《Shadow Hand》 The Death of the King Inside an old country styled mansion, armed guards were everywhere. This was the home and final resting place of the most feared and at the same time respected man in the entire world. Inside the master bedroom, an old man with scars covering his body was laying on a bed surrounded by various other old men no older than him. Tears were evident in the eyes of some, while a cold smile could be seen on the face of youngsters. The reason they were all there was simple: The King of the Underworld had died. One of the old man with a walking cane said, ¡°Thus comes to end the era of peace¡­.¡± As the old man sighed, the man net to him also nodded as he added with a sigh, ¡°He dominated the Underworld for decades¡­. Suppressing drug trafficking, creating jobs for those that lost their homes to war, manipulating the economy to making it stable, killing off human traffickers, shutting down inhuman experiments...¡± The old man then took a deep breath as he had a sad smile on his face, ¡°He single handedly created an organization that suppressed all families, terrorists and other criminals. At the same time, he created countless jobs, saved the lives of thousands, if not millions from starvation. But the whole world knows him as nothing more than a tyrant. A man that only brought mayhem to the world.¡± The other old men also sighed as they looked at the man lying on the bed with mixed emotions. They were all people that he had saved from death by feeding them, clothing them, educating them and offering them a way to live. The only people that knew how much he helped boost the worlds economy and make the world a better place were the old men in the room.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The rest of the world only knew him as a cold blooded killer that both the underground organizations as well as the governments feared. To the world, he was a ruthless man that stopped at nothing to achieve his own goal of supreme control. However, the men in the room all knew that he had done the world a lot more good than harm. All of the people he had killed or had killed by his men, were people that only thought of self benefit. They didn¡¯t mind making beautiful girls drug addicts so they could sell them to brothels or some twisted people. This was the way he wanted the world to remember him: As a Tyrant not a saviour. One of the old men sighed as he looked at the others, ¡°What do we do now? Dissolve the Organization as per instructions and retire?¡± The old men were all deep in thought until one of them nodded his head and said, ¡°Yes, it was his final wish.¡± The others all nodded in agreement as well as one of the old men then turned to a young man and said, ¡°Implement the plan ¡°The King is Dead¡±.¡± The young man nodded his head and went to a computer as he typed something. With in a few hours, the mansion was empty, the old man in the bed had been buried behind the house under a willow tree by the river side and all of the owned properties of the organization had changed hands. With a single night, the organization that had reigned supreme in the Underworld for decades had vanished into thin air, without even a single bit of news existing on what had happened. Chapter 1: Reincarnation When Jack opened his eyes, he stood in an endless line. The scenery seemed like that of an apocalyptic world¡­. Every thing was in ruins, the skies were dark and the amount of light the place had, all came from the flowing lava. As Jack looked around, he saw countless Demons standing around the line, seeming like guards. After glancing at the guards, he looked in front of him and realized that all the people in the line were compromised of humans and creatures of myth. Although Jack had done many deeds that were extremely grotesque, this sight still made his head spin as he held his breath. Even though he felt as the line wasn¡¯t moving at all, he at the same time felt weirdly calm. Jack then let out a deep breath as he murmured, ¡°So this is the Cycle of Reincarnation.¡± As he murmured that, the memories of his life all suddenly emerged in his head. As he submerged in the memories, he lost all sense of surroundings and it was as though he was living through all the memories again. As he was immersed in those memories, he suddenly heard a cold voice, ¡°Jack Night.¡± After hearing his voice being called, Jack abruptly opened his eyes and to his surprise, the endless line was gone. He was currently standing in front of an enormous throne and on the throne a giant man with a cold face, looked straight at him. Jack gulped but before he could say anything, the giant man flashed a hint of smile as he said, ¡°Saint of a Mortal World.¡± He then sized up Jack as his gaze seemed to pierce through him. The man stood up and shrank down. A black book appeared in his hand as he stood in front of Jack, the same height as him. Jack felt as though he was paralysed, incapable of even the slightest movement. The man walked a full circle around Jack before standing in front of him again. He then flashed a smile again as he said with a hint of amusement, ¡°Throughout the endless years I have guarded the Nether World, acting as it¡¯s King, you are the first person, human or not, that has accumulated so much Karmic Merit through bloodshed and committing one sin after another¡­.¡± The man looked thoughtful for a second and then sighed, ¡°This Book of Life and Death records the past lives and future lives of every Mortal Being. However, you have no past before this, neither do you have a future life after this¡­. This kind of an anomaly has never happened before.¡± Jack¡¯s eyes opened wide as he listened to the man in front of him. The man¡¯s eyes flashed as he said, ¡°You are an anomaly that has never before appeared in the countless years of Nether Kingdoms existence. Since you don¡¯t seem to have a future, let me grant you one.¡± After saying so, the man slightly smiled as he pushed a finger onto Jack¡¯s forehead. Jack only felt a stab of pain between his brows as he suddenly felt his world collapse. As Jack blacked out, his body was enveloped by a gentle white light that gently carried his body away. The eyes of the man never left Jack and when Jack disappeared from the giant room, the man slowly let out a sigh as a smile emerged on his face. ** Inside Jack¡¯s head, an enormous amount of information entered. However, all of that information was sealed and he himself could only view a tiny portion of it. As he immersed himself in the tiny portion that was available to him, he couldn¡¯t help but have his mind shake. He had lived in a Mortal World where Gods, Demons and such were just myths. He naturally had a hard time accepting the situation as it was completely incomprehensible to him. As the massive amounts of information engraved itself into his mind, he slowly felt fatigue washing over him as he had a hard time keeping his mind awake. Slowly, but surely, he fell into a deep sleep¡­. ** In a luxurious old styled mansion, a middle aged man was nervously pacing back and forth in front of a door. From inside the room, screams of pain and intense huffing could be heard. Every time a scream echoed out of the room, the middle aged man¡¯s heart clenched as stopped and glared at the door. An old scrawny looking man finally couldn¡¯t take the pacing any more and yelled at the middle aged man, ¡°For the love of¡­. Will you calm down already?