilla-man displayed a calm smile as he looked down on the people gathered below him. The long fur on his face blew in the wind giving people the feeling of an unrestrained wind blowing through a snow covered mountain valley.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Despite his eye catching appearance, Zilan was focused on another figure who was standing behind the White gorilla Elder.

    ¡°It¡¯s actually him.¡±

    Amani was among the twelve people standing on the hill. As if feeling someone¡¯s gaze fixed on him, he turned and found that it was Zilan.

    He casually smiled before turning to face the White Ape Elder.

    ¡°Welcome to the Alchemy Associations, Ceremonial ground.¡± stated the Elder as he addressed the gathered bunch below.

    His voice sounded wispy and slightly hoarse however, the interesting thing was that despite not shouting, his voice was not only crisp and audible, it even echoed in the distance.

    ¡°This old thing has lived for many years but this is still the first time my Association has attracted so many people.¡±

    When the old people who had come heard this, they couldn¡¯t help but frown. It was almost like the white Elder was applying salt to their wounds.

    Who didn¡¯t know that in the outside world, a scramble for Alchemists and spirit masters was taking place? If they didn¡¯t submit then their lives would be in extreme danger and who knew when they would be attacked. Thus, refusing to live out the rest of their lives running and looking over their shoulders, these usually reclusive old people had no choice but to swallow their pride and come ask for protection.

    As long as they received an Alchemy Association pin, then no one would dare threaten their lives.

    ¡°Naturally, I¡¯m aware of your situations and that is why this year the rules for the tests have been altered. With such a large mixture of people present, the standard test for admission of students is no longer suitable because some of you already have the qualifications to be a ranked Alchemist.

    Therefore, the new rules will have a total of three tests. The first is the usual compulsory trials, set by the Chairman which all of you must participate in.

    As for the second test, this will be for the people looking to attain a rank and a cauldron pin. The difficulty will obviously increase and it will mostly measure talent and comprehension.

    The final test is not necessarily for Alchemists and will be for the young ones who wish to try out for the Fire Guardians. The rest of the details about it will be given to you by the Guardian in charge of the exercise.¡±

    After speaking up to this point the Elder waved his hand for the dozen people behind him to step forward.

    ¡°These people will select some of you for their respective camps. The benefits you¡¯ll receive will depend on your luck.

    The tests shall begin at dawn.

    That is all!¡±

    The White Gorilla¡¯s body suddenly became shrouded in light and a moment later, the old man had disappeared.

    Amani who was among the dozen or so people at the top of the hill, directly jumped down and walked towards a youth who resembled him quite closely but there was a distinct difference.

    The youth, although he had the features of a Mountain lion, the fur around his neck was surprisingly multi-coloured. It looked like a dazzling puffy rainbow cloud had appeared on the youths neck.

    ¡°His nephew is a mixed blood?¡± wondered Zilan.

    Mixed bloods were extremely rare among Beasts and that was because two species would never agree to mate with each other unless their bloodlines were either equally powerful or if the off spring would gain a great benefit as a result of the relationship.

    Mixed bloods were not looked down on like the Half-bloods. In fact, it could be said that Mixed bloods were considered to have great potential in the future, especially if they came from large factions because that would mean that the parents had done sufficient research and were confident in their child gaining a lot.

    After meeting up with his nephew, Amani then casually strolled towards Zilan while smiling.

    Around him, similar scenes of three and above cauldron Alchemy masters were jumping down from the hill and selecting a few youths. Clearly, they had no intention of choosing the Seniors in the crowd.

 Chapter 68 - Purple Heart

    Amani quickly arrived next to Zilan.

    ¡°This is my nephew Fujo. I have other things I need to attend to so I¡¯ll leave you in his care.¡± As he said that he gave Zilan a meaningful smile before walking away.

    This was an invitation to join his camp and seeing as he¡¯d helped this junior a lot, he was confident Zilan would not decline.

    Seeing this, Zilan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. There was no reason not to join and even if Amani had a hidden agenda, it probably wouldn¡¯t affect him negatively. At least, that was what his instincts told him.

    He then turned to eye the nephew who was half a head taller than him however, before he could introduce himself Fujo suddenly asked him a strange question,

    ¡°So, which one?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Naturally, Zilan was clueless.

    ¡°Hehe, which one have you booked? There are so many beauties here and they all have great cultivation talent, it would be good if you marked a few beforehand, that way in the future you and I won¡¯t have to compete. What do you think¡­great idea right?¡± Noticing Zilan¡¯s puzzlement, Fujo carefully explained his meaning.

    Zilan on the other hand was absolutely stunned.

    ¡°This is the so called young master of a great faction in the Gold sector?¡±

    To be able to speak so confidently about a topic that is beneath him so easily was not the most shocking thing. What was crazy was the fact that he did so in a dignified manner and at the end even praised himself.

    Zilan dryly coughed twice before stabilising his breathing.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­I don¡¯t have such thoughts in my mind.¡± After stating that, a young man with rock-like scales all over his body suddenly came into Zilan¡¯s view.

    Without thinking, he pointed towards him and asked,

    ¡°Who is that?¡±

    Never would he have expected that the reply would not come and instead, Fujo would grab him by the shoulders and say,

    ¡°This Brother will definitely not judge you on which doors you wish to walk through, but I won¡¯t be able to forgive myself if I don¡¯t at least tell you how good the warmth of a beautiful woman is. Let me introduce you to some first, then you¡¯ll see that men cannot give you that good feeling¡­¡­¡± Fujo continued to talk but the person he was earnestly trying to advice had his mouth wide open, completely flabbergasted.

