《Rigel: The Savage World》 Book 1 - The Beginning My humble desire to write a novel, using all my experience as a reader, and an author has brought out Rigel: The Savage world. I have completed Book 1 of Rigel and am going to publish them as I finish my edits. Hopefully, we will have a wonderful time together. You guys are awesome, Smile more and enjoy GSD Reddy.
The Beginning: "By the authority bequeathed upon me by the Empire of Rhodium, I hereby sentence the slave, Rigel, to death." The presiding judge of the high court of the Tordon state declared his judgment in a deep voice. "Good, good. Kill him now. This bastard child, he should¡¯ve been born to a cold blooded murderer. How can twelve-year-old kill hundreds of people? We should take care of this bastard before he grows up and brings destruction upon us. Look at him- he¡¯s smiling! He¡¯s crazy! You son of a bitch....!" A voice rang out in the courtroom. "ENOUGH!" The presiding judge roared drowning the voice. With a cold glint in his eyes, he said in a small voice, "No matter how much you may want to improve your position in Lord Tordon''s eyes, do not forget that this is the courtroom under my jurisdiction. One more vulgar word out of your mouth and I will make sure you won¡¯t be in a position to sit here yourself." The man swallowed his words and silently sat back on his seat. Other nobles who were planning to insult the boy in similar ways all sat down, until a man who sat the furthest away of all, rose from his seat. The head judge narrowed his eyes in coldness, but a second later, he rose from his seat and bowed deeply to the man. The guard captain who stood behind the man announced in a respectful voice, "His Lordship, the mighty ruler of Tordon state, Lord Gerald Tordon." The man looked about fifty; he had wrinkles on his face and an exhausted body, but his eyes were as sharp as swords. He glanced at a boy on the other side of the courtroom and asked in a cold voice, "So this is what you wanted from the very beginning, Rigel." At one corner of a court was a twelve-year-old boy on his knees with a hand forcing his head down to the ground. Four guards stood around him and yet, the boy laughed, ignoring the pain. "How dare you?!" "How dare you laugh at his Lordship?!" The surrounding guards instantly roared in anger and unsheathed their swords, but stopped in their tracks as Lord Gerald raised his hand. The guards stepped away from Rigel as Lord Gerald himself strode forward towards them. "Arrrrgh!" Rigel groaned in pain and coughed up blood sprayed as Gerald kicked him fiercely in the stomach. Everyone in the court stood there silently, including the judge, because they knew the agony of the man before them. Gerald Tordon, the ruler of the state of Tordon, under the command of Rhodium Empire, was a man of great wealth and power. However, three days ago he lost everything he ever had: his family, his wife, all his children except one, all due to a single slave, Rigel. A single slave killed every single person inside the Tordon Castle, which should have included Gerald himself, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he had left the castle and was thus saved. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Gerald could have easily killed Rigel, but he didn''t as he knew he shouldn¡¯t. Rigel, who was coughing up blood, broke into a mad laughter. "Worthless, worthless, is this all you have, Almighty Lord Gerald? With such strength, you won''t even satisfy your wife. Don''t tell me your sons whom I killed in cold blood weren''t yours? Who did that bitch of yours sleep with? Let me guess, a slave? Hahaha...." "Arrrgh!" Rigel coughed up blood once again as Gerald kicked him in the gut. He grabbed Rigel by his neck and lifted him off the ground. Even though Rigel was smiling, deep in his eyes was unfathomable anger and hatred. Something you would never expect to find in a twelve-year-old. With a snort, Rigel asked in a struggling voice, "What are you going to do Gerald? Kill me? Torture me? What? I have nothing to lose. You stole everything away from me. You can never make me cry, but you will suffer all your life remembering the people I burned the other day." Gerald¡¯s hand tightened, and so did the smile on Rigel''s face. Gerald swallowed his anger and the impulse to crush Rigel to death as he released Rigel. With a cold smile on his face, he said, "You have no idea how much I long to kill you. To drink your blood and to offer your corpse to my loved ones, but I know that I will never truly make you suffer even if I torture you to death. Rigel, you will never win. You will suffer all your life, and I will make you suffer. I am incapable of doing it myself, but that doesn''t mean I am incapable of making you suffer. As the Lord of the Tordon state, I now revise the judgment that you will instead serve ten lifetimes in the Gehenna prison of the Hein Empire. You won''t be here Rigel, but I will one day find you to see your face, your pitiable, fear-filled eyes, and your crippled courage. Do you know about Gehenna prison? It is an underground prison where people like you are imprisoned. Hein empire isn''t a small power like Rhodium; it can obliterate a hundred Rhodium''s, and it is thousands of times larger than Rhodium. All of its worst criminals are in the Gehenna. Unlike the other states, Hein empire doesn''t control the criminal¡¯s activities in its prisons. There is only one rule: Murder isn''t allowed, and anyone who breaks this will be executed. You, Rigel, are going to this Gehenna. As a mere twelve-year-old, you will win against those criminals. However, I won''t give you any hope." "Arrrrgh!" Rigel moaned in utter pain as Gerald punched him in his lower abdomen crushing his dantian. With a smile on his face, Gerald lowered his head and said in a low voice, "I shattered your dantian so you can never cultivate in your life. You will never be strong enough to protect yourself, and your life in Gehenna will be worse than a dog. Every single day you will live knowing that you will never be a free man. This is suffering, Rigel. You may laugh all you want now but remember, this is going to be the last laugh of your life. Any last words?" Rigel opened his eyes suppressing the bone-shattering pain he was experiencing at the moment. His eyes had an unyielding glint deep in them as he said in a stubborn voice, "Fuck you!" Book 1 - Chapter 1 - Poison Poison: Two years later Arid landscape surrounded the desert valleys and lifeless mountains. In the south of these rough lands, a green pagoda stood like a king, surrounded by trees grown by drawing in the underground water. Life may seem impossible in this environment, but hundreds of soldiers marched nonetheless, training themselves as a hundred more stood guard outside the opening of a huge cave present next to the green pagoda. Inside, four men sat surrounded by women, who were fanning and serving them while they chatted and laughed as they drank wine. Suddenly, two guards rushed forward and knelt before the men. "What is it?" A man wearing a green robe asked in an irritated voice. "My lord, we found yet another dead body in today''s inspection." A guard reported in a respectful voice. The man''s eyebrows twitched as he rose from his seat and rushed forward while the two guards followed behind. Turning right, they followed a series of corridors until they reached the elevator which brought them to an enormous elevated platform at the depth of five hundred meters below the ground. On it were dozens of ordinary soldiers and tens of immortal cultivators. Everyone bowed deeply as the man rushed forward to see the rotting corpse. The body was blue and had a terrible odor, yet there wasn''t a single wound on the corpse. With a ragged voice, he asked, "What the fuck are you guys doing? Hmph! Tell me, just how should I report this to the emperor? This is the tenth death this month, and yet, you aren''t able to determine how those bastards acquired this potent of poison out here?" A cultivator who wore a jaded red armor answered in a respectful voice, "Sir, it is impossible to explore these cave systems completely. We aren''t even aware how long and deep they are. The emperor doesn''t allow killing inside the Gehenna Prison, yes, but there are many ways to trespass this rule. We can surely take care of any prisoner who breaks this law, but that is possible if he is within our reaches. None can protect those who are deep inside Gehenna, and certainly we can''t either." The green robed man cursed out loudly as he turned around and left. He was the one appointed to be in charge of Gehenna, and he would be royally screwed if the emperor found out that his prisoners were dying left and right. Seconds later the green robed man reached the ground. Turning around to look at the elevator he snorted and thought aloud, "Who the hell cares about a few prisoners? Thousands are thrown into Gehenna every year in this entrance alone, and I don''t want want to imagine the number of inmates who are in it. The Gehenna has three entrances and three hundred years have passed since the opening of this prison. A dozen wars have been fought in this period, and every war criminal was transported to the Gehenna. Their number should be astronomical by now. Why does the emperor even care about the lives of these maggots? Hmph! Whatever, I don''t care as long as I can live my life comfortably. Still, I don''t wanna think about just what is inside this hellhole." Deep within the Gehenna, outside the reaches of the soldiers and the laws of the empire, three people sat in three different spots, each holding similar staffs in their hands. The staffs all had a single symbol engraved on them, a blood red skull. It was the symbol of Gehenna; more specifically, it was also the symbol of its one and only ruler. The Blood Emperor. None knew his name nor who he is. He only spoke through his servants and is a person with absolute authority in Gehenna. People had supposedly challenged him several times in the past century only to die miserably. Now he had complete control over any and all matters of Gehenna. The three entrances on the ground each leads to three different cave systems, however, all three of them lead to a single destination. An underground city in the middle of the Gehenna. Unlike the other parts of Gehenna, People were bustling as this was the only place where you could find something for sure. The city lacked any private housing, all that was present were some lodges and a large marketplace. Although many goods were sold every day in these markets, prostitution was still one of the most active businesses around. Women were rare and thus, they were a sound investment who would earn for a long time. Even though it is unethical, in a place where the worst of the society gathered, slavery was one of the most profitable businesses. At one corner of this market, Rigel stood wearing a black hood which disguised his face. He was keenly observing the various kinds of materials which were displayed in a store. Unlike the common markets, these stores didn''t have some form of stable supply routes, and thus everyone kept whatever they could find on display, and the trade system was mainly barter. There were hundreds of materials on display, and two guards stood guard before the store, with sharp expressions on their faces to prevent anyone from attempting to steal the store. Both of them had a healthy physique, and Rigel could instantly tell that both of them were immortal cultivators who were at least in the third level of the Qi condensation stage. Their presence prevented people from trying to rob the store foolishly. After a full hour of examination, Rigel slowly pulled out a piece of charred leather from his bag and put it in front of the storekeeper. The merchant knew that the customers who actually wish to buy things would eventually come to him, so he didn''t bother to smooth talk Rigel. Upon seeing the piece of leather which measured only a single foot in length, the storekeeper had a dumbfounded expression. He slowly raised his head and looked at Rigel whose eyes were filled with pride. The merchant lifted the piece of leather and examined it carefully. True, leather was rare in Gehenna prison, but a foot long piece of leather wasn''t all too rare. He could barter it for some rations, but anything more would be impossible. The reason why he was still examining it was that he wanted to see if there was any hidden value to it. Rigel, who saw this, narrowed his eyes and coughed to bring the shopkeeper¡¯s attention back to him. The storekeeper instantly adjusted his attitude and asked in a pleasant voice, "Is there anything that may have captured your interest, Sir?" Rigel maintained a calm expression as he said, "I want forty Mindus leaves for this piece of leather. You may keep the remaining change." The storekeepers expression changed as he heard this. With a weak smile, he said, "You must be joking, Sir. Mindus leaves are very precious and for a piece of leather, I can''t...." He stopped his words mid sentence as he saw Rigel''s astonished face. Rigel, who heard the storekeeper, put on a surprised face and said, "Wait, you don''t recognize the true value of this piece of leather? It looks like I came to a wrong place. To think that you wouldn''t even recognize the leather, I should have instead gone to a bigger store. Even if they pay less, they would at least know the value of my item." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The storekeeper''s interest perked as he heard Rigel, but he wasn''t entirely satisfied either so he asked in a respectful voice, "Sir, I am still inexperienced and have much to learn. Can you please enlighten me?" Rigel paused in his tracks for a minute and stared at the merchant deliberately for one whole minute. Finally, he sat down with a sigh and said, "If you want to stay in this business, you should at least learn enough not to miss a good opportunity. This leather isn''t your simple leather; it was a part of armor which was once worn by an expert who is at least in Spark formation stage." The storekeeper had a visible glint of excitement in his eyes as he heard it. However, before he could speak any further, the two bodyguards rushed in from outside and grabbed the leather. To any cultivators, the words, ''once belonged to a great expert'' were simply too captivating. Rigel knew this, and thus, he deliberately chose those words. The guards tried to test the leather but found it to be too weak. Their faces instantly turned ugly, but before they could vent their anger, Rigel added in a calm voice, "That leather doesn''t protect you from physical damage, it is a part of a poison negating armor." The guards were surprised as they heard Rigel because poison negating armors were rare. Rigel rose from his seat and took out a small bottle filled with a clear liquid. With a small needle, he drew out a single drop of the liquid and dropped it on the wooden table and the wood instantly began to emit fumes as the poison dissolved it! Then, he once again put a drop of the liquid on the leather. A new charred mark formed on the leather but it withstood the poison. The guards¡¯ eyes glittered with excitement. Though the leather wasn''t long enough to make armor, it was sufficient to make a gauntlet. In the case of a deadly battle against a poison user, this armband would be their lifeline. The storekeeper was however still doubtful. Rigel, who sat calmly noticed his uncertainty, so he lifted the leather and rubbed his hand on it. With a calm voice, he said, "You are free to test your own poison. I don''t mind it, but if you do the test, you will have to pay me ten extra Mindus leaves for doubting me. How about it?" Noticing the confidence in Rigel''s eyes, the storekeeper mind was thrown into chaos. He knew that the poison Rigel used was definitely top notch, and he didn''t have anything surpassing that. Testing the leather in this situation would be a gamble where he may very possibly lose ten more leaves for nothing. Logic battled in his mind until he finally decided to go along with his gut. With a smiling face, he said, "No need, Sir. How can I still doubt you after you demonstrated its authenticity in front of me." The storekeeper still wasn''t too keen to give Rigel forty Mindus leaves for a piece of leather, yet seeing the eyes of his guards he silently took out the leaves and gave them to Rigel with a smiling face Rigel, in turn, thanked the storekeeper and left the store after a minute of chatting. The second he turned around the corner, a cold glint appeared in his eyes. Without turning his head, he silently tread along various paths until he appeared before another store. He took one more leather patch similar to the one he had just sold and rubbed it with an anti-venom. Then, he entered the store and repeated the same thing over again. The day passed, and Rigel sold the leather to three different stores. In total, he collected a hundred and twenty Mindus leaves. The next day, just as the storekeepers woke up to see the damaged leather which had now shrunk due to the effects of the antivenom wearing off, Rigel had long since changed from his old black robe to a new green robe and was walking out of the Gehenna city. Rigel, who was keeping his breath short, and his attention rapt finally eased a sigh of relief as he exited the underground city limits. His face was calm, but inside he smiled as he ascertained his profits. "You made quite a profit boy. You do remember our deal, don''t you?" A man appeared beside Rigel as soon as they were out of the sight of the guards and asked in a light tone as he put his arm on Rigel''s shoulder. Rigel sighed inside as he gazed at the big bulky warrior. He was someone who he made a contract with, the business transaction, this time, was dangerous and as a cultivator in the fourth level of Qi Condensation stage, this man was his way out in case he messed up. With a cold voice, Rigel said, "I do. Here, this is your share." Rigel wound up sixty Mindus leaves into a bundle and gave them to the bulky man. The man licked his lips and then a cruel glint appeared in his eyes. With a cold voice, he said, "Now, partner. I am a kind person, so I will keep my mouth shut about your cunning schemes, but you have to give me the remaining leaves. Someone as intelligent as you should know what happens when you, a non-cultivator, dares to anger me." Rigel''s eyes were still calm as he stepped aside and said in a loud voice, "I honored my side of our agreement, so please honor yours, and let me go." The man revealed an evil expression as he approached Rigel in a second and grabbed him before he could reach his bag. With a twisted smile, he said, "Don''t you dare use those fucking poisons on me, kid. Unless God personally intervenes, you will never escape from this daddy." Rigel¡¯s face revealed his horror but inside he sneered at the man''s words. Rigel wasn''t someone who would break his promise, but if someone did break theirs, he wasn''t someone who would show mercy either. True, he was incapable of cultivating, but that didn''t mean, he was completely vulnerable either. A lion had its own way of living like a king, but even a weak snake can kill that lion when he catches him off guard. Rigel opened his mouth as naturally as he could and crushed the two small containers behind his upper incisors, one was filled with poison while the other with a poison repellent. Without wasting a single second, he spit that on the man''s face. The man lost his calm as Rigel spit on his face, he roared loudly in anger but stopped in his tracks as he saw a never before seen killing intent emanating from Rigel''s eyes. That second of hesitancy was all Rigel needed. He backed away and ducked behind the man. With a single swift movement, he opened his backpack and withdrew a short knife. "Ahhhhhhhhhh-" The man began to scream in a loud voice as the poison began to eat away his flesh, but his scream was stopped midway as a Rigel thrust his knife accurately on his vocal cords cutting off his windpipe. The burly warrior groaned in sheer pain and said in an almost faint whisper, "I....will....kill.....you....bastard." Rigel twisted the knife in his hand and kneeled down to whisper