¡± The middle aged man looked at the old man and wryly smiled, ¡°This child may be my fourth child but this nervousness isn¡¯t something I can shake¡­.¡± The old man sighed and patted the heads of the two little boys next to him. He then gave a deep look at the man and said, ¡°You worrying here wont make it any easier for her. More like you nervously prancing around makes her more stressed.¡± The middle aged man lowered his head in embarrassment and just as he was about say something, everything went deathly quiet.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. There wasn¡¯t any huffing or screams any more from inside the room and so, both the old man and the middle aged man fixed their gazes on the door. Now both of them were nervous and the old man frowned as he murmured, ¡°Where is the child¡¯s cry? Don¡¯t tell me¡­.¡± As he thought of a possibility, he couldn¡¯t sit still any more and like a ghost appeared inside the room. What greeted him left him relived but puzzled at the same time. On the bed, a young woman with dishelved hair was gently cradling a young child in her arms. She had a warm smile on her face as she studied the little child bundled in her arms. The old man walked up and studied the child closer but his mind shook and his eyes narrowed as he looked at the child. The child had silvery white hair but this wasn¡¯t anything weird. What made his eyes narrow were the unfathomably deep blue eyes of the child. The child¡¯s eyes were wide open already and hidden within those eyes was infinite coldness. The old man asked, ¡°This child¡­.¡± The young woman raised her head and looked at the old man in front of her and smiled, ¡°Yes, he is the new member of our family.¡± As soon as the words left her mouth, the doors to the room burst open as the middle aged man barged in and looked at the child in the woman¡¯s arms. Seeing the child look at him, the middle aged man felt a giant burden lift from his shoulders as he walked over with a loving gaze in his eyes. The woman smiled as she handed the little baby in her arms over to the man. The man carefully took the child and as he slowly cradled him, he couldn¡¯t help but be drawn into those sapphire blue eyes of his. The woman said, ¡°I wish to name him Jack, after my Grandfather.¡± A glint of sadness and regret passed in the eyes of the two men as they both nodded their heads and the middle aged man walked out with the baby. Outside the room was a serene courtyard in which all sorts of people were currently eagerly gathered. As they saw the middle aged man exit the door, all discussion immediately stopped and every single pair of eyes fell onto the middle aged man. The middle aged man then said with a happy smile, ¡°This is the newest addition to my Nura Clan¡¯s Main Family: Nura Jack.¡± After he said that, everyone cheered and formed a line to congratulate the man and also to check out the newest addition to their family Clan. Celebrations over the birth of the new son of the Main Family went on for seven days and seven nights. ** In the blink of an eye, 7 years had passed since the birth of Jack. Outside the Clans compound, a young boy with silvery white hair and blue eyes was quietly wandering through the forest. Usually, people did not dare to come to this forest as it was inhabited by vicious beasts but the young boy would spend every second he could here ever since he had been able to walk around on his own. In these seven years, his status as the third born son of the Clan Leader had fallen to someone nearly forgotten by all. He was considered as quite an oddball amongst his peers because unlike others his age, he didn¡¯t cry when he didn¡¯t get something, he didn¡¯t quite get along with those of the same age either. He didn¡¯t talk much either and usually spent his time alone, either by playing with spirit beasts of the family or by just gazing into the distance by himself. At first, the grown ups and children still tried to play together with him but he always gave others the cold shoulder. The only ones he got along with were only the members of his family. As Jack sat on a rock and gazed at the river and the fishes that were swimming in it, he immersed himself in it. On a tree a bit further away, an old man stood and looked at the little boy that was silently sitting at the creek. The old man¡¯s gaze was sharp as he sized up Jack. From the day of his birth until today, he had never taken his eyes off of him. Jack¡¯s eyes contained the coldness of a person that had killed hundreds but at the same time, deep sorrow and loneliness. The old man was by no means weak, in this Major World, he stood at the pinnacle of strength and was the Ancestor of their Clan. However, that didn¡¯t stop him from taking immense interest in Jack. From his experience, Jack was someone that had reincarnated with his memories intact but that could only be done by people of extreme power. Those that even the Judges of the Netherworld wouldn¡¯t dare to antagonize were the only people in this entire Realm that could do such a thing. The other option was that a person had a Dharmic Decree from such a person. However, if he had reincarnated with the Decree, his memories should only awaken when he reached a certain cultivation boundary. So the old man was very and quite cautious about Jack. If there was one thing he couldn¡¯t understand, it was why Jack had chosen to reincarnate into his family. If he had enough power to even make the Judges not dare antagonize him, he could easily tell them in which family he wanted to be reincarnated into. Since he didn¡¯t know whether Jack had any ulterior motives or not, he could only take the cautious route of always keeping a watch over him. If he was someone that wanted to swallow his Clan, he would rather have his Clan annihilated standing on their feet and resisting than survive by bending the knee and becoming someone else¡¯s subordinates. As Jack gazed at the river, he fell into a mysterious state. Ever since his reincarnation, this happened quite often as he looked at random things. Without him realizing hours pass as he simply gazes the sky, falling leaves or a flowing river. He couldn¡¯t understand the reason for it but all he knew was that every time he exited this mysterious state, he felt his senses sharpen, his body lighter and his understanding of the world around him had changed dramatically. As the old man gazed at Jack, he suddenly opened his eyes wide as he looked at him in disbelief. ¡°He started cultivating¡­. But how¡­.