    ¡°He¡¯s an idiot. He¡¯s absolutely, a hundred percent an idiot!¡±

    For Fujo to actually misunderstand and assume that he was interested in men was something, Zilan could not have seen coming nor could he have predicted that the things in Fujo¡¯s mind would be so lecherous.

    "Enough.¡± Barked Zilan before quickly narrating what had happened in the giant cauldron building.

    ¡°Ah! So that was why.¡± Laughed Fujo as he patted Zilan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Hmm, I didn¡¯t know that goon Ndege had taken on a disciple. Although I don¡¯t recognise him, I can tell he¡¯s also from the Gold sector.¡±

    ¡°Oh. How?¡± Zilan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°The Gold badges allow one to sense the nature of others badges as long as we can see them. Father once said that it was designed like that so that people from higher sectors wouldn¡¯t be fooled into associating with people of lower class. Pretty stupid reasoning but quite a handy ability.¡± Explained Fujo.

    ¡°So the gold badges had such abilities. What else can they do?¡± whispered Zilan.

    Fujo, unfortunately heard him and suddenly he wrapped his arm around Zilan¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Hehe, so what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Zilan Malaika, fifteen.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sixteen, that makes me your Big bro, hehe¡­.Don¡¯t worry let¡¯s go to the camp quarters and I¡¯ll tell you all about the gold badge.¡± It was only after speaking to this point that Fujo suddenly noticed Kifo¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Eh¡­Has he been standing so close the whole time.¡± Fujo didn¡¯t understand how he had not noticed Kifo¡¯s presence despite him sticking close to Zilan.

    He wasn¡¯t an arrogant person who completely ignored others, it really was just Fujo not being able to detect Kifo.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± His tone was less friendly as he said those words.

    ¡°His name is Kifo, my half-brother.¡± said Zilan quickly.

    Hearing this, Fujo instantly smiled and actually moved to grab Kifo by the shoulders.

    ¡°Little Brother Zilan¡¯s brother is also my brother. Mm¡­to be able to conceal yourself so well, brother Kifo is really talented. Hehe¡­lets go eat.¡±

    ¡°What is wrong with this family? First, the unusually kind Amani and now this half-idiot, half-carefree young master appears.¡±

    ¡°Why do you and your Uncle take the initiative to approach me?¡± asked Zilan, this was beginning to look too strange and he needed an answer.

    If it was just a simple greeting and then being led to the camp, it would still be acceptable. However, to become brothers with someone far beneath the standards of a Gold sector young master was beyond strange.

    Fujo understood Zilan¡¯s meaning and as if contemplating on a difficult matter, stared at him before sighing and saying,

    ¡°This is not the place to talk about this. I¡¯ll give you an answer when we reach the camp grounds.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡± was all Zilan replied.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    It didn¡¯t take long for them to arrive at the Purple Heart, Two Flames camp. After all, it was only a matter of using the void array set up across the Alchemy Association to teleport there.

    Upon arrival, it would be a lie if Zilan didn¡¯t say that he was stunned. The ¡®camp¡¯ Fujo spoke of was basically a Castle fortress situated near a mid-sized lake.

    There were dozens of armed guards patrolling on the outside. A Fire emblem similar to that of the goat guide could be seen on their armour.

    However, there was another symbol alongside it. A purple heart with a dark blue flame above and below it.

    Inside, was surprisingly quiet with few people in sight but what managed to catch his eye were the rows of stone buildings all around him, spreading far into the distance.

    With just a glance and a sniff, he could tell that the stone buildings had formations placed on them to gather the Universe¡¯s energy.

    Aside from the stone buildings, the occasional shop, restaurant and other interesting establishments came into view. They were scattered around the inner area of the Castle fortress.

    After walking for some distance and taking in the ¡®camp¡¯ before him, four large three story mansions stood before Zilan. Their location was slightly odd, especially since in the middle of the four a Castle that could neither be called excessively large or small could be seen.

    Its features were simple and standard, nothing overbearing like the cauldron building. However, at its front three large banners hung, gracefully fluttering in the wind.

    The largest one was deep red and had the words, ¡®Wazimu Association¡¯ inscribed in beautiful yet imposing characters that most likely were imbued with energy.

    The second largest was much more intricate in comparison but lacked the imposing air of the first one. There were a myriad of different creatures painted on the banner, all fighting amongst themselves. However, within the purple sun in the sky a figure of a normal Mountain Lion looking down on the war beneath, like it had nothing to do with it stood out.

    Although the imposing air was lacking, the arrogance portrayed in the banner could not be concealed.

    The final and smallest banner hanging in the castle was the Purple Heart, Two flames emblem. The same as the ones on the guards armour.

    ¡°Lets go inside and eat.¡± smiled Fujo.

    Unsurprisingly, they were headed towards the Castle.

    The scene upon entering was quite bustling with a number of unknown people shuffling about, carrying dozens of scrolls around.

    It was an amusing sight however, when they noticed Fujo many of them stopped in their tracks and began offering greetings.

    ¡°Ah! So young master is back from the Opening Ceremony. Good.¡± Exclaimed a twenty-something year old practitioner while smiling.

    ¡°Young Master is sure to pass the tests easily.¡± Praised another.