in the man¡¯s ear, "You are the hundredth person to die in my hands in the past two years. I am usually very subservient, but you should never mess with me. If you do, you die, and the same goes for everyone else." Book 1 - Chapter 2 - Frank Frank: Darkness seeped like a river into the depths of the dark caves. In Gehenna, darkness was a part of life. Those who embrace it live to embrace it more and those who shun it die to become a part of it. In those tunnels which spanned miles of distance, danger lurked in everywhere, and thus, people never entered an unknown territory. In one such tunnel, hidden by the apparent darkness but also by the presence of rock formations, Rigel walked down silently until he came across familiar markings on the stone walls. Directions were marked in many ways, but only one among them was the right one. This prevented an uninvited guest from reaching their desirable destination. Moments later, Rigel stopped before an unassumingly ordinary stone wall and tapped on the rock before him, which unexpectedly made a hollow sound. An old hand moved the flat rock in response, only to present a large cave lit by light. "You¡¯re late kid." An old voice barked in irritation. "I wasn''t exactly in a comfortable position to complete your request without certain precautions." Rigel, however, replied in a calm voice. His eyes scanned the cave until they stopped before an old man who was dressed in a gray robe. He appeared a little sick and was skinny to the bone. His hair was white, and he only had his left eye. A leather patch covered the other. Rigel sighed inside and sat down beside the old man. His cold expression eased a bit as he asked in a caring voice, "How are you, Frank? Has there been any trouble recently? I wasn''t gone for too long, only a week so you shouldn''t have had any problems with rations either." Frank turned his head and gazed at Rigel. He then he shook his head saying that he was fine. However, deep in his eyes, he had a sad expression as he gazed at the boiling pot in front of him. With a weak voice, he asked, "Rigel, what would you do if I die?" Rigel was in the midst of standing up, but he paused a second before he shook his shoulders and said in a smiling voice, "I hardly doubt that you will die anytime soon. You are as healthy as a horse for your age. Well, even if you die, I can now live without relying on others." Frank closed his eyes for a second, and the next second, he opened them and said in a loud voice, "Come, sit here. Today I will teach you how to refine the ¡®Poison lady''. It is a poison with a very potent effect, but its unique property is that it won''t work if you have the Mindus extract on you. You may be curious considering that the Mindus leaves are the main ingredient of this poison, but Rigel, the issue isn''t why, it is how? That is the difference between us, and the ones who die in our hands." Frank continued to explain to Rigel about the Mindus leaves while Rigel had a strange little smile on his lips. This lesson made him remember the very first time he met Frank. Two years ago. Ten days after the trial - Outside the Gehenna prison. Gerald looked at Rigel for the last time and said, "I want to peel you layer by layer, but I have a better way to make you suffer. Rigel, the terrifying thing in this world isn''t death; it is the thought of being uncertain about anything. If you are confident in yourself, you can take your own life, but if you are uncertain, you can''t even draw a drop of your blood. Your will, that confidence of yours... it¡¯s endearing, but it is very, very disturbing thing. I admit that I can''t erase that smirk off your face, but this place can. It will first throw you into despair; then it will break your body, followed by your spirit, and finally your soul. It will shred you until you are nothing like your true self, or should I say, nothing like who you want you to be. You will be only Rigel, the slave who lost to me." As Gerald said this, Rigel was indeed a bit scared inside. For whatever reason he may have matured beyond his age, it didn''t change the fact that he was still a weak twelve-year-old kid. Weak and unarmed, he ran and ran, dodging and hiding from others, but luck didn''t work for long in Gehenna. A week later, he was caught by slave traders who threw him into a small dark pit filled with forty-nine other slaves. Together, they made one complete batch of slaves. Every day the pit was opened, and fifty small portions of food were thrown in and then everything returned to darkness. Rigel sat in a corner and watched the dropped food packets. It was followed by the fights between the slaves. The strong won and the weak became weaker as they lost their right to eat. Rigel couldn''t help but smile inside as he saw this. Gehenna, Rhodium, places didn''t matter. They never did. He was a slave all his life and the fact that strong gained everything lit a fire in his heart. The next day, he didn''t fight for the food, he waited until the fights were finished. He then selected a weak slave with a single portion of food. Like a snake, he struck on his head with all his strength. Hesitancy brings defeat and emotions bring hesitancy. Cruelty makes us savage but being sane and yet cruel upon necessity lets us live. Rigel lived that day for he decided that he couldn¡¯t live unless he abandoned the little bit of hesitancy in his heart. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Two weeks later, the slave traders opened the pit to show their slaves to a buyer. Instead of a whole batch, they found a single boy who¡¯d become stronger and forty-nine rotting corpses. They would have killed Rigel, but the one who came to buy a slave was Frank. Rigel watched Frank knowing that he was the only one who could save him, and Frank watched Rigel seeing through his intentions. Ten minutes later, they both sat staring at each other. Rigel continued to watch as he was unable to ascertain what Frank wanted. Being a slave, Rigel learned about the darkness of the human hearts much earlier than the rare kindness, and thus he had unusually keen intuition when he came upon similar darkness. But Frank lacked that, thus throwing him into confusion. Finally, Frank set his cup of tea on the table and asked in a clear, wise voice, "Why have you come to Gehenna brat?" "Rigel" Rigel answered the unasked question. Frank smiled lightly and said, "So why are you here Rigel, or should I ask, for what for are you in for?" Rigel narrowed his eyes and looked at Frank''s for one whole minute Finally; he withdrew his gaze unable to find anything. People don''t like to be stared in the eyes. Eyes are easy to read; they give secrets away, and thus people avoid them. However, if someone lets you stare into the eyes, it means that the person has nothing to hide from you, or he has enough wisdom to hide his true self. With a small voice, Rigel answered, "I killed people." "Why?" Frank asked immediately. Rigel sighed loudly. He was beginning to think that he was like an open book in front of Frank, who was like a complete mystery to him. Sighing in his heart, he answered in a low "Because they killed someone I love." Frank smiled lightly and said in a knowing voice, "Ah! Love, is it? The perfect emotion which will ruin you. I assume you are regretting your decision now. I can get you out of this slave camp, but you will never leave the Gehenna. No one ever has and no one ever will. I know that you may have loved that someone dearly, but you still ruined your life for that someone. I guess, you now regret your decision and maybe even hate him/her." Rigel lifted his head and said in a cold voice, "I don''t. Even if I face this trial a hundred times, my decision would be the same, and I won''t ever regret my decision." Frank laughed loudly and said, "Haha.... Foolish words. When you are as old as me and saw life through the eyes of an adult, dare say those words. Your life is drenched in blood and darkness. Live this way, and you will soon seize to be human." Rigel narrowed his eyes and said, "I killed once to get my vengeance. I will kill once more if I can kill the one who escaped. I killed the slaves because it was a cruel twist of fate. I can''t die unless I complete what I have started, and not until I get my vengeance. I will do anything I have to if that keeps me alive. "Vengeance will ruin you. It will destroy you." Frank said in a serious voice. "I know, and I don''t care." "What will you do if you do get your revenge?" "I don''t know," Rigel answered in a surprised voice. Frank burst out laughing. With a loud thud, he got up from his seat and shouted, "I will buy this brat." Looking at Rigel, he said, "You now belong to me. Revenge and shit! You talk big words for a kid. The way you are, forget about revenge, you won''t even lose your virginity." Rigel face instantly became red upon being called a virgin. Even if he was a boy, he still felt humiliated upon being called a virgin. With a snort, he said, "Why should I follow you? I can kill you anytime. I doubt your weak body can take an attack from me." Frank only laughed harder and said," Haha..... Don''t be so stiff. I will teach you my trade, and then I will give you a task. If you can complete it, then you are free to go. However, you are still nothing but a noisy kid who does n''t know anything about life so shut up and follow me, kid." That day Rigel followed Frank and reached the very cave he now sat in. For two years, he learned much from Frank. He thought that Frank would be disappointed upon finding that his dantian was shattered, but instead, he was surprised. Rigel might have imagined it, but that day he saw a bitter smile on Frank''s face. Two years later, like any other day, Frank explained about a new poison, and both of them slept after dinner. However, at midnight, Frank slowly crawled out of his bed and touched his disabled eye. With a sad voice, he murmured, "My time is almost up. They will come for me." Rigel slept peacefully after staying out for a long time. He could never sleep peacefully outside, but in there, he could. He didn''t doubt Frank in the slightest. He was as carefree as a newborn and thus was as open as a dead man. Frank walked towards Rigel slowly and sat beside him. His hand grabbed a knife as he stared at Rigel for a moment. He lifted the knife and said in a sad voice, "Forgive me, Rigel." Book 1 - Chapter 3 - Final lesson Final Lesson "Forgive me, Rigel." Frank murmured in a sad voice as he slowly lowered the knife towards Rigel. With deep black eyes, grayish hair and a weak body, Frank was like an old relic; but as he held his knife, earth shattering change began to occur in that very room. His old body, bent by age and his loose skin, damaged over time, began to shine as Frank reverted to his young self. The blinding light slowly disappeared as a majestic youth emerged from it. Frank, who now stood like a Martial God, opened his eyes. They radiated power and his body hardened with each second. Muscles rippled like snakes under his skin as he stood still looking at Rigel. Rigel slowly opened his eyes feeling the sudden changes in the room. He rolled over and called out in a tired voice, "Frank, What are you doing?" It was common for Frank to do some experiments late into the night, so Rigel didn''t even associate the disturbance with danger. However, all he saw was an empty room with only a powerful man dressed in long majestic robes. Frank''s appearance was nothing similar to his past self. Even his clothes were different. But, Rigel didn''t notice any of these. All he saw was the knife in his hands and that the man was looking at him with killing intent evident in his eyes. Instincts kicked in like a wave as Rigel saw that knife. He rolled away at high speed until he reached the wall of the cave. In a well-practised manner, he silently gripped his knife with his left hand while his right hand rose into the air maintaining a defensive stance. "Who are you?" Rigel asked in loud voice. The entire encounter had put an incredible strain on Rigel''s mind, but he wasn''t going to go down without a fight. The worst thing you can do in a life threatening situation is to fear an unknown enemy. Then he noticed the empty cave again and asked in a cold voice, "Where is Frank? Frank looked at Rigel for a minute. He had long since understood that it would come to this and had been prepared for it. So he twisted his neck and then said in an entirely different voice, "If you are referring to that old bastard, then he is dead. I killed him." Rigel suddenly felt as if his mind went reeling back to his old self due to the backlash of his emotions. Rigel had only loved a single person in all his life. When he lost her, he renounced everything that made him a human and tried to avenge her. Only, he lost everything that made him Rigel in the process. When Frank took him in, he was nothing more than a container of hatred. Then, Rigel didn''t believe in anything. Love, friendship and even in himself. For two years, he stayed with Frank learning everything he was taught and began to unconsciously think of Frank as his family, and loved him like his grandfather. Met with the fact that Frank was dead, a very old emotion that used to rule his heart resurfaced again - Hatred. Rigel wasn''t new to Hatred. He had hated more than he could ever love in his life. The man in front of him was strong. Having learned everything from Frank and having lived in the Gehenna for two years, Rigel could perfectly understand that. Then again, would he be scared and let him go in fear of his life? Anyone could do that, anyone. No person in his sane mind would try to fight an exceedingly strong enemy in a straight out battle, with no alternate path of escape. Rigel was trapped inside his cave, and he was before a man who could very well kill him on the spot. He had no way to escape this predicament, as the cave was completely sealed and the man''s attention was solely focused on him. Rigel was someone who had killed hundreds of people when he still a twelve-year-old. Both now, and then, he was just an ordinary slave and yet, he once did the impossible. Met with an impossibility again, Rigel''s expression didn''t change even though his mind was in turmoil. He was overwhelmed by a feeling to crush the man in front of him to death - but he wasn''t a fool to try to do that. Maybe he would have tried to that if he was his past self, but now, he was a lot different. Frank taught Rigel many things but the most important of them all; he taught Rigel the art of survival. He taught him that life was the greatest thing out there, and living was the best thing one can do with it. It didn''t matter how you lived, even if you are a beggar, it is still better that a corpse lying in a coffin. There is no glory in death, none at all. People may speak highly of you after your death, but a year later, they would forget about you even if you were close to them. So, Frank taught Rigel that living is the most important thing, and he has to live at any cost. Frank taught Rigel never to start a fight unless it is necessary. To never get involved in a conflict, and to never trust anyone too much, but to never work alone either. Make an escape plan before you start on any task. Foresee everything you can before you start doing something. Rigel knew that there was no way he would be able to escape unscathed in that situation. There was no reason for the man in front of him to let him go, and there was too much of a difference between them to have any possibility of winning head-on against him. Still, there was again no reason why he shouldn''t put up any resistance. What was he going to lose? If he was going to die anyway, then he would die trying. So Rigel chose the path which he was said to avoid as much as possible. He would fight. Frank, who was watching Rigel carefully, didn''t do anything at all. He understood Rigel''s thought process like the back of is hand, and he knew exactly how Rigel was going to fight back. But, he didn''t do anything because he wanted to show Rigel that pure intelligence wasn''t enough to stay alive in the real world. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Strong foes always possess intelligence far above an average person and unless you are exceptionally talented, you can never get out of their grasp. Frank taught Rigel what he needed to know but now, he was going to show him the reality of the world. In Gehenna, inside its true hell and in the outside world, only strength mattered and thus, he was going to show Rigel how naive he is. That would be his final lesson. Matters of the mind are thought within seconds, in the brief period of silence following Frank''s declaration. Hundreds of thoughts passed through Rigel''s mind, and he also came to a conclusion to fight the man head-on. Frank, who saw the determination in Rigel''s eyes, only stepped towards him with indifferent steps. With each step, he emanated a pressure crushing Rigel and making him doubt his strategy. Frank''s face no longer held a detached calmness; it held a kind of frenzy killing intent. Any fool could see that he had no intention of letting Rigel go and of course, Rigel could see that as well. Involuntarily Rigel grabbed the strongest of his poisons as Frank drew near. This was his trump card and the only way; he may have a chance to survive the predicament. "Where the fuck are you looking boy?" Frank asked in a cold tone and then suddenly disappeared in a flash, only to reappear behind him. Rigel, who was closely watching Frank with intense concentration, was stunned as he disappeared from his vision. Inside Rigel''s mind thoughts of rage and revenge were instantly replaced with slight fear. Rigel was just a boy. Whatever he learned about cultivation was taught to him by Frank, so he knew for sure that this level of skill can never be possessed by a Qi condensation stage cultivator. Qi condensation - The first stage of cultivation which comprised of seven levels beyond which was the Spark formation stage. With each level of Qi condensation one would make a significant leap in strength and thus, the higher the level of a person is, the greater his strength would be. However, the realm of Spark formation was very different from Qi condensation. Unlike Qi condensation where you aren''t able to manifest your Qi, Spark formation stage experts supposedly have the power to manifest their Qi. But, they were experts comparable to legends. Many people spend their entire lives without seeing one of them in action. Rigel originally planned to silently and stealthily attack at a suitable opportunity, but when his mind calculated the power of his opponent, he felt as if his heart was thrown into a deep ravine. Caught by a hand so strong that he couldn''t even hope to fight back, Rigel asked in a struggling voice, "Why did you kill Frank? Just what did we do to incur your wrath?" Frank, who caught Rigel from behind narrowed his eyes and whispered in a cold voice, "I was testing a technique of mine and just happened to find him here in this cave hiding like a rat. So I decided to test it on him. Unfortunately, even his bones didn''t remain after he received a single attack of mine." Rigel felt his blood boiling in rage. He finally lost his cool for the first time as he heard those words, "You bastard, How dare you kill Frank for that? What did he do? You bastard, you son of a bitch...." Rigel roared in anger. The hand which held Rigel''s neck tightened to an extreme degree, and then Rigel coughed up blood as he felt a sharp indescribable pain invade his mind. "Arrrrgh!" Rigel screamed in pain as he looked down only to see a meter long sword piercing him straight through his dantian. A shattered dantian shattered again, and an intense energy invaded his every cell. Frank silently twisted his sword as he whispered in an ominous voice, "You have a big mouth for a mere kid. A shattered dantian, an old fool as a follower, petty poisons to kill people and you think you have the right to speak in front of me. I would have liked to torture you slowly to death, but I can''t possibly waste a second more on trash like you so be a good boy and die a dog''s death here. Don''t worry, with no Qi of your own. You can never dissolve my