¡± The most optimal time to start cultivation was ten years old as they only start sensing Qi in the world around that age. Jack¡¯s body was covered in black mucus that was pushed out of his pores. These were the impurities in his body that had accumulated over the years. Chapter 2: Path of Cultivation When Jack opened his eyes, he was immediately assaulted by an extremely foul smell. When he looked down and saw himself covered in black grimy stuff, he couldn¡¯t help but frown deeply. Since he was too young, he lacked the basic knowledge of cultivation. His senses were far sharper than before and he felt his strength having risen over all. He had a slender body, he wasn¡¯t as built as his father but his strength was still quite strong. At seven years of age, he had the same strength as a professional bodybuilder had in his old world. The biggest change this time was that he could feel some strange energy all around him in the air. He couldn¡¯t see or touch it but he could feel that it was truly there. As he looked at his body and clothes covered in grime, he first tried to wash it off but since the grime was oily, that plan didn¡¯t quite work. He still had no idea what this stuff was but the smell by itself was enough to make a person vomit his stomach out. As he looked around in dismay, an aged figure suddenly appeared in front of him. Seeing the figure, Jack was startled for a second before he respectfully bowed and said, ¡°Ancestor.¡± The old man neither nodded or said anything but just kept his gaze locked onto Jack. After a few moments passed, he finally took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Which major power are you from?¡± Jack was startled as he suddenly understood something. His behaviour wasn¡¯t exactly befitting to those of the same age and his unusual behaviour had attracted the interest of his Clan Ancestor. Jack straightened his back and looked into the old man¡¯s eyes with the same confidence and coldness as when he was still at pinnacle of power in his past life. The old man was secretly startled. Jack then said with a wry smile, ¡°To be honest senior, I am not from any major power. The reason I could reincarnate like this was due to a lucky chance of the Judge taking an interest in me.¡± As he said that, he didn¡¯t bother trying to conceal the truth. When growing up, he learned a lot about this world he was in. It was a hundred thousand times bigger than Earth and it was unified under a single power, the Xing Royal Dynasty. However, this world had two other special existences, the Nura Clan and the Fang Clan. Both of the Ancestors of the Clan were people on par with the Royal Dynasties Ancestor in strength, so a delicate balance had formed between the three. The two Clans were wary of the power behind the Royal Dynasty and the Royal Dynasty was afraid of the two Clans teaming up if it tried anything funny. Although there were hidden struggles between the three powers, on the surface they each gave one another face and never pushed things too far. To try and conceal something from a person that stood at the pinnacle of this World, was that not a good joke? The old man¡¯s gaze sharpened as he asked, ¡°Then, who were you in your previous life. Those eyes, this aura¡­. It can¡¯t be obtained from being just a normal person.¡± Jack gave a wry smile again as he said, ¡°I was nothing more than a Mortal. To better my own life, I climbed over a mountain of corpses and obtained the power unparalleled in the world. I could appoint someone as a Leader of a country or take one off that seat with a single word.¡± The old man was startled for a second but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. Jack raised his head and looked at the sky as he said, ¡°My previous world¡­. It was ravaged by war¡­. If you wanted to survive, you clawed at every opportunity and killed anyone in your way.¡± He then looked at the old man and gave a sad smile, ¡°In that world, my family died when I was young, I stole, killed and murdered to survive. Even when I reached the top, I was still alone. Much like the path of cultivation is a lonely road to the top, so was my life in that world.¡± The old man sighed as he revealed a gentle light in his eyes. His cultivation was worlds apart from someone like Jack, so he could see with a glance that Jack didn¡¯t lie when he said all that. More like, it was heartfelt truth. The old man then pointed his finger out and the water from the river rose to the air and formed a small screen in front of Jack. The old man then said, ¡°Walk through the water screen. It will take all the impurities off from you.¡± Jack tilted his head as he looked at the water screen. He didn¡¯t feel any maliciousness from the screen and carefully stepped through it. In truth, even if he tried to run away, he would have no chance in Hell outrunning the old man. If the old man wanted to do something to him, no one in the Clan had the qualifications to say anything about it. As Jack passed the water screen, all of the black grimy stuff was washed off his body and clothes, staying in the water screen. Jack closed his eyes as he indulged himself in the feeling of cleanliness and the old man revealed a smile as he waved his hand, sending the water screen covered in grime flying to the distance. Jack opened his eyes and then bowed to the old man again, ¡°I thank Ancestor.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The old man had visibly loosened up as he laughed it off and pointed towards the rock Jack sat on before. ¡°Take a seat, I will explain what just happened to you.¡± Jack nodded his head as he took a seat on the rock. The old man then started, ¡°That black grime were the impurities in your body that have accumulated over the years of eating mortal foods and by breathing in the foul air.¡± He then clasped his hands behind his back and said with a smile, ¡°You have unintentionally stepped on the road of cultivation now. You have broken through to the first stage of Qi Gathering.¡± Jack¡¯s eyes went round as he absorbed the information the old man was imparting on him. The old man continued explaining, ¡°There are a total of Thirteen Stages of Qi Gathering. After that comes the Foundation Establishment, Palace Building, Core Formation and finally the Nascent Soul Stage. These are called the Large Boundaries.¡± Jack nodded his head as he committed everything the old man said into his memory. The old man then said, ¡°After each Large Boundary comes a Tribulation to test your cultivation and determination. I will tell you more about the details of higher stages as you reach higher cultivation.¡± Jack suddenly started as he looked at the old man with confusion in his eyes. The old man revealed a smile and said, ¡°I have taken quite an interest in you, so I will guide you down the path of cultivation to the best of my ability.¡± Jack immediately stood up and cupped his hands as he bowed to the old man, ¡°This Junior thanks Senior for his guidance to come.¡± The old man let out a laugh and gestured for Jack to sit back down. After Jack sat back down, he continued, ¡°There are two cultivation paths, Qi Gathering and Body Tempering.¡± The old man¡¯s eyes turned solemn as he continued seriously, ¡°Qi Gathering is faster and easier but is weaker than Body Tempering. Body Tempering on the other hand is several time more difficult and the degree of pain involved will be no small matter. Qi Gatherers specialize in magical combat while those that temper the body specialize in close combat.¡± Jack tilted his head and asked, ¡°Is the difference in strength between the two paths that big?¡± The old man sighed as he nodded his head, ¡°Yes, it is a very large difference. A Qi Gatherer stands no chance against a Body Temperer of the same Boundary. Body Temperer¡¯s are virtually unbeatable against Qi Gatherers of the same Boundary.