    ¡°Hmph! Just passing is nothing for young master, he is definitely going to get first place. Who can compete with him?¡± shouted someone who really knew how to kiss ass.

    Fujo coughed once before waving his hand for them to stop.

    The group then proceeded up the stairs and into one of the rooms.

    On the floor beneath them the various practitioners were discussing about Zilan.

    ¡°Why has the young Master come with a Half Breed?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? The young Master has always been eccentric since he was a boy, maybe he just got intrigued by the Half Breeds appearance and wished to learn more.¡± stated a middle aged man while stroking his thick beard.

    Suddenly a booming voice sounded out from an unknown location, ¡°Get back to work!¡±

    .............

    The inside of the room on the first floor was quite large. In fact it was easily the size of two of the stone houses that Zilan saw on the perimeter of the Castle fortress.

    ¡°Sit.¡± Urged Fujo who then turned to a maid standing obediently in the corner. ¡°Fetch some food and drink for us brothers to enjoy.¡±

    ¡°Right away, young Master.¡± Responded the maid before walking out of the room.

    ¡°So?¡± Seriously eying Fujo, Zilan demanded an answer to his question.

    ¡°Sigh~ You might think it¡¯s strange for me to treat you like this but where I am from although, I cannot say its common, it has happened a few times.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± wondered Zilan.

    ¡°Have you ever heard of the Rising Purple Sun family?¡±

 Chapter 69 - Associations

    ¡°The Rising Purple Sun family?¡± questioned Zilan.

    Noticing that he didn¡¯t recognise the name, Fujo started from the beginning.

    ¡°Brother Zilan, you may not know about this but in the Gold sector, there are very few family clans. In fact, it can be said that only the greatest factions are family clans while most of the others are either sects or a type of union.

    The Rising Purple Sun family is the name of my family clan and we are especially known for the fact that we possess the oldest Ancestral Heritage out of all the other factions.¡±

    Fujo paused as he observed Zilan¡¯s reaction however, the shock and awe he was expecting was nowhere to be seen. He was very proud of his family¡¯s Heritage and standing thus seeing the calm expression on Zilan¡¯s face left a slightly sour taste in his mouth.

    He didn¡¯t say anything about it though as this was just a small matter, nothing to get annoyed over.

    In truth, the only reason he felt the sour taste was because he viewed Zilan as a Half-Breed who hailed from humble origins. If he knew the ¡®truth¡¯ or at least the lie that Zilan was actually the son of a Dragon then he would naturally not mind.

    ¡°What most people do not know is the fact that a majority of our Ancient Heritage does not come from this world.

    In the distant past, long before our family was founded, a Great Expert came to this world. We don¡¯t much about him except that he came here in search of something and then left. However, before his departure he left many precious items.

    Among the things he left behind, a Mystic technique known as the [Purple Heart Sutra] was without question the greatest treasure.¡±

    ¡°Purple Heart Sutra?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s a very powerful technique and the description left behind by the Great Expert proclaimed that upon comprehending it, prosperity and fortune awaited.¡±

    ¡°This Purple Heart Sutra sounds amazing.¡± whispered Kifo.

    Unlike Zilan, he could not remain calm after hearing what Fujo was saying.

    ¡°It is indeed amazing. The abilities of the Purple Heart Sutra aren¡¯t a big secret so there¡¯s no need to hide it from you.

    When cultivated, the Purple Heart Sutra gives one a Divine sense. Anything that will bring you harm and anything that will give great fortune will be conveyed through this Divine sense that the Great Expert called, [Purple Window].¡±

    ¡°Uncle Amani cultivates the Purple Heart Sutra and in truth he is only the second one in our entire family¡¯s history to grasp the ¡®Truths¡¯ within the technique. He is a peerless genius thus he was bestowed the title, ¡®Master of Hearts¡¯.

    Be it the hearts of people or the hearts of spirit plants, Uncle Amani can sense the good from the bad. In the way of Alchemy, this technique allows him to refine herbs in the most efficient way while still preserving the heart of the spirit plant which is its essence.¡±

    Up to this point Zilan was somewhat lost in thought however, after listening for a long time he finally understood the Purple Heart Sutra.

    It was no Divine technique but it was still pretty good.

    ¡°To encounter the laws of fortune here is a surprise.¡± chuckled Zilan, inwardly.

    This Purple Heart Sutra in his mind most likely contained some of the laws of ¡®Fortune¡¯, just like how water and fire had their elemental laws, some basic principles of the Universe also had their own laws.

    Divine or Heavenly luck was one of them and fortune was an aspect of this major law.

    He already had an idea as to how the Purple Heart Sutra worked.

    ¡°Taking in all the information about a person using the sensory organs as well as Beast force and then coming up with a conclusion based on whether a person or something would be good or bad for you. In essence, it analyses something down to its very aura and then relying on the laws of fortune it makes a decision as to whether or not to get close.¡±

    It truly is a convenient ability however, its effects could be easily replicated by Zilan who possessed the Gift of Love. Just by analysing someone with his eyes or through physical contact, he could get a look into a person or thing and then he would make a decision on whether or not to proceed or stay away.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    The only difference was that the Gift of Love wasn¡¯t as limited as the Purple Heart Sutra as it went much more in-depth and it could still be used on someone stronger although its abilities were lessened. The Sutra on the other hand, in Zilan¡¯s estimations would be utterly useless against someone stronger and this Purple window was just a sense and not a conclusive breakdown or report. Basically it was impossible to get a quantifiable result using the Purple Heart Sutra as it only gave one a ¡®feeling¡¯.