Qi, which is slowly eating you away from inside. You will sprawl here, within this cave for days waiting for your death. I have to go now but let me tell you something before I go kid. It will provide you sound entertainment in the last hours of your life. That old fool who you called Frank, you see, that guy bent on his knees and begged when I said that I will spare you if he did that. Surprisingly, he did, and unfortunately... I didn''t quite like that, so I killed him. And to give him company to wherever the hell he went, I am killing you. Think about him and how he begged in the last hours of your life, and if you want, you can think of revenge as well. Though with your current condition, I hardly doubt you can kill anything but yourself. Goodbye, kid." Rigel coughed up blood as he fell on the floor. His eyes were red with pain as he saw Frank for the one final time before he passed out from the extreme pain of injuries contaminated with a foreign Qi. Frank, who stood there silently, slowly reverted to his old self and then he bent down on his knees beside Rigel. He then raised his hand and black glow appeared on his finger which slowly solidified into a black pearl. As soon as the black pearl appeared on his fingers, the atmosphere in the room fell to extreme levels. As Frank pushed the pearl into Rigel''s dantian, everything returned to normal. He then rose to his feet and said in an emotional voice, "Goodbye, Rigel." Book 1 - Chapter 4 - Inner nightmares Inner Nightmares: Gushing blood slowly started to dry up as Frank sat by Rigel''s side healing and looking at him for one final time. His eyes were filled with grief and unexplainable sadness. Frank, who saw Rigel''s unconscious body and the shattered dantian closed his eyes and sat in silence. "I should have never taken you in, Rigel. I thought that I can abandon you whenever I feel like it but sigh... This old man started to love once again. Without noticing, I began to care about you as if you were my grandson and now, look at what I have done." Frank looked at Rigel for a minute, and the rose to his feet. However, he stopped for a second as he remembered Rigel''s past. He knew what Rigel did, and he also knew how stubborn he was. The past two years, he taught Rigel how to survive in Gehenna and if Rigel did learn everything as he intended him to then, he would forget about him and get on with his life but what if he didn''t. What if he tried to chase after me? What if he does find me? Then what would happen to him? Unanswered questions haunted Frank''s mind. He looked at his old arm and said to himself, "I can''t change your fate. I don''t know what you will decide, but I will give you a warning Rigel. I can only hope that you will find your life more precious than my own." An old arm suddenly fell on the ground as Frank severed it with his knife. He then picked up the arm and said, "This will either be your ticket to freedom or the path of pain. I can show you the way, but it will ultimately be you who will decide your own future Rigel." That day, Frank silently disappeared from the old cave leaving behind nothing except an old severed arm. ................................. Three days later In the ghostly silence of a dark cave, Rigel woke up in shock. His eyes red with confusion as he scanned the cave blinking in muddy consciousness. Rigel mind was replaying the past events as a dream, and he woke up upon dying in the hands of a mysterious man. Adjusting eyes caught glimpses of the empty cave filled with potion bottles and old books, but it was devoid of any life besides himself. Then, Rigel''s mind was forced to admit the fact that what he had dreamed of really did happen. His body screamed in pain. Rigel wanted to get up. The wound on his dantian was mysteriously healed up, but the pain was too excruciating. Unable to move and unable to stop himself from thinking about Frank, Rigel''s eyes were filled with tears as he thought about Frank. For two years, he lived learning the art of living from Frank and in these two years, he had taken quite a few lives but still he never felt sad about it. However, his eyes which never shed tears for two years involuntarily became moist as he thought about Frank. "Why did it have to be us? Why did you die before letting me see you for one last time, Frank? I couldn''t even say goodbye. Why?" Rigel silently shouted inside his heart, but he knew that there was nothing he could do. Just like how he preyed upon people, they had now become someone''s prey. Rigel knew that he had no way to take revenge, nor did he have a way to find out about that man who had killed Frank. Rigel laid on that spot without moving for seven hours enduring the pain but then, his face suddenly contracted as he felt a fierce pain stab his mind so powerfully that he lost his consciousness again. Deep inside the dantian, the black pearl which was like a ball of cold energy silently started to rotate. The dantian is a place below the navel where the energy of the body is stored, but it is also a place where Qi circulation is centered. Thus, it functions as the heart for pumping Qi. Every living being is born with minute quantities of Qi. However, absorbing and cultivating the Qi is how one threads in the path of cultivation. The black pearl inside Rigel''s dantian which was rotating very slowly released a minute quantity of black Qi. Released in dantian and following the natural circulatory system of all living beings, that black Qi silently started to spread throughout the body without any kind of rejection or reaction. Minutes passed and then hours passed and then a little more black Qi was released from the black pearl. This time, however as the black Qi started to spread throughout the body, the black Qi from earlier suddenly began to boil in excitement. Black Qi and Black Qi, both Qi''s engulfed each other and as a result, another Black Qi emerged from them. The instant this fused Qi appeared, Rigel''s unconscious body spasmed violently. Vessels inside the body started to contract, and crimson blood began to flow at high speed. Muscles twitched, and Rigel began to have fits even though he was unconscious. The Black Qi, which was formed from the fusion, was entirely different from the previous Qi''s. It was as if its fusion has activated the Black Qi. It was no longer a Qi, and the reaction in the body was not a rejection. It was pure destruction. The Black Qi was destroying the Rigel''s body by the minute. It destroyed everything it touched as it passed through his meridians. Vessels, organs, and even the blood. Everything it touched started to whither and then they began to whither more. Hours passed. And, the spasming body spasmed more while blood began to flow out of all orifices due to the destruction of internal body organs. Rigel coughed up blood as he laid there, his body endured the unendurable pain, although unconscious. The only reason why he was still alive was that his mind was shutting off the pain from reaching his consciousness. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Seven hours later Rigel¡¯s twitching body slowly relaxed as the reactions stopped. The Black Qi completely disappeared from the body. The rotating black pearl showed no signs of releasing any more Qi. All that was left after the bursting of Black Qi was a newly destroyed body and an old shattered dantian. Seven days later Rigel slowly felt his consciousness returning from a long slumber. His body felt heavy, and his mind reeled as he remembered bits and pieces of the pain he felt back when the Black Qi shattered his body. Rigel slowly sat up and involuntarily looked at his dantian. Unlike the previous time when he felt an unbearable pain, this time, he was all right. He dragged his weak body deprived of energy towards the container which stored water. "Ha..ha...haaa....." Deep breaths resounded in the cave as Rigel sat by the wall drinking the water from the container. He had no idea how much time had passed since he had lost consciousness, but his stomach was roaring in hunger while he was almost dying of thirst. Deep silence permeated the cave as Rigel sat there looking blankly at himself. He was sure that he almost died in the mysterious man''s hands as he remembered being clearly stabbed in the dantian yet, there was no wound. Then again, he faintly remembered that he was almost dying in his sleep due to excruciating pain. He felt as if his body was ripped from inside, and yet he was living, breathing and drinking water. Was that all a dream? No. Rigel didn''t believe that he dreamed of all that because he couldn''t imagine himself dreaming of his death twice in a row and then again if he was dreaming then where was Frank? Rigel mind suddenly replayed the part where the mysterious man held the knife. "Yes, yes.... The knife. I saw it before. It belongs to Frank. So if I find it then..." Rigel stopped his words in mid-sentence because he saw it stabbed deep into the rock wall right in front of him and a line of dried up blood below it. Rigel expression slowly changed as he saw that knife. It was just a regular knife, and yet, it was embedded deep into the rock. Just what kind of strength does one need to accomplish that feat? The line of dried up blood below it showed Rigel that he didn''t dream anything. Everything he remembered was true. Including the fact that he came back from the door of death two times in a row. Rigel slowly moved his hand and lit a lantern beside him. Moving his tired body, he walked towards the wall to inspect the knife, but before he could take a step forward he stopped in his tracks because the ground below him, it was filled with dried up drops of blood. His eyes moved involuntarily, and Rigel lifted his head to glance the ceiling of the cave, only to see an old arm hanging from it. The arm was dried up like a corpse and had numerous wrinkles. Rigel had seen it far too many times to forget, but his eyes didn''t see the arm alone. They saw four words engraved in blood on the ceiling. "Forget about me, Rigel." Rigel stood there stunned as he saw those words. Upon seeing the arm, he would have been furious to death, but the words made him forget the fact that Frank had lost an arm. Those four words conveyed many things to Rigel. They carried many hidden meanings. They answered many of his questions, and they definitely responded to the first of his questions for sure. Are you alive, Frank? Yes, he was. And unlike what he had thought, the mysterious man wasn''t a person who just came into their lives. He came for Frank, and he captured him. But why would he want Frank? Rigel, who thought that, but then he suddenly realized something. No matter how long he may think about it, he would never understand why someone would chase Frank because he knew next to nothing about him. Aside from his lectures, Frank never talked about anything and above all, he would never utter a single word about his past. So Rigel would never know why. The only one who can answer this was Frank and him alone. Rigel stood there like a statue looking at the four words and then at the arm which hung on the ceiling. He knew what Frank was conveying with those words. He understood that Frank was giving him a choice, he was asking Rigel to stay away. Rigel stared at the arm for a long time. The old him would search for Frank even if he knew that he was against all odds. The new him shouldn''t do that. Everything Frank ever taught him told him to forget about Frank, but then again, Rigel''s eyes saw those old wrinkles on that arm. He was unable to accept the fact that Frank had died, and now, he knew that Frank was alive somewhere, so what would he do? Would he ignore him to save himself? Would he? Rigel questioned himself and the he lifted his hand and caught the arm. There was no need to answer the question because there was never a need to question himself. There was only one thing he would do, and he would do that even if he knew that he would be against the gods themselves. Rigel turned the arm around and gazed at the Blood red skull symbol on the dried up arm. His face was grave as he saw it, but in his eyes flickered a stubborn dangerous light as he whispered to himself, "To find Frank, I have first to find the origin of this symbol, the Blood Emperor." Book 1 - Chapter 5 - The Crimson Lady The Crimson Lady: One month later. "One more beer for me master." A man ordered loudly before continuing his conversation, "Hahaha..... You jest Kingston. How can such a precious jade slip only cost three hundred gold? Why don''t we come to an agreement soon? I have a wife waiting for me at home." Kingston laughed upon listening to the man and said, "Well, you are one hell of a man Kuon. Just how did you make such an elegant woman fall for you. I would be lying if I said I wasn''t jealous of you but as a brother, I am happy for you. How about this? Considering our relationship, I will give you four hundred gold, but that''s about it. Think about it brother; I can guarantee you that you won''t find anyone who is willing to pay more than me." The man named Kingston said with a smile. Kuon thought for a second before he sighed and said, "Very well, brother. I will believe your word. With this, the trade is complete." Both parties signed an agreement before exchanging the agreed amount. A smile bloomed on Kingston''s face as he counted the money, and so the two friends ordered more beer to celebrate the successful trade. They didn''t mind how much they spent, and didn''t even seem to care about people who may try to rob them as they drank until they were wasted. Anywhere outside that single tavern, this scene would have caused an incredible commotion. Things which didn''t even exist according to commoners knowledge were in abundance inside that tavern. Gold, beer and paper. Things which can only be considered as marvels of outside world were visible in plain sight in there. People laughed and drank while they traded in gold. No one in the tavern cared about anyone else as they drank or engaged in their business. However, in the midst that tavern, there was a boy carrying beer and cleaning the floor with a thoughtful expression on his face. He was Rigel. Everything started a month ago when Rigel came back to the city to collect more information. Disguised in an old robe, he sat outside on streets listening carefully to strangers and warriors whenever they passed by him. People weren''t capable of keeping a leash on their mouth in most cases, but they were selective with whom they shared their secrets. However, many times, we tend to ignore those who we think are insignificant like beggars. They aren''t inconspicuous; we just believe they are. Rigel sat there calmly without any hurry because he knew that rushing won''t change anything. The flow of information around the name of Blood Emperor was airtight, and any probe at any level would eventually lead to him, and then, he would fall a prey like many others before him. Above all, Rigel was still recuperating from his injuries so he simply sat there in the alley listening to everything he can and observing everything he found to be unusual. Two weeks passed by and then suddenly something happened which changed everything. That day, Rigel slept by an alley. He covered himself with his blanket and slept without a care in the world. Over caution will lead to trouble. The ultimate disguise is to become whoever you want to be. A beggar wouldn''t be cautious enough in the middle of the night because he has no reason to be and thus, Rigel wasn''t either. However, it was an entirely another thing for him to be mentally cautious. Throughout the night he still kept a watch through the slit of his blanket and thus, he saw something in the depths of the night. A middle-aged man drenched in sweat was beheaded with a small table knife wielded by a young man in his twenties. This scene by itself was astonishing because a neck isn''t something which can be slit with a table knife, and the only one who can accomplish such a feat was a man of great strength who has threaded far in the path of cultivation. Rigel''s heart trembled as he saw that, but he still didn''t move an inch nor did he let himself be shaken enough to change the rate of his breathing. He still slept there without the care of the world. The young man who killed the middle age man laughed cruelly as he bent down and picked up a small bag from the robes of the dead man. He rubbed the sac and satisfied with what his stroke of luck, he smiled broadly. "I did not expect to find such a treasure when I decided to come to this good for nothing place. Loyd, you died such a miserable death. Well, well. As your friend, I should at least give you a good farewell. Here, take this gold coin, hope this will pay for your ferry in your afterlife." The young man smirked as he tossed a coin carelessly and left. Rigel, who listened to this one-sided conversation, felt confused and then he rose silently. Carefully observing the surroundings, he tread slowly into the alley upon confirming that no one had their eyes on him. He imagined to find a corpse of a murdered man, but what he did not expect to find was a gold coin with the symbol of Blood red skull on it. Rigel was shocked because he knew how much gold mattered in Gehenna. However, he was aware that such a thing would attract not only vultures, but also predators, so he quickly grabbed the gold coin and then searched the man. Although he didn''t find any more coins, he did find a small wooden token with a symbol of a tavern on it. On the other side was the name, The Crimson Lady. Rigel didn''t waste any more time, and he took off at high speed to a different part of the city because he didn''t want to give any chances for anyone to track him down. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Upon arriving at the opposite side of the city, he once again disguised himself as a homeless beggar while searched for anyone who may have followed him. Hours passed by, and when he was sure that he was safe, Rigel slowly made his way back to his alley. He then very naturally occupied his usual position by the alley on the street. However, inside his mind, he was frantically anxious because, in just a few hours, the alley returned to its usual state. Gehenna wasn''t like the outside world. People died regularly, and murder was as common as robbery. Sometimes corpses littered the street for days before anyone cared to remove them but the middle-aged man''s body disappeared in just a few hours without leaving a single blood mark about its existence. What was frightening about the entire thing wasn''t the murder or the power of the young man. It was the systematical removal of evidence in the lawless world of Gehenna. Rigel didn''t know who did that, but he knew that whoever did that, they were undoubtedly connected to the Blood emperor. Frank was related to the Blood Emperor. The mysterious man was probably related to him as well. There was a currency and a system underneath the disguise of a barbaric culture of Gehenna prison. Rigel sat there for three whole days thinking about how he should proceed, but he couldn''t come to any conclusions as he knew too little to make a plan. He originally disguised himself as a beggar because he wanted to learn more about the Blood Emperor and now, he finally had a clue. The tavern, Crimson Lady. Finding the tavern by itself wasn''t a big task for Rigel. Wandering the streets, listening to people and following the footsteps of strong warriors, he eventually found a big mansion with a small sign of a lady dressed in a crimson robe on the door. However, what he found to be very troublesome was the security around the tavern. Four warriors stood guard before the door but upon sitting on that street for a day, Rigel found something which made his heart tremble with fear. Four warriors did stand guard by the door but just like him, the street had dozens of lurkers. However, they weren''t beggars or homeless people. Every one of them wore good clothes and had strong physique giving an image of a strong warrior. Rigel knew then and there that he can never enter the tavern from the front door. The tavern was more like a fort than a little bar, so he instead disappeared into the shadows. Frank always said to Rigel when he wasn''t able to concoct a poison or acquire an ingredient. "Every goal has a path to achieve it and no matter how much one tried to defend their treasure, they will for sure leave a gap in their defenses. Remember Rigel; there is no perfect barrier in this world. Similarly, there is no perfect poison in this world. Everything has something which makes it an imperfection and when you are faced with a near perfection. Remember, it is still an imperfection." Rigel recalled Frank''s words and he remembered them very clearly. He wasn''t in a hurry, so he observed the tavern for three days before he found a loop in their perfect defense. Waiters, unlike the customers, were mere slaves and thus were worked to the bone. They stayed in a cottage a little distance away from the tavern with no security and scrutiny. Well, what can a poor waiter do? Nothing. So no one cared. Everyone knew that, and so did Rigel. That very day, Rigel silently entered that cottage and selected an old man. His eyes held no sense of pity even as he saw the old man sleeping peacefully. Life in a sentence is our selfish path in the world. Everyone lives for himself. Rigel shed tears for Frank but was he kind enough to show such sympathy to others? He wasn''t. The next day that old man died. No one doubted how because he was old and everyone thought that he died naturally. News spread among the servants, and a boy ran towards the cottage from some part of the city crying his heart out claiming to be the old man''s grandson. A week later, that grandson claimed his grandfather''s job and started working in the tavern. That was Rigel. Working with a fearful attitude, like a naive kid, the master, and the fellow workers quickly accepted Rigel. They made him clean the floor and tables. Rigel did everything he was told to do with utmost sincerity. He never lifted his head in the tavern, but his ears, they were sharp as the wind. They picked up every single conversation that happened at the bar and slowly he began to understand the truth about Gehenna. The tavern wasn''t a tavern. It was a relay point. The city wasn''t a city; it was an outpost. The Gehenna he witnessed for two years wasn''t the Gehenna. It was just the tip of it. The Blood Emperor didn''t rule over the city; he ruled over an empire. The Gehenna, the world''s largest and most mysterious prison wasn''t a prison at all. It was just a cover story made up for the people transported to it. These people were transported to Gehenna Prison only to be used as slaves. Rigel heard many things and had learned much in the tavern but above everything, he learned the one thing he wanted to know. The information about the Blood Emperor. The Blood Emperor wasn''t in the Gehenna Prison; Rigel thought he knew about. He was in an another world situated right underneath him. The world of Immortals, Devils, Supernatural beasts, and Taoist cultivators, The Great Gehenna. Book 1 - Chapter 6 - Caught Caught : Rigel stood by the door gazing at a young woman who sat alone in one corner of the tavern. The men around were unconsciously trying to act a little more mature and were trying to show off their good points. Their plan was as plain as day but unfortunate for them; the young woman didn''t even bother to appease their efforts with a glance. She kept her eyes on her papers the entire time. Minutes slowly passed and finally a man rose from his table and walked towards the young woman. Men were strange creatures; they love to woo women, and unless they gain the object of their desire, their lust can''t be satiated easily. The men in the bar knew next to nothing about that young woman, but the glimpse of her beautiful face was enough to pique their curiosity. Lust is a part of love. Love with lust is the natural component of any stable relationship between men and women, but lust alone is a sin. These men were now filled with lust and with a single woman in the middle of men. No more words are necessary to describe their thought process. Rigel, who stood there waiting for his orders, did notice these lustful gazes, and he also saw the man moving towards the young woman. He sighed in his mind but kept quiet because he knew that no matter what happens in front of him, he was in no position to intervene. Suddenly Rigel caught sight of something under the woman''s robe which made him wonder if the woman was vulnerable. A small shiny object was visible through the robe from his position and Rigel could almost guess its identity but as said before, he was in no position to intervene no matter what happens. "Hello Miss, I am Luther. I was just wondering what kind of an angel you are? Knowing your station, I should probably stay away but my heart pains to see that you are here without a company. Men are fools aren''t they? How can there be a man who lets you wander alone like this? Miss, why don''t you join me? I will make sure to entertain you." The man said with a gentle smile on his face. His voice was soft, and so were his words. However, his intentions weren''t. That much was clear from his actions. A gentleman would never touch a lady without her permission, but this man directly put his arms around her as he sat beside her. The young woman who heard the man and saw his actions closed her eyes for a second and then casually flipped the pages on the table. The next second a horrifying scream rang out in the room as Luther shouted at the top of his lungs before stumbling away from the young woman in horror. The lady didn''t even bother to look at Luther, but the people in the bar did. His face was twisting in pain as he gazed at his hand. His right hand which he had put around the young woman now only had four fingers. "I took a finger as a warning. The second I hear one more word out of your vulgar mouth, you will lose more than just a finger. Believe me; I am far more adept in killing than in keeping you alive." A cold voice resounded in the tavern''s bar as the young woman spoke without lifting her head. Rigel stood still with a fearful face, but his eyes glittered with excitement. Knowing what was going to happen, he kept a close eye on the knife within the robes of the young woman and what he saw made him tremble with excitement. In that instant, when the man uttered those words, the young woman moved her jade like hands like a whip and accurately cut off a single finger without wounding the other four. What Rigel found to be even more unbelieving were her swift actions. As she cut off the finger, she caught it with lightning fast reflexes and put that severed finger in Luther''s pocket. Everything happened in a split second, and Luther only registered the pain a second later. Rigel would never be able to see the woman''s actions with such precision had he not concentrated from the very beginning. The woman who he thought to be a prey in the middle of men turned out to be a lioness. Luther, who heard the young lady''s voice, didn''t even make a squeak. He silently got up and ran out of the bar without turning back. He had suffered enough humiliation in her hands and considering the skill she displayed earlier; he was sure that the longer he resisted, the more he would suffer. All the men in the bar silently dropped their heads. Fear overshadowed their lust and once again, silence returned to the bar. Rigel who saw this had an unconscious smile on his face. Laws of the world are nothing but a joke in the world where people of great power made up laws. If the young woman were weak and vulnerable, then she would have fallen prey to Luther''s approaches but now, with her strength, she made all the men bow their heads before her. Rigel, who saw this, smiled bitterly in his heart. He was not a fool to lose himself in dreams, and he was not ignorant enough to not understand the difference between reality and illusion. The young woman clearly was a great cultivator and her speed can only be achieved after treading far on the path of cultivation. She was most probably a spark formation stage cultivator who has perfected her Qi emission to a level that people in the bar didn''t even notice her strength or her identity as a cultivator. The events of the past month once again played in Rigel''s mind. The mysterious cultivator, and his helplessness. Rigel involuntarily or voluntarily began to feel an intense desire he had once felt two years ago. The desire to gain strength. The desire to gain power. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. But then again, he lost all his means when his dantian was destroyed. Dantian is the core of any cultivator. There is no cultivation without a dantian, and there will be no future without power. Rigel knew this, but he also knew that the.... "The future is limitless, and the possibilities are infinite." Rigel''s aim wasn''t to gain strength which surpassed everyone in the world. He only needed enough strength to win against the mysterious man and find out the whereabouts of Frank. If he can''t possess such power by himself, then he would gain such power by authority, by bribery, or by betrayal. Means were infinite. What mattered was the result and Rigel didn''t care about the process in between. Several minutes later, Rigel began to wipe the floor upon receiving the orders. While passing the woman''s table, he glanced at the papers due to curiosity only to find complex chemical equations on it. The alchemy of poisons didn''t only rely simply on mixing ingredients. It was a complex science which explained the intricate details of the components used within it. One component can be used in ten thousand formulas, and it reacts in a hundred thousand different ways to give millions of possible results. None can master the alchemy of Poison in one lifetime. Rigel''s face lit up as he saw the formulas of various pills and poisons on the sheets. For two years, he relentlessly learned many poison concoctions from Frank so he could recognize many of them at a glance. Lost in thought, he didn''t notice the gaze of the woman on him. The young woman who was thinking hard was drawn by a gaze of another soul. With irritation, she glanced at him ready to whip out but instead of stinking men; a boy stood beside her, and he was instead looking at her papers with intense concentration. She could see enlightenment in his eyes as he moved from one formula to another. She could tell instinctively tell that the boy in front of her, a waiter was capable of deciphering the meaning hidden behind the complex texts, and this piqued her interest. Rigel only glanced for a mere ten seconds and withdrew his gaze knowing that he had overstepped his station in his disguise, but the harm was already done. The young woman was now staring at him with intense concentration. "What is your name?" She asked out of the blue startling Rigel. "My lady, my name is Rigel." Rigel tried to be as careful as he can, but the young woman rose from her seat and said in a loud voice, "Master, I have some work that I have to take care. I want this kid for assistance. I will pay you later." Alarms rang like sirens in Rigel''s mind as he heard that. He was pushed into a corner in one stroke by the young woman and then before he could even respond, she collected all her papers and ordered, "Didn''t you listen to me? Follow me." Rigel couldn''t open his mouth to say any objections because he couldn''t think of any. What kind of objections can a mere servant make to a customer who is paying for his services? He can''t. Any excuse will blow his cover, so Rigel collected his bearings quickly and followed the young woman as she walked out of the war. Following her, he slowly climbed the stairs. No matter how Rigel thought, he could see no path of escape. The woman before him was strong, sharp and attentive. He can not attempt an escape, and the best thing he can do in that situation was to bluff his way through her questions. Though the possibility of fooling her was little, it was still the option with the highest probability of getting out unharmed. He still didn''t know why she asked for him, but he was aware that she decided to do that only after she caught him staring at her papers. A few minutes later. Rigel stood still like a statue as he uncomfortably stared back at the young woman who had been staring at him for one whole minute without saying a word. Finally, Rigel sighed in his heart and admitted defeat. So he asked in a conservative voice, "My lady, what can I do for you?" The young woman licked her lips and said in a calm voice, "You can drop your act boy. I can say for certain that you are not an ordinary servant. Who are you?" Rigel gulped his saliva nervously and said, "My name is Rigel, My lady." The young woman smiled as she heard Rigel. She leaned back in the chair and asked in a low voice, "So Rigel, How about we come to an understanding?" Rigel still kept a plain face as he asked in a calm voice, "What kind of understanding, My lady?" "A mutually beneficial one." The young woman answered and then said in a low voice, "For keeping your secret, you will share your secret with me, Rigel." Her body suddenly disappeared from her place as she appeared before Rigel in a flash. Catching his chin in her jade like hands, she leaned down to look straight into Rigel''s eyes and said, "I, Ravel have a lot of interest in you Rigel. I hope that you won''t disappoint me. Remember, I am not a kind person when I am disappointed Rigel." Rigel face still was calm as ever but inside; his heart was beating with high intensity. No matter how much he tried to control his thoughts, he couldn''t help but think, "Just what did I get myself into?" **** If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please rate it. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Revision plans Hey guys, I have been busy the last couple of days rewriting parts of Book 1 and editing the chapters. I know from personal experience that the past chapters aren''t really how you remember they are, and as I read through chapters, I am seeing a ton of mistakes which makes me wonder just how I wrote them. So, I am determined to edit all 55 chapters before starting Book 2. The reason for this is simple, I want all of you to have the best experience possible while reading Rigel and I don''t want to cut corners in my efforts. I will be reposting all the chapters again on Royalroadl, while I will just update the existing chapters on my website. The reason for doing this only on my website is because, it is just inconvenient for me to delete all the posts on my website whose links are everywhere, from TOC to Reddit. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. So that''s it. It is May 23rd and I have less than a week to edit 50 chapters. Let me tell you, editing is mind boggling. I am losing all my mental facilities upon editing for just 2 hours. Now, I have a lot more respect to all the editors out there. Also, I highly recommend reading all the chapters once again. The edited chapters are nothing like the past, they are smooth, without 90% grammatical errors and are awesome. The reuploading of edited chapters starts today, and will continue until the end of May. So that means all the chapters are soon gonna disappear. You guys are awesome and have a nice day. Smile more GSD Reddy. Book 1 - Chapter 7 - Bluffing his way Bluffing his way: "Knock it off," Rigel said with an angry voice while pushing Ravel''s hand off his chin. Rigel backed off a few steps until he stood a little distance away from Ravel. Ravel, who didn''t expect such an answer stood in her place with a stunned expression, but she soon collected herself as she smiled lightly and said, "Ho... I thought that you were a bit more Intelligent than this. You should know that I can spill all your secrets the second you oppose me..." "Then what?" Rigel asked in a loud voice, "What would you gain by spilling my secrets? In the first place, you know next to nothing about me. True, I don''t belong to this tavern''s workforce. I bluffed my way to work in this bar, but that''s about it. They may kill or sell me as a slave for my deed, but that is the worst case scenario. Even if I faked my identity, I didn''t fake my sincerity. The master and the other servants respect me for my work and even if you tell them about me, I am positive that they would forgive me." Ravel smiled with an amused expression and said, "The world isn''t such a kind place Rigel. Do you believe that they would let you go after you cheated them once." Rigel smiled as he heard Ravel and said, "They will. Besides, I don''t want you to tell me about the cruelty of this world. I had my share a lot earlier than you." Ravel sighed deeply and sat on her chair. Glancing at Rigel, she said in a deep voice, "You are a tough kid, aren''t you? Submitting to me is the best option for you, you know? Didn''t you see my little stunt earlier? Killing you will be a piece of cake for me." Rigel narrowed his eyes and walked towards her. He then sat opposite her in a relaxing way. With a knowing smile, he said, "Maybe. But, I am sure that you won''t kill me. Besides, you need my full cooperation for the thing you are going to ask me to do. Ravel, I may be a kid in the eyes of the world but believe me, I am not. This isn''t about my secrets or your power over me; it is about the thing you want from me. Bluffing and coercing me into submission won''t work. Even though I am still a greenhorn compared to you, I have done my share of shady things. If you want me, then make me willing give myself to you. Make an offer; I can''t refuse." Ravel sat there silently for a few seconds and then sighed loudly. "This is why I don''t like kids like you. It would be so much easier had you been a naive kid." She complained in an irritated voice. Rigel smiled to himself and said, "I share the same sentiment." Ravel narrowed her eyes and said, "Well, well. Those are some big words for a kid." Rigel rose from his chair and stared at Ravel for a second. He then shook his head slightly and said, "Just so that you know, fifteen-year-old boys aren''t kids. We are considered fully grown men in this place so be careful with your words lady. Now, enough of this chatter. We both know that this won''t lead us anywhere so to tell me, what did you expect from me that you brought me to your room." Ravel sighed as she heard Rigel and said, "How much did you understand from the papers you saw earlier?" Rigel narrowed his eyes and said, "Ah! Those papers, sorry, I wasn''t able to see them clearly. Can you show them to me again?" Ravel gritted her teeth as she could clearly see that Rigel was lying, but since she had no choice she took out those papers from her pocket and gave them to Rigel. Rigel narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the information recorded within them. Plant after plant, chemical after chemical, has been recorded in the ten or so papers. Hibiscus, Jiantila, Kiri leaves, Stratum, Manzella, Jinalite, Kostivk. Common and rare plants were recorded in no particular order. Besides, what Rigel didn''t understand was that why would someone give enough clues to know the plant but not the name itself. Initially, when Rigel had seen the papers, he thought that they were a part of an encyclopedia or may be parts of an ancient book, but that wasn''t it. After several dozens of minutes, he finally put the papers down and asked in a calm voice, "So what is the story behind these papers?" "Don''t get cocky Rigel. Just tell me what you found out about these papers, and then, we are done." Ravel said in a threatening voice. Rigel sighed and said, "Very well. It is not my thing to try to dig into someone''s secrets so I will let this matter go. However, you aren''t getting the information for free, my lady. I have a few requests." "Speak," Ravel said in a cold voice. "First, promise me you won''t harm me directly or indirectly. Second, get me out of here. Not to the Gehenna city, but to the place you have come from, The Great Gehenna plane. ( here plane is synonymous with the world ) and finally, promise me that you will pay me a thousand gold. Considering your strength, I can roughly guess your status. These requests of mine shouldn''t be too difficult to fulfill, at least for you, right?" Ravel had an incredulous expression