¡± The old man waved his sleeve as he said, ¡°For example, an Early Stage Foundation Stage Body Temperer could fight a Qi Gatherer of the Late Stage Foundation Stage to a stand still. If the Body Temperer¡¯s foundation is solid enough, he could even beat him.¡± The old man took a deep breath as he continued, ¡°However, if the same Body Temperer were to put against an Early Stage Qi Gathering Foundation Stage cultivator¡­. Instantly getting killed isn¡¯t a miracle if the Body Temperer can get into close range.¡± Jack gulped as he learned of the vast difference between the two. As he looked at the old man in puzzlement, the old man chuckled as he said, ¡°You are wondering why most people choose the path of Qi Gathering if it is so much weaker than Body Tempering?¡± Jack nodded his head as the old man explained, ¡°As I said before, the path of Qi Gathering is several times easier and far, far more painless. In addition, only Qi Gatherers can train in Alchemy, Forging and such. Body Tempering is a path focused on fighting while Qi Gathering is more focused on fine controlling their Qi which allows them to take up professions such as Alchemy and Forging.¡± Jack had a sudden face of realization as he understood why there were a lot more Qi Gatherer¡¯s than there were Body Temperers. The old man then turned serious as he asked, ¡°Which path do you wish to follow: Body Tempering or Qi Gathering?¡± Jack fell into thought as he pondered on the question. Both Paths had their merits but at the same time both paths had their demerits. Qi Gathering was easier and faster but resulted in less personal strength. Body tempering however was hover several times harder and more time consuming but at the same time, the gains were also several times bigger. Jack then asked, ¡°Do Body Temperers have any side Professions as well?¡± The old man nodded his head and said, ¡°They can also forge weapons and lay down Arrays. Forgers in particular need a strong robust body to smith the weapons and armours. Arrays, they just follow ones own comprehension. If one has talent for them, he has talent for them. If not, then he just doesn¡¯t.¡± He shook his head lightly as he finished his sentence, ¡°It has nothing to do with the path one chooses.¡± After saying so, he started sizing up Jack again as Jack pondered on which path to choose. If he didn¡¯t see that Jack had talent for Body Tempering, he would have never even given him a choice in the matter. His mindset was also suitable as he wasn¡¯t afraid of hardship or hard work. As Jack pondered on the merits and demerits of both paths, time slowly passed and the sun slowly set as night began to take over the forest. The two, one old man and one young boy, were still by the side of the creek. The old man had all the time in the world so he wasn¡¯t in a particular hurry and was actually approving of Jack taking his time with choosing. If he had quickly chosen a path, he would have disdained it instead but seeing as Jack is taking his time, it showed that he was currently seriously sizing up the merits and demerits of both paths and also his own strengths and weakness. When the silvery moon stood high in the sky, Jack suddenly opened his eyes. Seeing this, the old man revealed a smile as he asked, ¡°Have you chosen your future path?¡± Jack nodded his head as he answered with determination, ¡°I wish to follow the path of Body Tempering.¡± Chapter 3: Beginning of Trials Hearing Jack¡¯s answer, the old man could not help but contain his joy. In his eyes, Jack was the perfect candidate to inherit the strongest and most mysterious body refining technique the Nura Clan possessed. This technique was an [Art] left behind by an old friend of his that obtained it from some dangerous ruins. However, since the fellow had no descendants, he left the technique with him as he went to roam around the Realm. If he met his end, at least the technique wouldn¡¯t be lost. As the old man though about this, a feeling of sadness took over him as he remembered this sworn brother of his. He took a deep breath and hid the memories deep inside as he looked at Jack and asked, ¡°Are you sure? The path of Body Tempering is several times more difficult than Qi Gathering. Besides that, the path will be several times longer and several times more painful.¡± As he looked straight into Jack¡¯s eyes with a solemn look, Jack nodded his head as he also seriously answered, ¡°It isn¡¯t my way to half ass things. If I do something, I pick the path with the best results, no matter how bloody or ardacious the path is.¡± A light passed the old man¡¯s eyes as his smile grew bigger and he said, ¡°Good. Good!¡± He then walked in front of Jack and said, ¡°This is the mindset needed for Body Tempering. Never afraid, never cower.¡± After saying so, he put his hand on Jack¡¯s shoulder and with that, Jack suddenly felt his world blur and in the next moment, all of his surroundings had changed. ** In the forbidden training ground of the Ancestor, two servants were talking, ¡°Hey, have you heard about the Third Young Master?¡± The other young woman nodded heard head as she giggled, ¡°Yes, I heard that he goes to the Forest of Beasts really often.¡± The other nodded her head and giggled as well, ¡°Maybe he will get himself killed when he wanders around there.¡± The other nodded her head as she said with a cold face, ¡°He is always so distant, no matter who tries to make friends with him, he pushes them all away. I like his eldest brother more, he is always so charming and dashing.¡± As the girl said that, she blushed. Seeing that, the other young servant girls face turned into a grin as she was about to say something a cold voice came from behind them, ¡°Is that so?¡± The two froze in terror as they turned around and saw the Ancestor staring at the two with ice cold eyes. The two immediately kneeled one of them said, ¡°Ancestor...¡± But she couldn¡¯t say more as the old man just coldly stated, ¡°The two of you are from now on relived from your duties and are forbidden from living inside the Main Family Compound.¡± With those words, two tokens that they held flew out of their spacial rings and into the old Ancestors hand. Without another word, he turned around and left. The two immediately raised their heads with ashen faces after hearing the words but every word of plea was stuck in their throat as they saw a young boy with silvery white hair walking behind the Ancestor. Seeing him walking behind the Ancestor, the two immediately knew what just had happened and why. It had to be said that this entire courtyard was a complete Forbidden Zone in the Clan. Unless the Ancestor gave the person an Authority Token, they were unable to even as much as enter one hundred meters of the courtyard. Jack suddenly felt their gazes land on him and he turned around for a second. He gave them a cold look and then without bothering with the two of them any more, he turned to follow the old man again. The two young girls had sacrificed a lot to obtain this post but now all of their efforts had gone down the drain. Although they wanted to hate Jack for it, deep in their heart, they knew that it was all their own fault. Speaking like that about the Main Family was a taboo in itself, much less in the Ancestors courtyard. If they hadn¡¯t run off their mouths here, they would have been able to keep their positions and all the prestige that came with it. But now, all they could do was sullenly leave the courtyard before the Ancestor decided to throw them out. ** The old man didn¡¯t say a word as he lead Jack to a little black pagoda. The pagoda was the size of a small cottage. The old man took a deep breath and threw a black command medallion with a blank mask on one side and the word Nura on the other side. Jack caught the medallion and as he was inspecting it, the old man said, ¡°From now on, this pagoda is yours. You may enter and exit as you see fit. Inside there are various rooms and a [Art] I wish you to use as your Cultivation Method. All the resources you need will be delivered here and if you have any questions or problems that the two golems inside can¡¯t help you with, then seek me out.