    The laws of Fortune were essentially nothing in the face of strength. Only the major Law of Divine luck which one did not seek and could only pray for stood a chance.

    As for why this Great Expert who cultivated the laws of fortune came to such a small realm, Zilan had a pretty good guess. He must have sensed that fortune or at least something good awaited him here and something that could attract someone of his level here could only be the scorched race.

    Unfortunately, since he departed it looks like what he sought was not found.

    ¡°Fate is truly strange and brutally cruel. The one you looked for is now being treated as an ally and a brother, because of the ¡®unparalleled¡¯ Mystic technique you left in this world.¡± mused Zilan.

    It wasn''t unusual for there to have been existences appear in this small realm before Mungu. After all, Sera the Spring Dragon had travelled here long before Mungu took control.

    As for why Mungu was successful in finding the scorched race, fate, luck and maybe even his own strength could have been the reason. Either way, it no longer mattered.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡°So that¡¯s why? The Purple Heart Sutra¡­¡­.fascinating.¡± said Zilan, pretending to actually be interested.

    ¡°Indeed. With Uncle¡¯s ability, even the Elders of the clan are powerless to stop any of his decisions. As for me, I¡¯ve always been a straight forward person by nature, therefore as long as Uncle says Brother Zilan is trustworthy, that is enough for me.

    Finding allies in a place where many come to seek glory and recognition no matter the cost, is very difficult. That¡¯s why having you here is perfect for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh! So that banner hanging outside is your clans¡¯ symbol?¡± asked Zilan. He already knew the answer but he just wanted to confirm.

    ¡°Yes. That banner represents the fact that the Purple Heart, two flame camp is run and supported by the Rising Purple Sun family.¡±

    He expected as much however, Zilan still couldn¡¯t help but shake his head.

    ¡°To allow powerful factions to set up camps within the Alchemy Association, is that not giving an unfair advantage to them.¡± asked Kifo as he found the whole thing extremely strange.

    Fujo instantly broke into loud laughter before turning towards Kifo and saying,

    ¡°The world of practitioners is rarely fair as such a privilege is only enjoyed by the strong. However, this does not mean that powerful factions are free to form and grow their camps as they please.

    If such a thing really happened then the Alchemy Association would not be so feared and respected.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, so there are rules?¡± wondered Kifo.

    ¡°Of course! These rules don¡¯t just govern the formation and governing of camps but also gives insight into how the Alchemy Association is structured.¡±

    "How so?"

    ¡°The Alchemy Association is actually broken down into many smaller Associations which are headed by the Elders.

    The juniors under these Elders then form their own even smaller Associations which are known as camps.

    The Purple Heart, Two flames camp is also the same as seen by the banner of Elder Wazimu¡¯s Association hanging outside.¡±

    ¡°There are many requirements for setting up a camp aside from gaining the recognition of an Elder. For example one must be at least a three cauldron Alchemy master and must also have the backing of at least one Inferno ranked Fire guardian.

    Also any and all man power used must come from Alchemy Association members. That¡¯s why everyone working here is either a member of the Fire Guardians or is a studying Alchemist.¡±

    ¡°What are the Fire Guardians?¡± inquired Zilan.

    ¡°For the Alchemy Association to be able to protect all of the treasures they possess as well as ensure the safety of all its members can be said to be because of the Fire Guardians. They are the sword that guards the Association as well as the saber that slays all of its enemies.

    In fact, Uncle once said that the rules that govern the formation of camps were placed so that the Fire Guardians would receive the most benefit.

    Be it the resources gained from serving a three cauldron Alchemy master thus allowing their strength to increase or the conflicts that arise when they are guarding the camps, all of these are forms of benefit that favour the Fire Guardians development.¡±

    ¡°How many camps are there in the Alchemy Association?¡± asked Zilan as he thought about something.

    ¡°Who knows? There are hundreds of them. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if another one was being formed right now.

    The more of them an Elder has under him, the greater his standing is within the Association.¡± Laughed Fujo.

    ¡°Would you like to know what rank the Purple Heart, Two flames camp is?¡±

    Zilan noticed the proud smirk Fujo was displaying and he couldn¡¯t help but nod in curiosity.

    Fujo then spread out his palm and stretched out all five fingers before saying, ¡°Top five!¡±

    ¡°Apart from Uncle Amani being a four cauldron Alchemist, there are two Fire Guardians behind him who have already exceeded the Inferno rank and two more who are currently in the Inferno rank.

    Aside from that, there is also the matter of our family clan sending many promising practitioners and Alchemists into the Alchemy Association so as to bolster the camps power.

    With all this, combined with the fact that Uncle Amani is a personal disciple of Elder Wazimu, the Purple Heart, Two flame camp is one of the five strongest in the entire Alchemy Association.¡±

 Chapter 70 - Kifos secret

    Zilan and Kifo chatted with Fujo long into the evening before finally, separating.

    Fujo had offered them rooms in the castle however, Zilan declined and asked to be given one of the stone houses outside instead.

    The request was puzzling but in the end Fujo didn¡¯t pry and quickly ordered people to arrange two stone houses for them.

    Zilan thanked him and quickly settled into his new house.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we stay in that castle?¡± suddenly asked Kifo.