on her face. She couldn''t help but say, "Don''t you know something called moderation? Just how low can you get to ask a girl money of all things." Rigel simply shrugged his shoulders. Ravel shook her head helplessly and said, "Lower the price. I can''t pay you a thousand gold coins." "Nine hundred and ninety." "Two hundred." "Nine hundred and eighty." "Four hundred." "Nine hundred and seventy-nine." "What the fuck is wrong with you? Fine, you win. I will pay you the gold but only if I am satisfied with your answer." Ravel said in an angry voice. Rigel smiled as he heard Ravel. He then folded the papers and gave them back to Ravel. "These papers are a part of a book. The book isn''t written for educational purposes, and I am not sure which book they belong to, but one thing is for sure. They are code. An interesting way of hiding something which I presume is a treasure. Since you have acquired these papers, I am sure that you know what that is, or at least what that might be so I take that you don''t want me to elaborate that for you." You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "Elaborate," Ravel said in a cold voice. Rigel shrugged his shoulders and continued, "I can''t decode the hidden message, but there will surely be someone capable of doing that. Since this code needs a lot of botanical and chemical knowledge, the person behind this is either an alchemist or an extremely formidable person with a high-level alchemist by his side. Either of them is troublesome people to deal with, so I suggest you leave these papers aside and live peacefully. Considering how charming you are, I am sure that men will surely try to charm you into loving them and then you may find love as well. How about it?" "Shut up. I don''t want your advice on what to do with my life. Tell me, Can you decipher the hidden message if I find the remaining papers?" Ravel asked in a hurried voice. Rigel sat back on his chair and said, "Maybe I can, or maybe I can''t. I can''t say for sure until I see the whole book. However, just so you know, each plant in this book represents a single letter, and these ten papers aren''t even enough to make a single sentence. If the hidden message is about a hundred sentences long, then you are searching for a book with a thousand pages. Well, what should I say? Good luck." Ravel sighed as she heard Rigel''s voice. She sat back on her chair deep in thought. Minutes passed as they sat in silence. Finally, Rigel broke the silence and said, "I don''t want to be a prick, but do you want us to stay here doing nothing for the rest of the night Ravel. However, don''t even think that I am going to let you get out of my eyes for even one second. You haven''t kept your side of the promise yet, remember?" Ravel who heard Rigel sighed and said, "Very well. Collect your things; we will depart now." Rigel stood up and said, "Hey, I know that this is a little bit difficult for you but do you happen to have one of those inter-spatial storage artifacts?" "Huh!" Ravel retorted involuntarily, "Don''t you have a limit for your greed kid. Interspatial storage artifacts aren''t cheap candy. Get your belongings now. I will leave if you aren''t here within ten minutes." Rigel sighed and weakly replied, "Alright." Getting down the stairs, Rigel ran towards the servant mansion to grab the few things he always kept on himself. Though he could keep everything hidden inside the cave, there was always a risk of someone stealing the cave. So he always kept the most important things like the concocted poisons and few important books on him. Within minutes, Rigel was back in the room only to find Ravel ready to leave. He was slightly panting because he was in a hurry. He didn''t want to lose his hard-earned freedom. Ravel who saw Rigel didn''t speak a word as she climbed the stairs up. Rigel followed behind her until they reached a door guarded by two guards who looked like two absolute barriers. They didn''t blink an eye as Ravel stood before them, but upon seeing Rigel, they stared at her as if asking for an explanation. "My slave," Ravel answered their unasked question. Nodding their heads, they lifted the seal on the door, and Ravel walked into it followed by Rigel. The next instant, a world of astonishing beauty appeared before Rigel''s eyes. It wasn''t all that different compared to the outside world but to Rigel, he felt as if he had seen the most amazing thing in his life. We can''t appreciate some things as long as we take them for granted. Rigel never thought about sunlight in his twelve years of life but now, after being in darkness for two whole years, he felt as if the warmth of the sun was heavenly. The greenery of the plants. The fresh air without the stench of the dead and the feel of a shackle less world looked like a boundless universe full of opportunities. "Here take this and good bye. Hope we never meet again. Remember, the only reason why I am leaving you alive is that I have already given my word." Ravel said as she threw a small bag towards Rigel. However, before Rigel could even respond she took off to the skies. Seeing this Rigel couldn''t help but shiver slightly. Flight was an ability possessed by Spark Formation stage cultivators. Spark formation stage was completely different from the Qi Condensation. It was an entirely different level, and any spark stage cultivator can kill a Qi condensation stage cultivator with ease, and they had many unique abilities. Like the "Qi manifestation." Rigel knew only a little, but he knew how terrifyingly powerful they were. The thought that he was provoking with her a second ago made his body shiver in fear. Opening the bag Ravel gave him, a look of astonishment crossed over his face. But, then again he shook his head helplessly as he counted the gold inside it. He did think of the possibility that Ravel may not pay him fully, but still he did not expect her to pay only a hundred gold coins with the remaining being copper, not even silver. However, Rigel only smiled as he tucked the gold on his waist. He looked at the skies and said, "You cheated me as well, so we are equal." Rigel smirked as he took out an old book out of his bag and flipped through the pages casually. Albeit a bit different they were the same pages, Ravel had in her hands. There was no treasure, no hidden message nor was there any need to search for the remaining pages. It was nothing but an old practice book which was long out of publication. Frank had given Rigel the book to test his knowledge of plants and chemicals. Rigel smiled lightly and said, "Leaving the gold aside, I still achieved my primary goal. Sorry Ravel." **** If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please rate it. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Book 1 - Chapter 8 - Pious Pious: One month later. Rio City, Blue Fire Empire. Rigel was walking down the street with a huge book in his hands. He was gazing at the various stalls and trying to find the plants which he once considered as legends of the outer world. Ever since Rigel entered the Gehenna plane, he started to study about the world with crazed determination. One thing Rigel understood more than anyone was that, without proper knowledge you will be nothing but a clown in the hands of people. Since he couldn''t let anyone find out his identity as a prisoner of Gehenna. Rigel started to approach people in the markets cautiously. Markets were places with a lot of activity, and as long as you are alert, you can understand a lot of things. Things such as the market price of various medicines, the present market conditions, the information regarding people of significant influence, and the statistics of market trades. The interest rates, and the loopholes in the system. The connections necessary to get something done. All these were among some of the things Rigel learned as he spent an entire month roaming the markets with an alert ear. A cautious man is a stronger man on the eve of crisis because he is careful enough to take preventive measures. Rigel had enough experience in Gehenna prison preventing him from trusting in people, but he knew that without people on whom he can put his trust in, he can never survive. Rigel walked out of the market as the morning sun slowly climbed to the sky. As time passed, people began to rush into the streets enabling Rigel to disappear conveniently in the crowd. Merchants are some of the most intelligent people, and he wasn''t ready to give them any idea of suspecting his intentions. So Rigel always tried to be as inconspicuous as possible. Moving away from the busy market street, Rigel ran towards the central town. Situated in the center of the city, right beside the grand auditorium was a large cathedral. The Church of Light had a huge influence in the town, so Rigel always made it a point to give his prayers every day after breakfast. Following the path of religion provides you with a hide of its own. Fellow devotees become your family, and the church becomes your shelter in case of trouble. Rigel was in a dire need of both, so he did his best to interact with each and every devotee he could talk to and that of course included the priests. Rigel silently stood with a pious face for an entire hour until the priest finished his preaching. He didn''t understand much of anything the priest ever said, but he always tried his best to remember the sermon to impress others. Following the line of the crowd, Rigel walked to the cathedral to give his donation. With a friendly face, he threw a silver coin into the box. Usually, he would put up a farce in front of the priest by showing a silver coin, and as he threw it into the box, he would instead slide in a bronze coin. However, Rigel had decided that he had done enough groundwork to ask a favor, so he openly threw a silver coin and made sure that the priest had a good glance at the sparkling silver in his hands. The priest smiled as he looked at Rigel. Seeing a youth, no more than fifteen come to the sermons every day and offering his hard earned money gave an excellent impression to the priest. So, as Rigel walked towards him and whispered that he had something to speak in private, the priest immediately gave a positive reply and asked him to follow him to his chamber. Rigel walked into the priest''s chamber and sat down. He then put on a nervous expression and said, "Father, I am ashamed to come here but...." He then proceeded to put on a pained expression on his face. The priest saw the pained expression on Rigel''s face and said in a comforting voice, "Rigel, I have seen you every day for a whole month, and I know that you are a very good child at heart. Speak to me Rigel. What is your problem?" Rigel raised his head and looked at the priest. He then said in a small voice, "Father, I have a little bit of knowledge regarding plants, but have little to no knowledge regarding chemicals. I come from a poor family and both my parents have already reached the lord''s abode. I have none but the Lord to take care of me in this world. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Father, I, who should have died in a gutter had some luck and learned some botany from a great man who has now reached the Lord''s Adobe as well. Father, my aim is to one day become an aide to an alchemist and learn a little alchemy with his grace. However, I am not privileged enough to enter the city library. Since I cannot fathom to buy a book of my own. I beg you to grant me the permission to get into the city library." The priest looked at Rigel, who had a pained expression on his face. It wasn''t an expression of anxiety or fear; it was an expression of self-pity. Rigel was pitying his life which didn''t grant him a chance to chase his dream. The priest''s heart melted as he saw Rigel. He couldn''t see an immigrant with no identity in front of him, all he saw was a kid with pure heart. Rigel''s words pained him, his words speaking of becoming a mere aide pained him. Being a priest of the church meant that he had a huge influence. He had seen many people who tried to extort favors from him but this time, all he saw was a kid who was truly in need of help. With a smile the priest said, "Rigel, you a good boy. I could grant you access to the city''s library hall with a simple request, but I have seen how pure your intentions are and how much you torture your heart for being poor. Rigel, the Lord has taken your parents away for a reason. They have already suffered enough and thus have reached the Lord, but we are different. Me, you, we are all here because we have something we have to do in this world. Rigel, I won''t grant you access to the city hall. Instead, I will personally request the Xia sect to let you into their library. Their library is huge and is nothing like the city library. Learn whatever you wish to learn Rigel. Remember, the Lord is salvation, but the salvation also lies within." Rigel''s face was drenched with tears as he heard the priest. He immediately got down to his knees and bowed deeply as he said, "I shall remember your kindness till I breathe my last Father and I swear that I will never let you down. Thank you, Father, I don''t think even my parents would be as kind as you are to me." The priest smiled lightly and patted Rigel and said, "Take this letter Child. The Xia clan is one of the three largest clans in this town. So be courteous. Remember, don''t ever try to oppose people of great station and don''t ever try to show off your skills. As the devotees of the Lord, we should always walk on the path of Light the Lord shows us." Rigel repeatedly nodded with a very pious look in his eyes. He then bowed one final time as he took his leave with an envelope his hands. As Rigel exited the church, he walked towards the east end of the city which housed the Xia sect. The Xia sect, the Li sect, and the Shia clan were the three great powerhouses of the Rio city. The three powerhouses each occupied a part of the city where they literarily owned everything. As Rigel walked towards the east of the town, he silently slit the envelope open with a knife and read the letter. The letter was personally written by the priest as a representative of the church. He asked the Xia sect to let Rigel study in their library for a few months, and said that the church will remember their favor. After confirming that the contents of the letter were following his plan. Rigel reattached the envelope with some glue and slid it back into his pocket. His face finally changed as the pious look on his face disappeared as he silently muttered, "Whew... I never knew acting pious was this tough. Sigh! Anyway, it was a good business. A recommendation letter for a mere twenty-nine bronze and a single silver coin." His face was filled with a mysterious smile as he slowly made his way towards the Xia sect. ***** If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please rate it. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Book 1 - Chapter 9 - Entering the Xia Sect Entering the Xia Sect: Rigel walked towards the Xia sect cautiously with a fearful expression in his eyes. The act of fooling others starts by fooling yourself. Rigel wasn''t going to give anyone a chance to suspect his intentions, so he always kept a fearful expression on his face. As he approached the entrance of the Xia sect, Rigel sucked in a cold breath. The entrance was a full thirty-metre wide arch which had two sixty meter high towers on either side. The whole arch was jade green with a giant dragon coiling around it, and magnificent calligraphy describing the sect''s history could be seen on the jade stone dragon sculpture. Two guards stood on either side of the arch. Beyond the arch was a pagoda with more guards standing guard before it. The arch by itself was awe-inspiring, but the magnificent part was the sect beyond. He was in the north of the city, and the everything beyond that point was all under the control of the Xia sect. The Sect had declared it as its territory. Thus, Rigel couldn''t help but wonder just how much wealth and influence should allow a sect to occupy such a vast territory. The Rio was just a small city in the Blood Empire. The Gehenna plane had many ancient cities whose grandeur will surpass the heavens. However, even the Rio town had a circumference of more than a hundred kilometers. Even though the Xia town had a Lord Perfect, he was nothing but a representative ruler of the Blood Empire. The whole city belonged to the Blood Emperor and occupying a part of town showed just how much influence the sect held in the city and the empire as a whole. As Rigel stood there in awe, the two guards gazed at him and slowly sighed. They both had been the guards of the sect for many years, and it wasn''t the first time they encountered a youth who had a foolish dream of joining the sect. So they walked towards Rigel and said in a cold voice, "Get out of here kid. This isn''t a place where someone like you can get in." Rigel''s face twitched slightly as he heard the guards. He, however still put on a fearful face and said, "Sir, I have come here to deliver a letter to the sect master." The guards glanced at each other and sighed. They took a look at the letter given by Rigel and decided to send him to the pagoda. Rigel walked towards the pagoda silently as a guard rushed in to inform authorities. He then stood in front of it for a few minutes waiting for the guard. Slowly a man walked out of the pagoda. He wore a Violet colored robe with a dragon imprint on it. The Violet robe with a dragon print was a symbol of an elder of the Xia sect. The elder looked at Rigel and asked in a cold voice, "Who let this cripple get inside?" Rigel was startled as he heard the elder. He simply couldn''t conceive how the elder managed to see through his secret with just a glance. The guard standing behind Rigel answered in a respectful voice, "Elder, this kid has a letter addressed to the sect master." The elder snorted coldly and said, "Give it to me." The guard respectfully handed over the letter to the elder which he had earlier retrieved from Rigel. The elder glanced at this contents of the letter and said in an angry voice, "Church of Light! Who do they think they are to order us around? Get the fuck out of my sight and tell that priest, if I see him trying to order us around one more time. I will kill him." Rigel stared at the elder with a mute expression. He couldn''t help but curse his bad luck as he heard the elder. Rigel could clearly understand that this particular elder had an enmity with the church. He was cursing his luck for encountering him of all elders. However, just as Rigel was about to leave. The earlier guard arrived with another elder in his tow. This elder was also similarly dressed in a violet colored robe with a dragon pattern on it. He, however, was a bit aged and had a calm expression as he glanced at Rigel and the other elder. With just a glance, he looked as if he understood what had happened before his arrival. With a sigh, he said in a small voice, "Elder Ley, I assume you have accepted him as our disciple. It''s a personal request from Priest Stephen himself so we have to, of course, honor his request." Rigel was startled as he heard the elder. However, he was still unsure, so he looked at Elder Ley with trepidation. Elder Ley''s brow twitched as he heard the other elder. He wasn''t expecting an interruption. However, he wasn''t ready to silently accept the elder''s words either so he said in a cold voice, "He is a god damn cripple. Do you want to still accept him as our disciple Elder Feng?" If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Elder Feng''s face was startled by this confession. He stared at Rigel with a mysterious gaze. That gaze had pity mixed in it. After a second, Elder Feng sighed and said, "This isn''t matter concerning us. The Sect Master has ordered us to accept this kid so we will accept him. It doesn''t matter even if he is a cripple. The Xia sect will welcome him nonetheless." Elder Ley''s eyes narrowed as he heard Elder Feng''s words. Being a member of a junior generation, he was at a disadvantage in influence and power, so all he could do was to snort coldly and walk away. As Elder Ley left, Rigel bowed deeply and said, "I thank Elder for his kind