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. He then took a deep breath and looked at Jack saying one last thing, ¡°If you wish to go out to temper yourself, let me know before hand.¡± With that, he helped Jack bind the command medallion and he turned to leave. Jack stared at the command medallion in his hand and then look at the house. He took a deep breath as he entered the little pagoda. ** As soon as Jack stepped into the pagoda, the old man appeared in front of it. A look of nostalgia appeared on his face as he murmured, ¡°Little Brother, I finally found a perfect successor for you.¡± He gave the pagoda one last deep look and turned around to head to his own cultivation chambers. ** When Jack entered the doorway, he suddenly felt a nauseating feeling building up in his stomach but the feeling was gone as quickly as it came and when Jack took a look at his surroundings, he was dumbstruck. Inside the pagoda, it was a whole different world. The layout was a simple floating island type. On each Island there was a different building for different purpose. An Art Hall that held useful [Arts] for cultivating or for battle. Artefact Hall which was specifically for forging and storing all types of weapons. Training Hall where there were all sorts of Killing and Training Arrays. Tempering Hall, a place where he could temper his body to the maximum. As Jack took a deep breath after glancing at his surroundings, two streaks of light landed in front of him. There was a muscular man with red hair and a bare upper body and the other was a slender woman with pitch black hair. The two looked at Jack coldly and the muscular man asked, ¡°Do you have the Token?¡± Jack gulped as he was frightened to the max by the man¡¯s ferocious aura. Involuntarily, he had started shaking as he showed the two the token the old man had given him. A glint passed the red haired man¡¯s eyes as he took the token and said, ¡°The Nura Clan was given only one token, one chance at obtaining my Master¡¯s legacy. Are you sure you wish to undergo the Trial?¡± Jack was startled when he heard that and he thought to himself, ¡°One chance? And that old man gave it to me?¡± As he stared unblinkingly at the man, the slender woman continued, ¡°If you pass the Trial, per Master¡¯s orders, we will accept you as our new Master and you will become the sole owner and Successor of this place. Everything, including the two of us, will belong to you.¡± Jack gulped as he heard that but he quickly thought of something and asked, ¡°What happens if I fail?¡± Before the slender woman could answer, the muscular man said coldly, ¡°You die and we will take this estate to somewhere else to wait for another candidate.¡± Jack sucked in a deep breath as he heard that. Although he wasn¡¯t a coward by any means, he wasn¡¯t suicidal person either. Succeed and obtain the Legacy of their Master, failure means death. Jack took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Can I know the details of the Trial?¡± It wasn¡¯t wrong to ask about it as knowing what he would be up against would help him prepare and those small preparations could mean all the difference between failure and success. The muscular man grinned as he said, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you in detail but I can tell you that there will be three Trials: 1. The Trial of Pain, 2.The Trial of Will and 3.The Trial of Heart. That is all I can tell you...¡± Jack lowered his head in thought for a second before raising it and looking at the man in the eyes saying, ¡°I wish to undertake the Trial.¡± The man nodded his head and waved his hand. With that Jack disappeared as he was taken into the Trial Ground. After this had happened, the slender woman narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Do you think that he will succeed?¡± The man looked at the spot Jack had disappeared from in thought as he answered with a grin, ¡°He has 90% chance of being able to succeed.¡± The slender woman¡¯s eyes opened wide as she stared at the man in a dumbstruck manner. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe his words but rather, 90% chance¡­. What did that mean? As long as he tried, he was guaranteed to succeed. She look over at the spot Jack disappeared from and also started waiting for him to exit the Trial Grounds. ** When Jack became aware of his surroundings, he couldn¡¯t help but gulp. He felt an intense sense of deja vu as he saw that his surroundings were just like when he was in the Netherworld. Only there wasn¡¯t an endless line and the demons were gone as well. As he stared at the surroundings, an old man appeared in front of him. He was dressed in all black and he had short silvery hair. Although he was muscular, he wasn¡¯t overly muscular like the red haired man but rather, his muscles were just well defined, not bulging. He looked at Jack with cold eyes as he said in a monotone voice, ¡°This is the First Trial, The Trial of Pain.¡± Jack focused on the man¡¯s words not daring to miss one single letter. The man then continued, ¡°The goal of the Trial is to walk over to the other side of plains and arrive at the shrine. When you stand in the shrine, you will have successfully passed the first test and will be taken to the Trial Grounds of the Second Trial.¡± The old man took a small break before continuing with the explanation, ¡°But be careful, every step will be as if you are stepping on knives and every breath you take will feel as though your lungs are on fire.¡± When Jack heard that, he gulped as he felt his confidence shake a lot by what the old man said. Without even a change of face, the old man continued, ¡°The closer you get to the shrine, the harder the pressure will push down on you, so be prepared.¡± Then the old man disappeared as he left behind his last words, ¡°This old man wont accept any weakling as his Successor. You either show your worth or perish being incompetent.¡± After hearing the last words, Jack sucked in a deep breath of air. He looked at the ground in front of him and mentally prepared himself for the Trial ahead. He knew from before that there was no way back once the Trial started. You either pass them and soar to the skies or fail and be forgotten in the annals of history. Chapter 4: The Trials When the old man¡¯s voice had disappeared, black stone statues started rising up from the ground. There were two lines of statues and each statue held a weapon of some kind. The two rows had a space in between that neatly formed a small path for him to walk. ¡°So this is the path I am meant to follow.