    ¡°With our secrets, it¡¯s better to accept worse facilities in order to guarantee our privacy.¡± smiled Zilan. ¡°Also, the thought of a half-breed staying in their castle would bring me even more unwanted attention. This time, I can¡¯t afford any mistakes.¡±

    He then sat on the small bed in the corner of the room before sighing and looking outside the window.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be spending quite some time in this place.¡±

    Hearing this, a sly smile bloomed on Kifo¡¯s face,

    ¡°You¡¯re that confident in passing the tests?¡±

    ¡°Ha! If I can¡¯t even pass such small things then I might as well dig my own grave now.¡± Laughed Zilan. ¡°After the first compulsory test, I¡¯ll challenge the second test. As for you, don¡¯t think about it and only focus on the Fire Guardian trial. With your rare darkness attribute, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡±

    When Zilan spoke about his Darkness attribute, Kifo¡¯s eyelids twitched and his body visibly shook.

    Naturally, Zilan caught onto this strange behaviour and immediately asked,

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Kifo hesitated. He remembered that ¡®Grandmama¡¯ had once told him never to tell another soul his greatest secret. However, when he thought about Zilan¡¯s unique ¡®ability¡¯ he didn¡¯t see the point of hiding it when the other party could easily see through him.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± asked Kifo.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± wondered Zilan. Kifo¡¯s strange behaviour was giving him a bad feeling, as if he¡¯d missed something important.

    Just in case, he ¡®opened¡¯ his eyes and two magnificent stars appeared in his pupils. Once again information about Kifo¡¯s descent, and his two Divine abilities appeared before him.

    He glanced through it but despite it being slightly more detailed, there was nothing particularly new.

    Meanwhile, Kifo who was being subjected to this ¡®search¡¯ was feeling extremely uncomfortable. Any time he looked into Zilan¡¯s eyes, he would suddenly feel sick.

    ¡°So these are the eyes that can see everything?¡± thought Kifo as he made sure to lower his head.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Zilan once again asked this question. No matter how much he looked, there was nothing noteworthy that he didn¡¯t already know.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Kifo looked at Zilan with an astonished gaze. His current expression was even more shocked than when he first saw the two stars in Zilan¡¯s eyes.

    The reason for this? He had now confirmed that even with his all mighty gaze, Zilan was unable to perceive his secret.

    Now he was faced with a dilemma. ¡°Should I tell him?¡±

    Zilan patiently waited however, he was starting to get somewhat annoyed.

    ¡°What game is he playing?¡±

    After a few minutes of going through it in his head, Kifo finally came to a decision.

    ¡°Compared to his secret, mine is nothing. Besides, me staying silent will only delay my purpose. And was it not Grandmama who told me that I should trust Zilan? Our fates are linked, nothing bad can come from this.¡± Thought Kifo.

    He then turned, faced Zilan and while avoiding his gaze, stretched out his hand. He took two deep breaths and said,

    ¡°Darkness isn¡¯t my only attribute.¡±

    "What!?" Before Zilan could bombard Kifo with questions a faint golden wisp of energy began flying out of Kifo¡¯s palm.

    With a glance Zilan instantly identified that Kifo¡¯s second attribute was without a doubt, [Light]!

    Of course, the fact that Kifo possessed two attributes was not the shocking part. After all, many geniuses would have dual attributes, for example Zilan was fairly confident that Fujo had two attributes.

    What was truly not just mind blowing but also frightening was that he, after careful probing was unable to even detect even a wisp of a second type of energy coming from Kifo¡¯s body.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he was seeing it for himself right now, Zilan would never have imagined such a turn of events.

    He then stared at Kifo unblinkingly before shaking his head and wryly smiling.

    The Book of Path had suddenly activated and a line of words appeared in front of him,

    ¡°You do not possess the key to view this information.¡±

    After that the Book of Path became dormant once again.

    Zilan on the other hand was in a state where his thoughts were jumbled. The more he looked at Kifo, the more confused he became.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see through him.¡± Laughed Zilan. Unfortunately, his laughter was not triggered by joy but rather was due to frustration.

    He tried to trace the light energy in Kifo¡¯s palm back to its origin however, each time he tried to penetrate the skin with his gaze, an indescribable block that he most likely would never have noticed unless he was looking for it, actually stopped him.

    ¡°No wonder that ¡®Grandmama¡¯ person, emphasized that my Ancestor wanted me to protect him. He was definitely involved in some way but how is that possible¡­?¡± Thought Zilan.

    His eyes then went back to normal as they no longer had a use. A situation that he never would have dreamt of occurred.

    ¡°Your attributes¡­are indeed special. The light is weaker than the darkness but that is because your soul is currently too weak to support both. Once you have enough strength, then maybe one day, harmony of the two great elements can be achieved however, until then you mustn¡¯t reveal [Light] or else calamity will befall you. Especially from humans.¡±

    Hearing this Kifo sighed but he nodded in understanding before putting away his energy.

    As Zilan saw this, he suddenly realised something.

    ¡°Your soul. I can tell your souls strength! Why is that?¡± The usually most mysterious aspect of a living being was easily sensed by Zilan, with a little bit of concentration.

    Needless to say, it was a strange discovery but a greatly welcomed one.

    ¡°This is a start to figuring out your mystery.¡± smiled Zilan.

    He then for some reason seemed to recall the reasons why Kifo was unable to awaken his second [Darkness] Divine Ability.

    ¡°Extremely thin bloodline, unworthiness or a blood seal.¡±

    ¡°Could this be a clue?¡± whispered Zilan.