¡± As Jack looked down the path, he couldn¡¯t help but have his heart clench. He may have been the number one figure in the Underworld in his previous life, a person that could kill or spare anyone but even he didn¡¯t have a heart of stone. At times, knowing what waits ahead is several times worse than stumbling in the dark. This was one of such cases, if he didn¡¯t know what the test would encompass, he would have stepped on the path long ago. However, since he currently knew what he would be facing, his steps were hesitant. Even though he had no way back any more, he still hesitated in taking the first step and officially beginning the trial. After taking a good few minutes to hesitate, he closed his eyes, regulated his breathing and slowly but surely, cleared his mind of everything. ¡°Clear your mind, only focus on the goal. Block out every single other thought, they will only serve as a distraction.¡± These were the words of the old assassin that had given him a chance at life. During his training under him, these words were the bread and butter that he heard so many times that he could say them on command even in his sleep. When Jack opened his eyes again, his eyes were devoid of any emotion, every single distracting thought had been shut out of his mind. The only thing on his mind right now was to walk the path, no matter what happened. With that, he slowly raised his leg and took the first step, officially beginning the Trial. ** Far above the First Trial Ground, above the clouds, the old man in black was gazing down on Jack. He had a serious look on his face as he talked to himself, ¡°This boy isn¡¯t simple. It only took him a few breaths of time to clear his mind of distractions and confidently step on the path.¡± A hint of smile formed on the man¡¯s lips as he mused to himself, ¡°He has already passed the First Trial. Now all that is left is to wait for him to walk the path and acquire the good fortune that came with it.¡± The whole point of the First Trial wasn¡¯t to walk the path but rather to build up the courage to take that very first step. It was the sole reason that the old man even went so detailed into the Trial in the first place. It was to undermine his courage and make him hesitate, if he could still take that first step even though he knew what waited him with each step, he was considered passed. The rest of the path was simply good fortune for him as it slowly and surely tempered and rebuilt his body to be more suitable for the [Art]. Even if he failed in the end of third Trial, he would still have an incredibly solid foundation for Body Tempering. These Trials were all meant to test the candidates but at the same time, mould and temper them. ** When Jack took the first step, his face was as cold as ice. When his foot hit the ground, he felt prickling pain all over his body. It wasn¡¯t by any means unbearable but rather, it felt like someone was just poking him with small needles. With every breath he took, he felt his lungs become warmer and warmer. His steps were steady as he traversed the path in front of him, the only thing on his mind was to walk to the end of the path. With each step, the prickling sensation grew stronger and when he had walked a hundred steps, the pain started to become evident. His steps slowed as he took a bit to grow accustomed to the pain. After a hundred more steps, it took him a few minutes to take each step as the pain that came with each step grew increasingly unbearable. Beads of sweat were flowing down his face and his whole body as he grit his teeth and persevered through each step. He could feel his body slowly changing and his body becoming stronger. His skin grew harder while his muscles and bones were being tempered by the trickling pain. Every breath that he took made his lungs feel as though they were on fire. This fortune tempered him from both the inside and outside. The pain and pressure from the steps tempered his skin, bones and flesh, while the air he inhaled burned away all of the impurities within his organs. As he continued walking on the path, popping sounds rang out every once in a while as all the impurities still hidden within his body were all being forced out by the tempering and the pressure. Every time the impurities were forced out, Jack felt strength return to his body as he found the strength he needed to continue walking on the path.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. As he simply focused on walking, he soon reached right in front of the shrine. When he took that one final step and stepped into the shrine, all pressure, pain and the heat from the air disappeared all at once. Without them bearing down on him any more, he fell to his knees and arms and started gasping for air. He didn¡¯t know how long he had walked on the path but he was certain that it was of tremendous benefit for him. As he caught his breath, the old man appeared in front of him with a stone cold face again. Without any emotion he said, ¡°You have passed the First Trial.¡± He then pointed to the pentagram on the ground and said, ¡°Step into the array and you will be taken to the Second Trial Ground.¡± With that, the man disappeared again as Jack turned his eyes to the array on the ground. After regulating his breath and looking over his gains, he took a deep breath and walked over to the array on the ground. Taking one last deep breath, he stepped into it and he felt his world blur. ** When he came to again, he was standing inside a room. He was currently chained to a wall with no way to move what so ever. Jack took in his surroundings and then his gaze came to rest on a figure standing at the opposite side of the room. It was the old man. Before Jack could say anything, the old man said with a cold voice, ¡°This is the Second Trial, Trial of Will.¡± This time, he didn¡¯t say anything more detailed about the Trial but rather just waved his hand. With the wave of the hand, three figures appeared in front of Jack. Jack¡¯s eyes opened wide as he recognized the figure in front of him. Two of the people were executioners while the person between them was someone Jack knew very well, it was his Eldest Brother. The young man was in a very ragged state with his hands and feet chained. The light in his eyes was completely gone and none of the usual vigour was seen. Without any explanation, the old man said, ¡°Execute him!¡± Jack¡¯s eyes opened even wider but before he could say anything, the executioners had already chopped off his head. Jack stared at the now headless body of his Eldest Brother, not a single sound could escape from his mouth. Before he could even process what had just happened and why, he heard a voice in his head, ¡°This is the Second Trial. The path of cultivation is ruthless and if you can¡¯t even see your acquaintances die in front of you, you are not qualified to walk this path.