    Kifo was also quite lost since it appeared that Zilan was taking the shock better than he expected. From Grandmama¡¯s description, he figured that Zilan being unable to see through him would give him a big shock. However, unexpectedly not only did that not seem to be the case, it weirdly looked like in a way Zilan was slightly happy.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    With the bright moonlight shining into the window, illuminating the small stone house. Zilan suddenly became aware of the time.

    He then waved his hand and sent Kifo away.

    ¡°Go rest. The tests begin at dawn, we¡¯ll sort everything else out later.¡±

 Chapter 71 - The first test (i)

    Surprisingly, Zilan was able to enjoy a very sound and comfortable sleep despite having to undergo a very important test the next day.

    Among the people who were participating in this times entrance examination he was probably the only one who was able to act as such.

    Even Fujo, was feeling the pressure. Of course, the kind of pressure he was enduring was somewhat different from normal participants as instead of just wishing to pass, he was looking to make a statement. After all, with his family name behind him, a mediocre performance would be simply unacceptable.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    With the rise of the sun, came the morning.

    A commotion was stirring among the members of the Alchemy Association as today was a very special day.

    ¡°The first test is about to start. I hope something interesting happens this year as well.¡± Exclaimed one of the people who intended to watch the first test.

    ¡°Ha! I doubt anything like last year is going to happen again. That record that lasted so many years was broken by the genius Jipende, do you really think something as earth shattering as that could happen again? That Jipende is now a disciple of Master Cheko, which just goes to show how talented he really is.¡± scoffed another by-passing member.

    ¡°Who cares? It¡¯s just a small scale record, all the major ones that were left by the Elders are still standing today. If one of those gets broken then something really big would have happened. That kid only broke the record of most [finds] which means his perception is good and nothing else.¡± stated a short, proud looking Alchemist.

    Immediately all the people who heard him started laughing while shaking their heads at the short man¡¯s foolish comment.

    After that, they all dispersed and left the location.

    The reason for all the intrigue around the entrance exam was actually not very complicated. In fact, it was really only the first test that received so much of the spotlight and that was simply because it was actually the only test set by the Chairman himself out of all of the tests.

    Its popularity also received a sudden increase this year after the previous year, a few test takers actually came close to breaking some of the past records, with one of them shockingly succeeding.

    Naturally, Zilan knew none of what was transpiring outside the Purple Heart, Two Flames camp. He had just woken up and after freshening up, he was ready to leave.

    Fujo and Kifo who did not have quite the rest Zilan had were waiting for him outside the stone house however, unexpectedly Amani and about thirty other camp members were also there.

    As usual, a calm, unperturbed smile could be seen on Amani¡¯s face but unfortunately the same could not be said about the rest of the camp people. All of them were at least one cauldron Alchemists with some of them even having two cauldron pins on their chests thus they found it not only strange but also unacceptable that they¡¯d have to silently await a no-name Half-Breed before departing.

    Seeing this Zilan could only bitterly smile. The situation Amani had put him in was definitely not favorable.

    ¡°If Senior had just called out, this junior would have immediately come out.¡± said Zilan as he slightly lowered his head.

    Amani didn¡¯t respond, only nodding his head before setting off.

    Fujo slightly chuckled as he approached Zilan,

    ¡°Hehe, Uncle can do some strange things sometimes. Don¡¯t think about it too much.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± exclaimed Zilan as he slowly shook his head.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± asked Zilan.

    ¡°The Ethereal forest.¡± Responded Fujo with glowing eyes.

    ¡°Is it special in some way?¡± noticing the change in Fujo, Zilan couldn¡¯t help ask.

    Instantly, a sneer from one of the camp Alchemists who overheard his question sounded out.

    ¡°Idiot!¡±

    Zilan paid no attention to the other party, only waiting for an answer from Fujo.

    ¡°Say another word in front of me and see if I don¡¯t act.¡± Barked Fujo as he glared at the person who abused Zilan.

    The entire group immediately turned silent upon hearing their young Masters threat.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. They were all aware of the power and influence that Fujo held. A single request from him and hell would reign down on them.

    The Alchemist who had thought it was a good idea to put Zilan in his place didn¡¯t dare to even breathe when Fujo¡¯s gaze locked onto him.

    ¡°This bastard. Not only does Master Amani treat him well but he also has support from young Master Fujo. Just who the hell is this trash?¡± cursed the one cauldron Alchemist.

    The people around him, also took note of this and decided to save their frustrations with Zilan for later when the two Masters weren¡¯t around.

    Seeing this, Amani¡¯s smile unnoticeably grew wider. He then waved his hand towards Fujo before saying,

    ¡°The Ethereal forest is one of the Chairman¡¯s personal gardens. Within it resides countless spirit herbs and rare creatures that if captured would make the refining of various high ranked items infinitely easier. However, without the Chairman¡¯s permission no one apart from the Elders can enter them. The compulsory entrance test, is one of the few times vast amounts of people are allowed into one of his gardens, which depending on the person could either be a great opportunity or a hopeless disaster.¡±

    Zilan nodded in understanding. He then turned towards Fujo and asked,

    ¡°So what is the first test about?¡±

    Before Fujo could speak, Amani¡¯s voice sounded out,

    ¡°That will be explained when we reach the grounds.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    With Amani in the lead, the group moved quite fast. It wasn¡¯t long before they had arrived at a large array and after flashing his gold badge, it instantly activated, transporting the entire group.