¡± After this echoed out in Jack¡¯s head, another figure appeared right in front of him, it was his Sister in this life. The only people he was close to in the Clan were the people of his family, as for the rest, he had no feeling or emotion for them at all. Like this, a familiar face appeared in front of him and his or her head was chopped off. Jack could do nothing but watch. As time went on, Jack gradually grew numb and after a while, he didn¡¯t even flinch any more, he just coldly watched another familiar person appear in front of him and be executed. Seeing Jack grow cold so fast, the old man was startled. He even started suspecting that Jack broke. After scanning him, he could tell that Jack just shut off all emotion. Although the old man didn¡¯t show any emotion on his face, inside, he was dumbstruck as he thought to himself, ¡°Just who is this brat? By his skeletal age, I am sure he is only 7 years old but¡­.¡± He took a breath and closely examined Jack, ¡°From his mentality, it is as if he has killed hundreds or received specialized training for shutting off emotions.¡± In reality, the old man wasn¡¯t wrong. When Jack was taken in by the assassin, he received specialized training to shut out all distracting thoughts, distracting emotions and coldly carry out the order given. In addition to that, he himself had also killed or sentenced thousands of people to death with a word. Some of them had been like brothers or sisters to him while the others had been complete strangers. After some time passed and Jack hadn¡¯t even batted an eye to the people being executed, the old man stopped the trial. The person to be executed, the two executioners, all of them disappeared. The old man walked in front of Jack and looked at him straight in the eyes and asked, ¡°Just who are you?¡± Jack also coldly looked at him with no emotion what so ever as he answered, ¡°I am me.¡± The old man let out a light smile as he waved his hand and the chains and the room disappeared. The two were in a blank white space, standing face to face. The old man crossed his arms on his chest and then just gave Jack a smile as he said, ¡°You have passed the Second Trial. With this, the Trials have ended and I deem you worthy of being my successor.¡± Hearing this, emotions started returning to Jack as he asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t there supposed to be a Third Trial as well?¡± The old man gave a crafty grin as he explained, ¡°The Third Trial, Trial of the Heart started the moment you walked into the Trial Grounds. The Trial was active at the same time as the two first were.¡± Hearing this, it made sense to Jack. The old man continued explaining, ¡°Everything, from having the courage to take the first step in the First Trial to not even batting an eye to having your loved ones executed in front of you were all part of the Third Trial.¡± Jack slowly nodded his head indicating he understood it now. The old man then smiled again as he said, ¡°Having passed all of the Trials, I now appoint you as my sole successor. I pass all my knowledge, Arts and Resources over to you. Use them all well.¡± With that the old man started slowly disappearing as he turned into a small symbol of a black hooded figure squatting with a scythe over his shoulder. As Jack gazed at the symbol, it shot towards him and engraved itself onto his left shoulder. Then Jack felt the nauseating feeling again as he felt his world blur again. When his eyes focused again, he was standing in front of the muscular man and slender woman. The two of them looked at him with a grin as they simultaneously dropped to their knees saying, ¡°Greetings Master!¡± Chapter 5: Choosing the Path When the two dropped to their knees, Jack stood there dazed. He didn¡¯t pay attention to the two at the moment but rather, he stood there closed eyes as he tried to look over his gains. His body felt a lot lighter but at the same time, he had a feeling as though it was several times more powerful than before. Whether it be his senses or his overall body strength. They all had been upgraded several times over. This was the drawback of having your strength rise rapidly. It threw your balance out of whack and you needed to take a bit of time to adjust to the rapid increase in your senses and body strength. Although he hadn¡¯t tested it out, he was quite confident in lifting 300kg with relative ease now. But at the same time, he had difficulty in limiting his hearing, focusing his eyes and using the right amount of strength for basic movements such as walking, picking things or just waving his hand. As he slowly went over all his gains, he opened his eyes and focused them on the two kneeling before him. Sensing his gaze, the two looked at him and then the muscular man respectfully handed Jack he token back. He then said, ¡°This lowly one is Wood Cutter. Wood Cutter pays his respects to Master.¡± Then the slender woman also respectfully added, ¡°This lowly one is named Nagi. Nagi pays her respects to Master.¡± Jack took the token and nodded his head, ¡°My name is Jack. Just call me by my name in the future or by the nickname Little Ji.¡± As he said the words ¡°Little Ji¡± his gaze grew soft as he thought back to his previous life. ¡°Little Ji¡± was a nickname that he was called by through his whole life. Only the people close to him knew of this nickname and because of that, the name held a special meaning to him. The only reason he felt the two were qualified to call him that was because these two will now be stuck with him for the rest of his life. The two exchanged a glance and the slender woman said, ¡°With all due respect, Master is Master...¡± But before she could finish her sentence Jack said, ¡°We will be stuck together for a long time, if you have any respect for me as your Master, then call me Little Ji.¡± The two couldn¡¯t refute him any more and dejectedly agreed to call him Little Ji from now on. Wood Cutter then told him how to bind the token and take control of the world inside the pagoda. However, one thing that made Jack dumbstruck was that he couldn¡¯t completely bind this world and carry it on himself as he willed unless he reached the Empyrean level. At most, the Token would allow him to take command of the Islands and all of the things that came with it but he couldn¡¯t access the true Legacy Treasures left behind by the old man unless he reached the Empyrean Stage. Although the environment given to him was the top grade of the top grade and would even make most Core Disciples of various Major Powers green with envy, it wasn¡¯t much to the old man. Through his entire life, he hadn¡¯t taken in any disciples or living retainers. The only ones he had were the two golems: Wood Cutter and Nagi. As Jack listened to Wood Cutters explanation, he couldn¡¯t help but have mixed thoughts on the matter. Although he left the best environment for training for Jack, he didn¡¯t leave him much more. Of the Artefacts in the Hall, he could at best choose two Weapon, One Defensive and one Movement Artefact. These were all Top Grade Artefacts, although he couldn¡¯t use them to their full strength, it was still better than nothing. However, he didn¡¯t receive even a single Seal. Seal¡¯s were one time use items that had tremendous power or special abilities such as being able to teleport. A Top Grade Defensive Seal could even guard against an attack that could destroy an entire Minor World. Similarly a Top Grade Offensive Seal could release a strike that could destroy an entire Minor World. At early stages of cultivation, Seals were far more beneficial than Artefacts themselves were, so it was understandable that Jack was a bit disappointed. However, at the same time, he still had the Nura Clan behind his back, so obtaining some Spacial Seals or Defensive Seals wouldn¡¯t be that difficult for him. After listening to Wood Cutter¡¯s explanation, he bound the Token according to the instructions and headed towards the Library. Inside the Library, there was the [Cultivation Art] the old man left for him and also several other [Offensive Arts], [Defensive Arts] and [Movement Arts]. But like with the Artefacts, he could only choose two [Offensive Arts], one [Defensive Art] and one [Movement Art]. Jack frowned and as he asked about it from Wood Cutter, he could only give a helpless shrug as he said, ¡°All of the [Arts] will become available to you once you bind this ¡°Starry Island¡±. Before that, you can only follow the rules laid down by the Old Master.