    After a moment of blurriness, Zilan¡¯s vision quickly cleared and he found himself in a place that could only be described as magical. Between two large mountains laid a huge basin which housed a magnificent forest.

    As far as the eye could see, a myriad of beautifully coloured foliage spread out throughout the basin. The fragrance that permeated the air causing everyone that took it in to have their cultivation stir, by itself can be counted as a treasure let alone the source of smell.

    ¡°Amazing.¡± whispered Zilan as he watched a flock of hundreds of peculiar birds fly across the sky at extreme speeds.

    It wasn¡¯t just him who found this place wondrous, in fact everyone in the group including Amani was in awe when looking at the beautiful or rather the ¡®ethereal¡¯ scenery.

    Amani quickly recovered his mind set and began walking towards the gathering location. As everyone present was a cultivator, it took less than twenty breaths to arrive.

    ¡°You all stay here. Fujo, Zilan and Kifo follow me.¡±

    The camp members of the Purple Heart, Two flame moved towards the spectator¡¯s area where thousands of people were gathered before a large light screen that was currently blank.

    As for Zilan, Amani showed him, Fujo and Kifo to the participants¡¯ area which unsurprisingly was right at the entrance of the Ethereal forest, before leaving.

    After a few minutes, the light screen suddenly flashed and a view of a nearby hill could be seen. Exquisitely crafted tables and seats, were spread out on the top of the hill, with a few old people sitting calmly on them. Some of them even had their eyes closed, as if the whole thing had nothing to do with them.

    However, as soon as the image appeared everyone, be it the spectators or the participants all immediately quieted down as they respectfully looked at the old people on the screen.

    ¡°Some Elders have come out this time!¡± whispered a shocked spectator.

    ¡°Sshh¡­Elder White Snow is about to speak.¡± warned another much older looking Association member.

    As if on cue, the screen then focused on the White Gorilla Elder known as Elder White Snow.

    ¡°I hope you all rested well.¡± His voice powerfully spread out throughout the basin, causing many people to tremble.

    ¡°The Chairman¡¯s test is compulsory and has never changed after many years. Unfortunately as time has gone on, performances have been getting more and more disappointing.

    This time we hope everyone can put in their best efforts to break some of the records set by myself and my Brothers long ago. Of course, there will be many rewards for this accomplishment so make sure to work hard so as to not regret it in the future.¡± Although, his words were spoken powerfully there was still a noticeable frustration and slight sadness that could be detected.

    For the great Alchemy Association to flourish, they required geniuses to appear that in the future could take up the positions of Elder. After all, no one can live forever, even the Chairman could not possibly defeat Time.

    However, for the past few decades, although many talents have appeared, clear cut future leaders had yet to appear and in truth anyone who could equal them when they were youths were extremely sparse.

    That is why after last year¡¯s surprise of a few good seeds, this time the Elders wished to give some incentives to push the prospects. Especially in the first test since it was without a doubt the deepest test.

    Of course not all the Elders were for this proposal for various reasons but those that were could be said to be divided into three groups.

    The most common were Elders who lacked great status and were now looking for a genius to groom who in the future could form a camp that would boost his/her standing. Then there were the Elders who were competing and could not let their rivals nab a great asset like last year when a record breaker joined a camp under the Second Elder.

    As for the third group, those were Elders who had secret, unknown motives.

    ¡°The first test will now begin. Your aim is to collect as many rare items as you can and bring them out with you.

    The rest will be explained in the jade dials.¡±

    As soon as Elder White Snow said that, countless finger-sized jade dials darted through the air and appeared before all the participants.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Meanwhile, many people in the spectators¡¯ area were going off.

    ¡°The Elders are personally rewarding great performances in this years tests. Ahh! Why couldn¡¯t I have waited two more years before taking the test.¡± Lamented an Alchemist who felt wronged.

    It wasn¡¯t only him. In fact, many people were crying out about how unfair this years rules were.

    However, a select few simply remained silent as they gazed at the light screen. These people were talents who knew that even in past years if they had shown great results, they would have been rewarded as well.

    It was only that this time, the Elders seemed to have suddenly publicised their desire for talents for unknown reasons.

 Chapter 72 - The first test (ii)

    Upon touching the jade dial, streams of information regarding the first test flowed into Zilan¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± He smiled towards Fujo and Kifo before dashing for the forest.

    They both followed Zilan closely.

    Although the trio were not the first to run for the forest, they certainly could be counted amongst the first fifty. As for the rest, they were either busy going through all the rules and newly received information or they were cautiously waiting to see if the first group would suffer any problems.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    As he was nearing the forest, Zilan noticed that the speed of the people ahead of him was gradually decreasing.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t even stepped foot into it and the pressure is already affecting them?¡± wondered Zilan.

    According to the jade dial, the forest was divided into three different areas which could be differentiated by the colour of the trees growing in those regions.

    The first and closest area which had the normal and natural towering green trees, exuded the least pressure.

    Further in, and all the trees would be a peculiar red colour. The pressure would also double which made it an extremely difficult area to traverse.

    As for the final region, it consisted of blue trees, and it was described in the jade dial as having pressure that bordered life threatening. Also, the deeper one went the greater the pressure.

    The jade dial didn¡¯t describe it any further and so Zilan could only imagine it.

    Soon it came time for him, Kifo and Fujo to experience the pressure. Both Kifo and Fujo noticeably shuddered before adjusting their bodies to cope with the foreign force pressing down on them.