¡± Jack sighed as he understood why the old man limited the things he left him. It wasn¡¯t good to bite off more than he could chew and learn everything at once. The number of [Arts] he permitted him to learn were exactly the number that wasn¡¯t too little or too much. Two [Offensive Arts] to give him a bit of variability. As for [Defensive Arts] and [Movement Arts] it was several times better to focus on cultivating one and reaching perfection in it rather than start mixing all sorts of [Arts] together and end up with a mix mash of a failure.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ** When Jack entered the Library, he needed a short while to calm himself. In front of him were rows upon rows of bookshelves, all filled with various [Arts], comprehensions of different Dao¡¯s and hundreds of auxiliary or just low levelled [Arts]. As Jack swept his gaze over the bookshelves, the old man appeared in front of him again. However, now there hung a small smile on his lips and his eyes were filled with warmth. Jack looked at the old man and cupped his hands and gave a small bow. The old man nodded and then said, ¡°All of these [Arts] here are for you to use for you own reference.¡± He then gently waved his hand and Jack felt some formless pressure slowly lift him up and made him follow the old man as the old man flew towards the deeper end of the Library. On the way, the old man kept explaining, ¡°The path of cultivation is to seek your own Dao.¡± His gaze then turned serious as he said, ¡°Everyone has a unique path completely suited for themselves. Only by traversing this path can they truly reach the apex and stand tall at the top.¡± He took a breath and then coldly added as a warning, ¡°Yes, you can follow someone else¡¯s path and reach far but you will never be able to reach the top. Your strength will also be mediocre, your comprehensions will be half baked and you would be a laughing stock of the Realm.¡± Jack nodded his head as he listened and understood what the old man was trying to say. Even if he followed the old man¡¯s Legacy for now, at some point in time, he would still need to find his own path. All of the [Arts] that the old man had collected or developed over the years can only be used as a reference to find and solidify his own path. That is the only true way to tread the path of cultivation¡­. Not by relying on the path laid down before him but rather taking a blade and carving his own bloody path. Soon, the old man came to a stop in the far end of the Library. Here, there were three glowing bubbles that each encompassed three different set¡¯s of [Arts]. When he arrived in front of the three sets, the pressure enveloping Jack also disappeared. The old man pointed towards the three sets and said, ¡°These three sets are complementary [Arts] that form a complete set that will allow you to train to the Empyrean level. However, each of these three sets follows a completely different path.¡± He then closed his eyes and crossed his hands on his chest as he gave Jack his final piece of advise, ¡°Look through the abridged versions of each and take a while to decide on which you wish to pick. You will have only one choice and you can¡¯t change it later on.¡± After saying so, the old man fell silent as he waited for Jack to pick one of the three sets. Jack carefully walked in front of the three glowing orbs and then pick up the jade slip in front of each. As he sent a sliver of Qi into one, he could see the contents of the orb and explanation on the effects of the [Arts]. The first set was for a Sword Cultivator. It encompassed a [Sword Art], [Refining Art of a Sword Cultivator], a [Sword Movement Art] and a [Sword Soul Nurturing Art]. After looking through the Abridged Version, Jack set the jade slip down and gently shook his head. Although the Dao of the Sword was strong, if not even the strongest Offensive Path one can take, it was not quite suited for him. Sword Cultivators could only walk the path by giving up everything for their sword. Jack knew that this path was not very suited for him. He then walked over to the second set and picked up the jade slip to see the contents. The second set was for a Close Combat Cultivator. It encompassed a [Close Combat Art], [Refining Art for Close Combat], a [Close Combat Movement Art] and a [Close Combat Soul Nurturing Art]. Jack pondered on this one and put it as a maybe. Hand to hand combat was something he was familiar with and he truly was intrigued by what he read. When reaching the Empyrean level in this path, his body would be as strong as a Top Grade Artefact and his punches and kicks could shatter mountains or create oceans. The only drawback was that he had to close in on his opponent to do anything. Close Combat Experts had very limited mid to long distance skills that they could use and they generally took up a lot of Qi with each cast. He could use it once or twice but not any more as he would just run out of Qi and be a pig for slaughter. Although there was the deficiency of having to be in your opponents face to do anything, the [Movement Art] somewhat made up for this deficiency as it was specifically for closing in or creating distance between your opponent and yourself. As Jack put down the jade slip, his eyes turned to the last glowing orb. He walked over to it and picked up the jade slip to see its contents. To his surprise, this set was for cultivating the Scythe. The more Jack looked into the contents, the more intrigued he was. The Scythe was a weird weapon that could only be classified as a pole arm. It was like a spear but at the same time it was not. It was like a halberd but at the same time it was completely different. And what made Jack even more curious about this set was that instead of there being 4 [Arts] there were 5 in this set. [Scythe Art], [Refining Art for the Scythe Cultivator], [Scythe Movement Art], [Scythe Soul Nurturing Art] and a defensive/auxiliary [Art] called the [Nine Nether Chains Art]. This [Nine Nether Chains Art] was what intrigued Jack the most. As he scanned the Jade slip over and over, he suddenly felt a tugging feeling in his chest. Something that told him, ¡°This is it!¡± As he set down the jade slip, he turned to the old man and without a single bit of hesitation, he said, ¡°I choose the Scythe Set.¡± Hearing Jack¡¯s resolute words, the old man grinned as he said, ¡°The two of us truly have been brought together by fate.¡±