    However, for Zilan the effects of the pressure gave him an unexpected yet pleasant surprise.

    ¡°Universe power! It seems to not be as pure as the ceremonial grounds and also appears to have been imbued with a foreign energy that¡¯s controlling it to press down on the forest.

    Unfortunately, this doesn¡¯t change the fact that it is still Universe power and as such won¡¯t affect me. Only that unknown energy may slightly affect me but right now, the effects are negligible.¡± Laughed Zilan inwardly.

    It looked like his constitution would give him a great advantage in this test. In fact, one could even go one step further and claim that this place was actually quite a good cultivation ground for him.

    He could easily take in the Universe energy while his body was under pressure by the unknown force.

    Of course, what he¡¯d actually get from this wouldn¡¯t be much. After all, he had absorbed so much Universe energy already that he¡¯d completed the first stage of the [Marks of tribulation].

    If he wanted to continue to greatly increase his strength then Zilan would need to begin properly cultivating and exercising his body.

    Nevertheless, Zilan was still very happy. Like a fish in water, he ran across the field finally entering the forest.

    Kifo wasn¡¯t really shocked seeing him move so effortlessly however, the same could not be said for Fujo who increased his speed in order to keep up with Zilan¡¯s.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Once the trio were about a few hundred meters into the forest, Fujo suddenly called out to Zilan and asked him to stop.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Fujo lightly chuckled before explaining,

    ¡°Brother Zilan, I have a few friends from back home who would like for me to form a group with them as we explore this forest. They¡¯re currently on their way here so I¡¯d like for us to wait a bit for them to get here.¡±

    Zilan furrowed his brows. He didn¡¯t want unnecessary disturbance however, he also couldn¡¯t outright refuse this young Master.

    He looked towards Kifo who honestly seemed to not really care as he continued to observe the enchanting trees.

    In the end he couldn¡¯t say anything and thus sat beside a fairly thin tree, awaiting the arrival of Fujo¡¯s comrades.

    Seeing this, the young Master only smiled as he moved away. From time to time, his mouth would move as if he was speaking to someone.

    About ten minutes later,

    ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± Declared Fujo.

    Zilan glanced at the direction Fujo was facing and saw three figures approaching at a moderate speed.

    The three youths stopped in front of Fujo and immediately gave their greetings.

    ¡°Eldest brother, you ran so quickly inside that I thought you had forgotten about us.¡± Joked an interesting fellow whose appearance from the stomach up, was huge, and as if they were ironed down, his lower body was the complete opposite, exceedingly skinny.

    It was like looking at an apple that was resting on two toothpicks.

    ¡°Stop speaking nonsense, we were the ones who were too slow. Sorry, to have troubled Eldest Brother.¡± Laughed another male lizard youth who aside from his luxurious clothes and light armour, looked quite plain.

    Something that could not be said for the girl who was standing behind them. She had the alluring figure that all young ladies who were coming of age possessed however what set her apart were the seductive curves of her serpentine body and the clear emerald elliptical eyes that seemed to see right through people. Short jet black hair that flowed down to her neck only added to her beauty.

    Her body was mostly covered in fairly small, ash-black scales, leaving only parts of her face as well as her hands and two feet uncovered.

    As far as Beasts were concerned she was the first one Zilan had seen who looked so human like. Of course, the long dark green tail that trailed behind her couldn¡¯t be ignored.

    ¡°A fat lizard, a plain lizard and a beautiful snake girl.¡±

    Just as Zilan noticed and was appraising them, they too were examining him.

    Noticing this, Fujo turned to introduce everyone,

    ¡°Brother Zilan, these three are my close friends. Mnono is the big one, the one who likes to talk too much is Ker and she is my cousin Nyoka.¡±

    The trio didn¡¯t react upon hearing Fujo call out their names and this was because they felt a strange sensation when looking at Zilan. It was extremely faint as if it was being suppressed however, they were also reptiles and of high birth so they could instantly detect that Zilan was one of them.

    As for which species exactly, it was impossible to tell.

    Nyoka especially was staring right at the scarf that was covering Zilan¡¯s neck. She had the strongest bloodline of the three and thus was able to feel more.

    Fujo quickly took note of what was going on and immediately acted.

    ¡°Ehem! I suggest we get moving lest we fall behind.¡±

    The three drew their gazes back but they couldn¡¯t help but steal a few glances at Zilan every few seconds.

    ¡°Ah, that reminds me. We were lucky enough to find three two star, earth green fruit.¡± Exclaimed Mnono.

    Zilan was keeping his distance from the three reptiles since he didn¡¯t want his identity to become known, at least not yet.

    Shining was also an art form and only at the most opportune moment would his splendour truly leave others in awe.

    After hearing that their group had managed to find a two star herb, Zilan couldn¡¯t help but smile and this was because he held yet another advantage in this test.

    The star ranking system for the herbs as well as rare creatures was actually something specific to the test.

    When the dial was brought near a rare item, it would rank the item for the finder by displaying stars. One was the lowest and five was the highest.

    In this test, his other advantage was naturally his eyes. A single flash would be enough to identify a region with strong medicinal essence. Unfortunately, because he was being closely watched that would be a bit tricky so he wouldn¡¯t resort to that if he couldn¡¯t help it.

    That¡¯s why his real advantage was actually Kifo and his [Feline Perception].

    Although he couldn¡¯t perceive energy, with Zilan¡¯s guidance he¡¯d be able to make good use of this ability.