consideration." Elder Feng stated at Rigel for a second and then asked in a calm voice, "What do you wish to accomplish by joining this sect kid? The letter says that you only want to study, but only a disciple of the sect can enter the library, so you have to become this sect''s disciple. I can see that you haven''t even entered into Qi condensation stage yet. You are already fifteen years old and yet haven''t started cultivation. I don''t know the reason behind it but in the world of cultivation. You are already considered a cripple. It''s better if you stop daydreaming." Rigel was startled as he finally understood why Elder Ley called him a cripple. "This sect isn''t a place where someone like you can live peacefully. Even though I defended you, that is only because of Father Stephen. You better start thinking straight and get the hell out of here before you get your ass kicked." Elder fend continued in a cold voice. Rigel put on a blank face for a moment and then nodded his head silently. He could see that Elder Feng was only worried about him. Thus, Rigel still bowed as he saw his departing back. Even if he cheated a thousand people, Rigel would never cheat himself. He felt sincere gratitude towards Elder Feng and thus, he will repay him with sincerity. Those who try to harm him will have his wrath, but those who try to help him shall receive his love. Rigel had once lost the ability to trust people. He was alone both inside and out, but Frank taught Rigel a lot of things including a truth about life. "You can never survive without the aide of others." Rigel looked around the pagoda for a while as he didn''t know where the library was but he couldn''t find anyone to ask, so he slowly began to walk towards the north where the major portion of the sect was present. A small road made out of gravel surrounded by flowers adorned the surrounding gardens of the Xia sect. Outside the sect, a group of female disciples was relaxing on the grass enjoying the spring sun. Rigel slowly walked down this path until he reached the group of disciples. The disciples were more than ten in number, and all of them were in their early teens. As they saw Rigel walking towards them, a look of curiosity appeared in their eyes. Rigel stopped for a second until he finally decided to walk towards them. From the top of the pagoda, Elder Feng was gazing at Rigel, who was walking straight towards the group of disciples. His face was cold as he looked at the scene with eyes filled with concentration. "Keep a close look on that kid, Leo. If he starts to waver on his decision to enter this sect, then throw him out." Elder Fend said in a small voice. The guard behind him nodded his head and said, "Why did you let him in Elder? We should have at least shown him to the library." Feng turned around and walked towards the stairs. He smiled mysteriously and said in a calm voice, "One has to fend for himself in this cultivation world. Even if this kid isn''t a part of our world, entering this sect will put him in the same category. If he can''t defend his life and accomplish his dreams through his own strength, then there is no meaning in letting him enter the sect." The guard nodded his head and looked at Rigel, who had finally arrived at the spot where the group of disciples was resting. The group of disciples looked at Rigel with curiosity as he saluted them and greeted in a respectful voice, "Junior greets seniors." ***** If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider rating it. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Book 1 - Chapter 10 - The Black Pearl Reacts The Black Pearl reacts: Rigel saluted the girls and said respectfully, "Junior greets seniors." The dozen or so girls turned their heads and looked at Rigel with a confused expression. Rigel looked like your average guy. Though he was a bit good looking, he wasn''t dressed luxuriously. He didn''t have a neat demeanor nor did he have an extraordinary aura around him. Everything about him thus screamed of average. Being raised as a slave and the suffering he suffered inside the Gehenna Prison didn''t help Rigel in developing a sense of fashion. He always wore some random clothes which were comfortable to him. Poverty and low status never allowed him to experience the luxuries of rich. However, to the girls who were living within the Xia sect, Rigel looked more like a beggar than a fellow disciple. One of the girls, who wore a pair of black gloves on her pearl-like white hands snickered loudly and said, "Junior, You dare say, you are our junior. Unfortunately, we don''t accept beggars as our juniors. Get out of here, you dirtbag." Rigel''s face immediately twitched with this unexpected events. Even though he may appear poor and improperly dressed, he was never dirty. He always had a healthy way of doing things. However, Rigel only nodded his head and walked away while narrowing his eyes. Even though Rigel would never actually go out looking for trouble himself, he was never a man who escaped trouble by lowering his honor. Rigel would remember the girl who insulted him. Even though it was nothing more than the words of ignorant, to him, an insult was still an insult. Rigel walked towards the main sect and followed the route explained to him by a kind old man who appeared to be a retired servant. Finally by the time, the moon crept into the skies, Rigel arrived before a seven-storied pagoda. The pagoda was dark red in color and was decorated with Golden paintings made out of actual gold. Rigel stood before the pagoda observing the surroundings and the people who passed through that street. He didn''t know know what the pagoda was, but he knew that it was a place of extreme importance because he could feel at least six pairs of eyes on him. Rigel may haven''t cultivated, but he had killed people much more than any elites of his age. A man won''t have the bearings of a great expert, nor would be he a man of great authority unless he is willing to drench his hands in blood. Rigel learned that lesson much earlier than most people. Even if he wasn''t an elite who had the guidance of great elders, he was a slave who learned about the darkness of men through his life. The slave trader he was sold to had a parlor trick for his customer''s entertainment. Old slaves fought each other in a death match for his clients'' amusement in the most entertaining ways. The slave trader didn''t care about anything other than money. As long as he gets his share, he wouldn''t mind disposing of a few random slaves. Rigel stayed in that slave house watching people die every day. He watched people who killed them, and he watched individuals who enjoyed this show. Thus, Rigel was extremely sensitive to one emotion in the whole world. Killing intent. Even if he was a cripple, even if he didn''t possess a tenth of an average cultivator''s strength, he could distinguish that single emotion out of hundred others with absolute accuracy. Rigel stood before the pagoda, and then he sighed as he calculated his chances. Even though he could sense at least six pairs of eyes on him, he couldn''t sense their leader. There was a limit to his mere human senses. In front of godly strength, human power becomes nothing but a dog''s bark. So Rigel lifted his hands in the air and said, "Seniors, this junior is here by Elder Feng''s orders." ........................... 7th floor of the pagoda. Four men sat around a table. All four wore black robes, each with a unique mark of a two-headed dragon. Although they sat in silence, they would occasionally all nod their heads. They were all conversing in their minds through their divine senses. The divine sense was an ability unique to an immortal practitioner, who could use the power of their mental energy to establish a telepathy-like ability. These four men were among the few people who had authority exceeding that of an elder in the Xia sect. At that instant, when Rigel arrived before the pagoda, one among them titled his head and gazed at him. His old eyes and wrinkled face held a bit of amusement as he stared at Rigel. His long sleeves covered his hands, and his cultivation base was unfathomable. However, he had a childish gleam hidden deep in his wise eyes. His nose slightly twitched as he inhaled a breath. His lips parted slightly as a smile blossomed on his face. With narrowed eyes he laughed in his heart as he thought, "A boy who can concoct The Poison Lady, Interesting?" He then began to watch Rigel''s actions carefully. As Rigel stood there for a few minutes, he silently gave out a few orders to the surrounding guards to not to disturb Rigel. "Seniors, this junior is here by Elder Feng''s orders." As Rigel uttered those words, a strange gleam appeared in the man''s eyes. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. With a smile, he rose from his seat. The other three men who saw this had strange expressions on their faces. Who were they? They were all people who had status exceeding that of an elder. How couldn''t they see that the man wasn''t paying attention to then for five whole minutes? He glanced at the trio and said, "I have some matters that I have to take care of." The trio nodded their heads silently. Even though every one of them men could sense why he was leaving, they wouldn''t stop him. They had no reason to stop him. The man smiled as he left the floor. He then walked down the stairs until he reached the ground floor. There he stopped in his tracks as he watched an amusing scene. In front of him, Rigel was standing still with an alert gaze and a respectful attitude as he faced a red robed man. The red robed man stood there with a serious face as he said in a cold voice, "This area is off-limits for now. Get out of here kid." Rigel nodded his head silently and turned back. The black-robed man who was watching this scene narrowed his eyes in dissatisfaction. He was hoping to look at a much more amusing scene fit for a kid his age. However faced with Rigel''s choice, he snorted as he ordered the red-robed man in a cold voice through his divine sense, "Kill him!" The red-robed man stunned by the words transmitted to his mind turned around and watched the black-robed man in astonishment, but the next second, he pounced on Rigel without any hesitation. Rigel, who was shocked by the sudden turn of events, immediately kicked the ground and rolled towards his right side narrowly missing the deathly hook of the red robed man. "Why?????" Rigel screamed in his mind repeatedly in that second, but no matter how he thought, he couldn''t understand why the red-robed man attacked him without any warning. "Die......." The red robed man roared as he took out a talisman and lit it with his Qi. It burned in a flash and the next instant, a fog emanated from it engulfing Rigel in it. The black-robed man upon seeing this licked his lips as he said to himself, "Ho! Poison gas. Perfect, now show me your secrets lad." Rigel, who was engulfed by the poison, immediately stopped breathing but to his astonishment, he noticed that his skin was becoming purple as it began to absorb the gas at a fast rate. Despair filled his eyes as they started to lose consciousness under the effects of the poison. His mind became numb by the second and in his haziness, a bitter smile appeared on his face. Even if he was a poison expert, he can''t have an antidote for all poisons at his hand. The alchemy of poison was the same as the heavens and earth. It was boundless and without the time to study a poison, he can never come up with an antidote in an instant. Thus, he had a bitter smile on his face. The poisons he had studied for two whole years under Frank, and used them for self-defense countless times was now killing him. It was ironic. At that second, just as Rigel had almost given up on his life. His body started to tremble. His profound veins* began to push the poison fog rapidly towards his dantian*. Rigel coughed up blood as his profound veins started to rupture under the effects of the poison. The profound veins are one of the most resilient parts of one''s body, but Rigel had never cultivated them. As he had never absorbed the energy of the Heaven and Earth, they were like any other normal veins. Rigel coughed up more blood as the poison began to make its way towards his dantian and a fierce pain assaulted his mind a second later. The poison had made its way to his nervous system. Rigel screamed in pain and finally lost his consciousness. In that instant, a popping sound rang out as the poison finally reached his dantian. The black pearl which was lying in his dantian silently began to glow with a dark radiance and the next second; a blinding light erupted in his dantian which began to spread all over Rigel''s profound veins. A few seconds after which, Rigel''s trembling body began to relax. The black-robed man who was watching the whole scene began to smile widely as he watched Rigel crawl out of a certain death situation. The red-robed man who watched this had a dumb face as he saw that Rigel was still alive, then rage appeared on his face. His hand went for his sword but then stopped in his tracks as the black-robed man appeared before his eyes. The fog which saturated the area began to dissipate like mist as the black-robed man made his way towards Rigel. He then looked at Rigel''s injured body and said in a calm voice, "Get this boy to the infirmary and watch over him for me. When he wakes up, tell him nothing regarding my involvement. Understood?" The man asked in a cold voice. The red robed man looked at the black-robed man in confusion, but he nevertheless bowed his head deeply and said in a respectful voice, "This servant shall follow your orders, Patriarch." ****** If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please rate it. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Book 1 - Chapter 11 - Fuck! I will release a BONUS chapter for every 100 followers who follow Rigel: The Savage World. Current follower count is 437 - A BONUS chapter is due when it reaches 537. btw, BONUS chapters are awesome extra chapters aside from regular releases. They follow a different story line and give an insight into some of your favorite characters and plots. ******* Fuck! Dark Miasma covered his eyes as Rigel woke up with a severe headache and a stupor. He blinked his eyes as he gazed at a shadowy world filled with puddles of black water. Rigel shook his head in confusion. The last thing he remembered was losing his consciousness due to extreme pain. With a hazy mind, he couldn''t help but think, "Am I in hell?" However, reason told him that he wasn''t. Even though he couldn''t explicitly say how, but he somehow felt that he was still alive. But, he still didn''t understand how he had come to such a place. Rigel rose to his feet and turned around. No matter where he looked and no matter how far he looked, everything looked the same. It didn''t matter in which direction or how far he looked, he could only see the prominent gray miasma and black puddles. Rigel walked around in confusion. Minutes passed and then hours passed. Finally, Rigel felt as if days have passed. The again, he couldn''t differentiate time in that weird place. He went around and tried to examine the black puddles but the closer he got, the hotter they became. By the time he neared them, he was able to feel the intense heat. Unable to do anything he gave up on examining them. Rigel saw the gray clouds, the gray fog, the black puddles until he felt that maybe he was dreaming his existence while he may have already died. Then he considered that maybe he was in an illusion trapped in his own mind. That feeling brought fear to his peaceful self. He began to dread his future. He began to dread of what would happen to him. Rigel ran and ran, all to no avail. He ran until he couldn''t run anymore. Rigel saw everything that was there to see in that weird world. He saw the fog; he saw the clouds, and he saw the puddles. No matter what he saw, he didn''t see a way out. All he saw was himself in the reflection of the distant puddles. He saw himself, weak and scared like he always was. Finally, he sat down, tired of searching, tired of hoping and tired of hoping more. He sat down and then slept. When he woke up, he slept again. When he slept, he dreamed of sleeping more. Minutes and days turned into months and years. Rigel couldn''t even think how long he was there. He couldn''t understand why he was even in that place. The place had nothing. It literally had nothing. All he could do in that mysterious world was to think. He first thought of his defeat. Then he began to think of how he was defeated? He began to think of what incident led to his defeat? He then thought of why he even suffered the loss? Rigel calm mind began to tremble as he remembered everything his daily life made him forget. How he lost his beloved, and how he failed to kill the one man he wanted to kill at any cost. Then he remembered Frank, his lessons, how he took care of him and his death. The Mysterious man and how insignificant he was in front of him. Finally, he thought of the red-robed man who killed him with a poison fog. All this led to only one emotion, anger. Anger towards them, towards himself, his fate, and towards the God. His calm mind became turbulent under those emotions. His calm eyes turned red, and his slow breathing became heavy. Rigel couldn''t see it, no he wasn''t observing, but the world around him was changing with him. The gray fog dissipated and the gray clouds turned clear. The black puddles became dark pools and then transformed into black lakes. Rigel sat there with red eyes and hate filled heart. Thus, he didn''t notice that his emotions had birthed a black sea. The black sea became a black ocean and then came upon him. The area he sat became the sole island in that black ocean. Rigel, who finally opened his eyes, saw the black ocean beneath his feet and then shook his head. He finally understood what the black puddles were. They were the poison which killed him. He was unable to do anything, and the poison was slowly consuming him. Rigel shook his head in bitterness. However, at that instant, a bright blinding black light flashed by, and the black sea encroaching towards him froze in its tracks. The sea then changed back into a small black puddle which then evaporated into mist. Rigel stared dumbly at the phenomenon which happened before his eye in a flash. He didn''t understand just what happened in that instant. All he understood was that his life was spared. As Rigel felt relief, a powerful voice resounded in his consciousness, "Such a pity." Rigel stood there like a statue as he heard the voice. He then turned his head to scan every direction, but he found no one. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. The voice sighed again and continued, "A dantian, I shall give you one, but the price shall be heavy." Rigel looked around one more time and yet found none. He then gulped down and asked in a respectful voice, "Who are you, Sir?" The voice didn''t respond nor did it continue. Rigel waited and waited, but nothing happened. Minutes passed and yet the voice didn''t answer. Then he felt a breeze on his neck and suddenly turned around. Red eyes stared into his eyes. Black hair, fair skin and six feet tall, the one before him was the replica of Rigel except he had red eyes instead of his black eyes. "How long do you intend to sleep?" The man asked in a cold voice. Rigel recovered from his stupor and narrowed his eyes. He backed away and asked in a cold voice, "Who are you?" "Me, I don''t know." The man answered back in a calm voice and continued, "I don''t have a form, nor gender. I only possess consciousnesses, and since I had to take a form, I took yours. I have no name either. However, I gave myself one. Call me Tal." Rigel''s face was same as ever, but he was feeling very confused and fearful inside. He didn''t understand a bit of what was happening in his mind. He didn''t figure out what did that voice mean nor who Tal was? "Where am I, Mr. Tal?" Rigel asked in a respectful voice. Tal turned his head in a weird manner and answered in a cold voice, "I don''t know either." Rigel narrowed his eyes and said, "I know you are Mr. Tal, but who are you actually? What is this place? Is there anyone besides you and me in this place? And where are we?" Tal smiled lightly and asked in a small voice, "Before I answer any of your questions. Tell me, Did you hear a voice other than mine in this place?" Rigel''s face twitched slightly as he heard Tal, but he still maintained the same expression as he said, "No, I didn''t. Is someone here as well?" Tal shook his head and said, "No. I am the only one here, and it will be the last time we see each other. Now, GET OUT OF MY LOCKER." Rigel mind spun as he disappeared from the weird world. The next second he woke up with the same bad headache. Only this was much worse. However, he was sleeping in a real bed, and this was so much better. Rigel slowly sat up on the bed and opened his eyes widely. He felt as if he lost years out of his life but he felt glad that it was all a dream. His soft facial hair was still the same, and he was still in his clothes. Thus, he concluded that not much time has passed since he had lost consciousness. However, just as Rigel was getting ready to get off the bed. He stopped as he felt a foreign sensation from within his body. His heavy body which had always been the same felt a little lighter. His vision which had always been the same felt a little clearer. All his senses became a bit sharper. His hearing, his vision and even his instincts. Rigel blinked his eyes in confusion. He didn''t understand what was happening, but he felt good about it. Just as he was about to shake off the feeling. He suddenly remembered the words he heard in that weird world. "A dantian, I shall give you one, but the price shall be heavy." Rigel suddenly had the most bizarre thought. He suddenly closed his eyes and redirected his energy towards his dantian. His broken dantian would have obstructed this flow, but Rigel''s face became still with shock as he felt a weird warm current on the other side of his body. His broken dantian was transmitting the energy naturally and easily without even the slightest delay or obstruction. Rigel''s face was filled with happiness as he opened his eyes. He didn''t care about the cost or the consequence of obtaining a dantian. All he cared about was having an intact dantian. A dantian enabled him to cultivate. Without one, he would forever be a cripple. Sudden footsteps rang out in the hallway pulling him out of his dreams. Rigel frowned as he quickly put his thoughts aside and moved his eyes to scan the room. Seeing that everything was it should be, Rigel finally sighed in relief. No matter what, he was still within the territory of the sect which almost killed him, so Rigel had to be alert. As he was getting ready to lie down, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small streak of red color liquid on the floor. With a frown, he leaned forward and gazed at the ground. There at the center of the floor was the corpse of the red-robed man impaled on his own dual swords. Rigel''s face became blank with shock. He heard the footsteps getting louder and louder. With a corpse in his room and with no way to escape, Rigel heart began to pound loudly as he thought out aloud, "Fuck!" *** If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. *** Book 1 - Chapter 12 - The Locker The Locker: "What the fuck has happened here?" Rigel screamed in his mind as he saw the body of the red-robed man impaled on the floor. He almost shouted in shock but stopped himself as he heard the sound of footsteps outside his room. Rigel was stunned into silence by the entire chain of events, but he didn''t have any time to sit in shock. His mind was trying to suppress the dread which was enveloping his heart because he knew that he had mere seconds to escape the tragedy which was about to befall him. He didn''t need to be a genius to guess his fate if someone discovered him alone with a corpse of a sect''s disciple. His instincts kicked in as his mind tried to find a way out of the situation. After his awakening, Rigel found that his hearing, all his senses and his sensitivity to the surroundings had increased to a great extent. Even though it is known that cultivators are highly sensitive to their surroundings, Rigel didn''t expect such a huge improvement by simple awakening. Awakening is a process when a normal human begins to sense and cultivate the Qi within nature. Usually, all cultivators experience awakening by the age of ten. Awakening is the first of all basic steps in cultivation. Unless one can sense Qi, they can''t cultivate. Although awakening was also a stage in the cultivation, it was nothing but the first step. It wasn''t a breakthrough. However, Rigel felt as if his sensitivity had doubled after his awakening due to the recovery of his dantian. What Rigel didn''t know was that his senses didn''t amplify. They just became clearer. Humans have incredible senses, but mundane world usually dulls them. Now that his dantian was recovered, Rigel''s dull senses have been reactivated and were functioning at their full capacity. Thus, he felt as if his sensitivity has doubled. Rigel could tell by the sound of the footsteps that the person outside was at a distance of fewer than twenty steps away from the room. That would take the person about ten seconds to arrive at his door. He trembled as he understood what was going to happen to him. There was only one conclusion. The sect would link him to the red-robed man''s murder. Having no alibi, Rigel would be in no position to prove his innocence. Rigel gritted his teeth in anger as he looked at the table. His belongings were all on it. With a snort, he took out the knife from his backpack. His eyes showed a bitter expression deep in them, but they also showed indescribable determination. "The person who schemed against me, you better hope that I will never find you. The day I find you, I swear that I will have my vengeance." Rigel muttered silently in a cold voice as he tightened his grip on his knife. His eyes were sharp and determined as he raised his hand and stabbed himself in the gut. "Arrrrgh!" Even though Rigel closed his mouth and bit his lip as he stabbed himself, a small voice nevertheless leaked out of his clenched teeth. Rigel fell on the ground, powerless and in pain, as blood began to flow out of his wound like a fountain. He then raised his hand and then slashed his thigh. His eyes were red as he stabbed himself and his eyes turned blank as he slashed himself. Even though his eyes didn''t shed a single tear, they showed the indescribable pain experienced by his soul. Rigel threw the knife away and then rolled towards the corpse of the red robed man with ragged breathing. His mind was already engulfed in severe pain. Had he not experienced the pain of a shattered dantian, he would have long since passed out. The blood from his wounds mixed with that of the red robed man''s making it impossible to differentiate between them. At that exact moment, the door opened, and a man walked in. He too was a regular guard. Rigel could faintly see the shock in his eyes through his blood drenched eyes. He could see the shock turning into surprise as he saw the still breathing Rigel within the pool of blood. Rigel watched as the shock turned into horror. A second later, the guard involuntarily trembled and shouted at the top of his lungs, "ELDER!!" Finally unable to hold onto his consciousness for any longer, Rigel drifted into a long sleep. ...................... Rigel once again woke up in a mysterious space, only this time, it was filled with crimson clouds. The world within his bloodshot eyes resembled the world before him. It was filled with blood red clouds and had nothing besides those clouds. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Rigel looked around once again in confusion. The last time he woke up in this mysterious place, it was filled with black puddles which turned into the black sea, and now it was filled with crimson clouds. "Just what is this place?" Rigel murmured silently as he stood up and thought, "It is definitely not a dream." Suddenly Rigel remembered the voice he once heard inside this dimension. A voice which was all powerful, encompassing and which granted him a new dantian. "Hello, Sir. Are you listening to me? I know that I don''t deserve your attention, but I want to thank you for healing my dantian." Rigel said in a respectful voice hoping to find the owner of the voice. "So you have lied to me, Rigel." A cold voice stunned Rigel as he stood there waiting for an answer. The crimson clouds began to condense and then they began to drift apart revealing a white space Rigel within the mysterious space. Standing in between the crimson clouds and before Rigel was a person resembling him, at yet someone who wasn''t him. He was Tal. Rigel''s face was cold as he glanced at the man before him. He had thought about a few possibility regarding Tal''s identity, and all of them led to Rigel doubting his intentions. Having been exposed, Rigel didn''t lie any further. He only snorted and said, "So what if I did lie to you? I see no reason why I have to answer you truthfully." Tal''s face twitched slightly as he stared at Rigel. He then laughed lightly and said, "A candle burns the brightest before it dies out. Similarly, you are talking big even though you are going to die soon. Very soon." Rigel''s face twitched as he heard Tal. He suddenly had a very strange idea regarding the person who schemed against him. Rigel asked with a cold expression and a chilling voice, "So it was you who plotted the whole scheme to trap me." Tal smiled lightly and said, "What makes you think so Rigel?" Rigel narrowed his eyes and said in a cold voice, "Good acting there but unfortunately for you, I can sense your killing intent even if you were ten times better at acting." Tal''s smile faded away and was replaced with a cold expression. He snorted and said, "Alright, I was the one who killed the man. He was trying to kill you while you were asleep. I had no choice...." Rigel laughed loudly and said, "Once again excellent acting Tal, but it is not enough to fool me. The man would have never killed me because I was in an infirmary with no guards, no bounds, and even my belongings weren''t touched. If I were taken in as a prisoner, I would have never gotten such treatment. Stop trying to fool me, Tal." Tal smiled lightly and said in a calm voice, "So you aren''t entirely dumb. That is good but what would you do if I killed you now and here. I highly doubt that you can even survive for a second with your meager skills." That smile contained killing intent, and those eyes showed Rigel that Tal wasn''t joking, but his instincts told him that he wasn''t entirely telling him the truth either. Rigel thus smiled lightly and said, "Go ahead. Kill me." Watching Tal''s face, he smiled further and said, "What? Don''t tell me you can''t Tal. Of course, you can''t. If you had the authority or power to kill me here, then you wouldn''t have bothered to plan such an elaborate scheme. Would you, Tal? I definitely wouldn''t." Rigel''s words swiped off the smirk on Tal''s face. His eyes became serious as he inwardly thought that dealing with Rigel was a lot more troublesome than he ever imagined it to be. Watching Tal''s anxiousness hidden under the curtain of anger, Rigel narrowed his eyes and asked in a cold voice, "Tal; you said that you were the guardian of this locker. If this space is a locker and you are its guardian. Then tell me, just what is locked away in this locker Tal?" *** If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Thank you. *** Book 1 - Chapter 13 - Psychological Warfare Psychological Warfare: Four people were standing silently in a room furnished with lavish furniture and carpets. The evening sun quietly illuminated the room as they stood there watching Rigel, who was sleeping peacefully on the bed. The chief physician sighed as he completed his examination. He then bowed silently to the three people and left the room with a serious expression on his face. It didn''t matter who, everyone would have become anxious by the atmosphere created by the trio. Those three people were at the pinnacle of power and authority within the Xia sect. The three people included two Violet-robed elders and a Black-robed Patriarch. With white skin and curly hair, a man in his late forties slowly moved forward until he stood beside Rigel. He had a frown on his face as he saw the calm expression on Rigel''s face. He snorted coldly and turned around to face the Patriarch and the other elder. He was Elder Ley. Elder Ley looked at the patriarch and said in a respectful voice, "Patriarch SilverLeaf, this boy named Rigel has been convicted of murdering Diaz, a Spark formation stage disciple of our sect. As I see it, the only reason why we should even be saving his life is to execute him ourselves for his crimes." Ley then proceeded to look at Feng and continued in a cold voice, "However, Elder Feng seems to disagree with my opinion, Lord Patriarch." Elder Feng standing behind Patriarch SilverLeaf narrowed his eyes as he heard Ley. Unlike Ley, Feng was already in his late sixties. Two decades worth of experience had made him a lot more complacent and thoughtful. He shook his head and said in a calm voice, "Elder Ley, I assume you have misunderstood my words. I stated that there is no proof to prove your theory, and thus, the boy cannot be convicted of the crime. If you can be so sure of your opinion, tell me, Elder Ley, how can a kid who has only completed his awakening kill an expert in early Spark formation stage." Ley shook his head as he heard Feng and said, "Aren''t you too kind to a foreigner Elder Feng? Besides, how can you be so certain that this kid isn''t hiding his strength?" Feng''s eyes finally revealed a sharp glint as he said in a cold voice, "I checked his internal power myself. Don''t tell me; you doubt my judgment, Elder Ley." The black-robed Patriarch SilverLeaf finally opened his mouth and said in a calm voice, "It is impossible for this boy to kill Diaz, Ley. However, that is true only if he is your average cultivator. We will never reach the truth through assumptions. All your questions will be answered eventually but until then, find me the culprit who tried to assassinate this boy within my sect." Ley frowned and said in a cold voice, "Patriarch, it is painfully obvious that he has inflicted those wounds himself. He is trying to fool us. He......." Ley stopped mid sentence as an enormous pressure came like a raging storm and suppressed him to the point that his cultivation base was trembling. Patriarch SilverLeaf slowly turned around and looked at Ley with cold eyes. His eyes radiated a chilling intent which surpassed anything ever seen by Ley in his lifetime. His aura was like a hurricane which assaulted his senses and made him stutter. His figure was like a towering castle which made him unable to open his mouth. Patriarch SilverLeaf snorted coldly and said in a low voice, "In the hundred and forty years I have lived, I haven''t seen many with the conviction to injure themselves to this state, to merely escape a predicament where they aren''t sure that they would be trapped. Ley, you will find me the culprit, and you will forget about this incident. This boy is also a victim. My sect is not a cruel refugee camp. The minute he entered the sect, worthy or not, he was a member of this sect. Don''t make me repeat myself, Ley." Ley stood there still with a pale face. He then bowed silently and said, "Junior understands." Saying that, he immediately left the room leaving SilverLeaf and Feng behind. SilverLeaf turned around to see Rigel. He slowly sighed and thought to himself, "Poison Lady, Bing Oil, Ganola Seeds, Joint Keig. Every poison in his bag can be lethal to a Qi condensation stage cultivator, but you haven''t started cultivating. Just who are you, kid?" ....................................... Deep within the mysterious space, Rigel narrowed his eyes and asked in a cold voice, "Tell me, Tal, if you are the guardian of this locker and this space is the locker, What is locked away within it?" Tal''s face flickered as he heard Rigel. He snorted coldly and said in a deadly voice, "Brat, know your station. With the power you now command, you can''t even sense the presence of this locker, and you dare question me." Rigel smiled inside his heart as he heard Tal. Every person has something akin to a weakness. Find it, exploit it and you will soon be able to exploit the very person. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. However, Rigel didn''t say anything. He only looked at Tal with deep, meaningful eyes. Rigel was certain that he wasn''t going to get anything out of Tal, so he chose to maintain his silence. In that situation staying silent had a lot more merits than investigating with words. By speaking Rigel would expose his inner thoughts, it is highly likely that Tal would be able to see his inner mind. However, by maintaining his silence, he was throwing Tal into jeopardy. Rigel was playing a psychological war. Some of the most intense battles ever fought were more of a psychological warfare rather than physical battles. Tal looked at Rigel''s calm face and smiled lightly. His smile was very vague, but it was an all knowing smile. He was showing Rigel that he was aware of Rigel''s scheme and wasn''t going to fall for that. Rigel clenched his fist as he saw Tal''s smile. That instant, both Rigel, and Tal understood one fact. They weren''t going to win this game of words. Usually, the one who takes the first step is always the one who loses the battle, because he was giving the enemy a chance to see through his plans and strike on his weaknesses. However, what would happen in a war between two generals who are adept in psychological warfare? These generals usually battle with one another using probes and decoys. They rarely ever use all their pawns. Such a fight would be intense, dangerous and far above others. It was the only battle that would completely and utterly crush an enemy in body and soul. Even though Rigel and Tal exchanged very few words, they understood a lot more about each other. A few words taught them a lot more than a few months of battling. Rigel saw through Tal''s weakness. Tal saw through Rigel''s plan. Tal tried to kill Rigel while Rigel tried to fool Tal. Though each sought to gain an upper hand, both of them failed in doing so. Both of them were playing with each other at a level beyond fist fights. The one who broke the silence ultimately was Rigel. He did so because he knew that he didn''t have much time left. "You have admitted that you tried to kill me, and you said that I command nothing but a puny amount of power Tal." Rigel spoke in a calm voice and continued, "You clearly stated that you have enough strength to kill me, and you have shown your true colors by plotting against me. But, you haven''t tried to kill me even for a single second in this space, the locker which you guard, the locker which should be your domain. I wonder why Tal?" Rigel asked with a cold look in his eyes. Tal''s eyes were cold as he heard Rigel''s words. He didn''t speak out, but he snorted coldly. There was nothing unnatural about this action except for the small amount of irritation which could be felt deep in his eyes. Rigel didn''t miss that little glint of irritation. People get irritated when they are pushed into a corner. People get intimidated when they see something far and above their reach. Rigel was probing to find the one fact which can ease his tension and allow him to experiment more. Rigel laughed lightly and said in a cocky voice, "Don''t tell me, you can''t kill me in here. Can you, Tal?" Tal sighed slightly and narrowed his eyes. He shook his head and said in a cold voice, "You need a lot more experience to fool me into your schemes, Rigel. I would have liked to play with me more bit looks like its time for you to wake up." Rigel was surprised by Tal''s words, but before he could speak more, his mind spun and the next instant, he opened his eyes only to see a faint image of Elder Feng seated beside him. Back in the mysterious white space, Tal''s face changed from frown to surprise to delight. He laughed loudly and walked forward. With each step, he began to emit a white light which brightened until space cracked before him. One crack multiplied into a hundred cranks and then they turned into a million cracks. The mysterious white world began to tremble until a part of it directly collapsed leading to a black world within. Tal walked forward until he reached a huge boulder. He bowed deeply and said in a respectful voice, "Master." "How is he?" A voice resounded from atop the boulder. "A little naive and a little cocky, he is too presuming and has yet to understand the consequences of his words, but it looks like he was nurtured well in his life. He isn''t perfect, but he certainly is interesting master." Tal said with a calm expression. A little laugh responded in the air as a man came into view. He was floating above the boulder with close eyes. His eyelids slowly opened revealing his pitch black eyes. ***** If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Thank you. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 14 - Ladder of lies Ladder of lies: Rigel looked at Elder Feng through his hazy eyes. Even though his heart was beating frantically, he didn''t show his anxiousness in his eyes. Even though he didn''t fear a bit in his heart, his eyes were fearful. As Rigel opened his eyes, Elder Feng stood up and so did Patriarch SilverLeaf, who was sitting beside him. Rigel watched the patriarch and as soon as he saw him, he understood that he was a man of great importance. Feng was an elder and the black robed man; SilverLeaf was sitting alongside him. That alone showed Rigel that he should have a position equalling or above an elder. "Li sect!" Rigel stuttered with his dry mouth. He rose from his bed as he grunted and said, "Elder, it''s the Li sect. They infiltrated our Xia sect. I saw a man; he killed the red-robed guard. I tried to fight him, but he was just too powerful. I am....sorry...I.." Feng stopped Rigel mid-sentence and laid him back on the bed. He looked at Rigel and said in a warm voice, "I understand Rigel. Calm down. No one is going to hurt you here. You have nothing to fear. With me and Lord Patriarch here, not even the god can hurt you. You are fine Rigel; you are alive. Look. Don''t be anxious; everything is going to be fine." Feng comforted Rigel with his warm words. Rigel ragged breathing slowed down as he laid on the bed. He watched the black-robed man again and gulped lightly. Even though he expected the black robe man to be a person who wielded authority equalling an elder, he didn''t think that he would actually be a Patriarch. Patriarch SilverLeaf watched Rigel and nodded his head agreeing with Elder Feng''s words. As Rigel finally calmed down, SilverLeaf''s eyebrows furrowed as he asked in a calm voice, "How do you know that the man who attacked you belongs to the Li sect?" Rigel shook his head and said, "I can''t be certain my lord, but I heard the man''s words. He proclaimed himself as a disciple of the Li sect, and he was using a dagger which is their weapon of choice." A thorough confirmation will only lead to more harm than good. It is always better to make your details vague rather than concrete. That way, you can change your words upon will. The minute you commit to any side, you will lose your freedom. By not committing to any side, by not conforming anything and yet appearing important, you maintain your independence. Rigel was exactly doing that. He simply threw the blame on the Li sect, which along with the Shia clan and Xia sect are the three great powers in the city of Rio excluding the Church of Light, and Lord Perfect, who both wielded power equalling the three great powers. It is a commonly known fact among the people that all three powers have been at each other''s throats for a long time, and it isn''t all too rare to appoint a sect''s disciple as a spy. Conversely, these sects instead appoint these spies to work for them as a double spy. Exploiting this fact, Rigel chose to say that he was attacked by a Li sect''s disciple. What Rigel said wasn''t entirely believable, but at least, it was feasible. Patriarch SilverLeaf heaved a heavy sigh as he heard Rigel. Even he couldn''t doubt Rigel''s words because he had no way to disprove them. There was nothing he could do if Rigel''s words turned out to be true. After all Li sect was one of the three great powers, and he can''t possibly start a war with them for a loss of a single spark formation stage expert. "Did you see his face?" Elder Feng questioned Rigel in a low voice. Rigel looked at Feng; he then shook his head said, "I only saw the vague features of his face. He covered his face with a cloth, and he didn''t have any particularly remarkable features so I can''t identify him but he can identify me for certain." Rigel was casually throwing in the fact that he was now exposed to danger due to the existence of this spy. Even though he wasn''t powerful enough to deal with the spy, and even though he wasn''t able to identify the spy either, the spy might think otherwise. Thus, Rigel was subtly asking the protection of the Xia sect. He was creating a situation where the sect would have to guarantee his safety. Patriarch SilverLeaf sighed as he heard Rigel. Having lived for over a hundred years, how couldn''t he see through the little plan of Rigel? However, he didn''t say anything. He only smiled as he saw his young self in Rigel. One of the few reasons why Patriarch SilverLeaf cared about Rigel was because of the similarities he saw between his young self and Rigel. Once he too was like Rigel. Young, intelligent, cunning and interested in alchemy. Feng nodded his head and assured in a serious voice, "Don''t worry, you will be safe within the sect." Rigel nodded his head and said, "If given a chance, I can try to identify that man Elder. Even though I am not hundred percent sure, I think I can identify him with some luck." Even though Rigel made sure enough that he would be given protection, he still threw another stone to give himself some insurance. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Nature discards species which are not fit to live. It also discards species which are unable to evolve. Similarly, people discard others who are of no use to them. Rigel thus said that he would be able to identify the person who attacked him but only with some luck. Here he was directly telling them that he may be able to find the person but was also indirectly implying that he wasn''t sure. Thus, the sect can''t force him to find the person and at the same time, they can''t discard him as a useless being. Even though Patriarch SilverLeaf had lived over a hundred and forty years and had seen through most of Rigel''s plan, he still couldn''t see through everything. How could he? When everything said by Rigel was a lie. Rigel was constructing a story on a lie, and thus, everything within it was a lie. Lie upon a lie may become a disaster which can befall upon Rigel, but it may also become truth for a lie which can not be confirmed as a lie is a truth. The most important aspect of Rigel''s lie was the fact that no one can disprove his lie. There was no way to prove his lie and similarly there was no way to disprove it either. Patriarch SilverLeaf sighed as he heard Rigel and said, "Alright, we will talk about this matter later. You have nothing to fear inside my sect boy. I have increased the vigilance, and thus, nobody will dare harm you. You should rest. We will talk later." Saying so, he rose from his seat and walked out of the room while subtly indicating that Elder Feng should follow him out. As both of them left the room, the fearful expression on Rigel''s face was replaced with coldness. His tear-filled eyes became cold as he sat on his bed. It didn''t matter how and in what way, he would survive. Through deception or begging, it didn''t matter how. All that mattered to him was to live. He had to find Frank, and he had to find the man who abducted him. Until he kills that man and saves Frank, he cannot die. No, even after that he cannot die. There was a debt he has to repay in blood. Elder Feng followed behind Patriarch SilverLeaf waiting for the latter to talk. Finally after a minute of silence, SilverLeaf asked in a calm voice, "According to you, How much of it is true Elder Feng?'' Feng was startled as he heard Patriarch SilverLeaf. He then sighed and said, "Rigel is fifteen this year Patriarch. I have already checked his background. He was born to a farmer and his mother died during childbirth. At the age of six, he lost his father to the plague. He was a slave for a while and then was saved by the Church of Light. He then turned into an ardent believer of the church. I even talked to Father Stephen myself. He said that Rigel is a boy with great faith in the Lord. He said that he hadn''t seen a boy his age being so pious before he saw Rigel. Patriarch, he has yet to experience the worst of this society, and he has yet to experience the world of cultivators. I hardly doubt he has even killed a pig before. Thus, I think he is telling us the truth." Patriarch SilverLeaf only nodded as his walked forward silently. Feng continued and asked in a serious voice, "So what should we do about this spy who has infiltrated our sect, Patriarch?" Patriarch SilverLeaf raised his head and said, "Nothing. I doubt that such a spy exists but if he does then leave him alone. He will become my pawn when the time arrives. Until then, this matter regarding the spy stays between us." Feng nodded his head thoughtfully and said, "Understood Patriarch." He then asked in a calm voice, "What about the boy?" SilverLeaf smiled lightly and said, "He will join the outer sect and start cultivating. Whether or not he is telling us the truth aside, he is already a disciple of my sect." Feng nodded his head and said, "Understood, Lord Patriarch." Patriarch SilverLeaf, who heard Elder Feng, nodded his head and walked forward slowly. His eyes were wise and old as he looked forward. He thought back to everything that had happened since Rigel''s arrival and thought to himself, "I would have thought the same as you Elder Feng but nothing in this boy''s life explains how he can concoct such potent poisons. However, it is an undeniable fact that the kid hasn''t even started cultivating yet. Whether or not he is telling the truth aside, he is far from anything capable of harming my sect. Very well, I will leave you alone boy, but don''t think that I would give you free reign. My eyes will always follow you." ***** If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Thank you. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 15 - The Dantian The Dantian: Small particles of natural energy present in the air began to vibrate as a spiritual energy called them. They began to tremble upon being attracted to the source of that spiritual energy. They flowed and flowed until a small stream formed which upon entering into Rigel''s body transformed into the Qi. Rigel sat on his bed with closed eyes. For the first time, he tried to meditate and absorb the natural energy present in nature. Energy as a whole is the same. It can be called life essence when it occurs freely in nature; it is named Qi when present within a cultivators body, and it is called Demonic Essence when present inside the body of a demonic beast. The form was secondary to energy''s constitution. The various names given to the natural essence were based on the location of its presence. Rigel slowly absorbed this energy and guided it along his Qi paths into his dantian where he stored it. The Dantian is like the heart of the Qi circulatory system. However, at the same time, it acts as a reservoir of Qi present within the body. Thus, it was the most important part of a cultivator''s body. They say that we can only appreciate the true value of life after we experience a near death situation. Similarly, people usually take dantian for granted. After all, all cultivators have one. If it is destroyed, then these practitioners lose everything they had ever gained in their lives. Rigel dreamed of gaining power all his life. He dreamed because he had a duty to fulfill, and a debt to pay. However, all his wishes were hidden deep in his heart because he knew deep inside that he can never fulfill them. After all, what can a person who cannot even cultivate do? At most he can bitterly try and die a moths death in the world of immortals. Rigel knew this, and yet he kept it hidden inside his heart and blindly believed that he would be able to achieve his goals. He believed because he had to. It was the only way to keep his mind sane. However, never in his wildest dreams did Rigel think that he would be able to fix his shattered dantian. Such a task was almost godly. It was simply unachievable for ordinary cultivators to fix a dantian. To achieve that, they have to know the dantian in its entirety and possess the strength to meld the Qi paths altogether, which are called the most complicated set of the circulatory systems found by man. Since he now had a way to cultivate and increase his strength, how could Rigel even relax for a second? They say that being desperate is the only way to win in any situation. No matter how much talent you possess, if you aren''t desperate enough, you can never reach the pinnacle of power. Time passed like flowing water and soon, five hours flew by since Rigel started to cultivate. Rigel finally heaved a sigh and opened his eyes. Cultivating was a tough process. You not only have to absorb the natural energy but also have to circulate it through the entire Qi paths for a cycle before storing it in the dantian. Such an action puts an enormous strain on the mind. Spiritual energy is mainly a formless energy created by a cultivators mind. This mental strength grows with the cultivator and in time evolves into the divine sense. Rigel watched the surroundings with a hint of a smile in his eyes. Even though his mind was exhausted due to the training, he was feeling extremely satisfied with his progress. He didn''t know why and how, but he felt that he was already on the point of achieving a breakthrough. It would be an amazing feat if he could breakthrough into the first level of Qi condensation stage, but something told Rigel that it wouldn''t be so simple. Everything in this world comes with complications. Diving into something without knowing the difficulties and the responsibilities that accompany it is foolishness. Rigel wasn''t a fool. Even though he felt that he was already at the point of breakthrough, he didn''t make any rash decisions and stopped training. Rigel knew the true value of his dantian, and he wasn''t ready to bet it all on a foolish act. Rigel was right, no one no matter who it is can never achieve a breakthrough within five mere hours. The feeling experienced by Rigel was simply a feedback effect of the dantian. His Dantian, which was always empty, was suddenly filled with huge amounts of natural energy. Even though that amount of Qi didn''t fill it up, it gave a feedback response to Rigel that it was full. Rigel relaxed slowly by inhaling and exhaling the air. His breathing soon returned to normal and his eyes shined with power. He felt as if his entire body was rejuvenated by the Qi, which was now circulating in his Qi paths. He smiled lightly and closed his eyes. His spiritual energy moved according to his guidance and followed the Qi as it flowed through the Qi channels. The turbulent paths of the Qi channels were complex. They had sharp turns and numerous junctions. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Rigel followed his Qi with intense concentration. The Qi passed from one channel to another and then it passed through that channel to another. Rigel soon found himself being thrown continuously from one channel to another until he suddenly reached a huge sea of white energy which was revolving like a vortex. Rigel inhaled a sharp breath of cold air as he floated there in his spirit body watching the sea of Qi within his dantian. Even though the amount of time he spent cultivating was only five hours, he found to his astonishment that the amount of Qi within his dantian was in astonishing quantities. As Rigel floated there above the sea of Qi, he noticed some black strands of fog amidst the white Qi ocean. With his curiosity piqued, Rigel flew towards the Qi ocean to observe the black fog. The black fog was faint and was almost indistinct. However, he could see that the fog was flowing along with his Qi towards his Qi channels. Rigel frowned slightly and followed the black fog into the Qi channels. The black fog slowly passed through the various Qi channels. As it passed, Rigel noticed to his horror that every time it passed through a Qi passage, it would attract even more black fog to seep slowly out of his Qi channels. Rigel couldn''t understand. A substance needed him first to absorb it before it seeps out. He couldn''t understand how and why his Qi channels had the black fog stored within them. How could Rigel guess that this black fog was continuously generated by the black pearl when Frank shattered his dantian? The faint, indistinct black fog slowly became distinct as it passed through the various Qi channels. Slowly it returned to the dantian, by this time, it was no longer indistinct and appeared clearly distinguishing it from the white Qi. The black fog then entered the vortex of Qi. Rigel frowned lightly, and he too jumped into the vortex. Following the black fog, he dived deep into the vortex of Qi. As he sank deeper and deeper, the white Qi slowly changed into faint blue color. Soon, Rigel reached the border of the Qi vortex, and yet the black fog seeped deeper. As he followed the black fog, he exited the vortex of Qi and entered a blank region. Everything before him was pitch black to the point that he couldn''t even see the end of that space. Rigel turned his head and glanced back at the white Qi vortex a little distance away. The black fog quietly seeped into that pitch black area and disappeared. Rigel watched this with a frown on his face. He snorted coldly and followed the fog into that pitch black space, but he stopped in his track just as he was about to enter the area. His face was filled with surprise and unbelievability as he observed the black space before him. Rigel couldn''t help but mutter, "Don''t tell me.." Saying so Rigel lifted his hand and tried to touch the pitch black space. His hand didn''t enter the area, but rather felt a smooth surface. His was drenched in sweat as he understood that the pitch black area before him wasn''t a blank space at all. It was a humongous object which was inside his dantian. He lifted his hand and backed away at high speed. As he backed away, he made his Qi vortex back away as well. The more he backed away, the more of the black surface he saw. The higher he flew, the larger it appeared. Rigel backed away until he couldn''t push his Qi vortex any further. He had no need to push it any further because he could already see the entirety of the black structure with his eyes. It was a gigantic black pearl with strange markings all over it. Rigel couldn''t help but shiver as he saw that black pearl. He could clearly see from his viewpoint, the humongous size of the black pearl. The thing he feared the most wasn''t its size, rather it was the aura emitted by the pearl. The black pearl was unlike anything he had ever seen in his life. It was like a block of ice. Cold, evil and sinister. Leaving the question aside as to how the black pearl came into existence within his dantian, Rigel was shocked to find layers upon layers of black fog surrounding the black pearl. Even though he was unsure just a moment ago, he could now say with absolute confidence. The black mist emanating from the black pearl was far from normal; it had the same properties of the poison used by the red-robed man, Diaz. The black fog wasn''t just poisonous; it was the replica of the poison used on him. ***** If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Thank you. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 16 - Outer Sect Outer Sect: Ten days later A red robed guard escorted Rigel to the mountains behind the sect. Treated by the chief physician himself, Rigel''s injuries were mostly healed in a mere span of ten days. Since he wasn''t even in the Qi condensation stage, it was a nearly impossible feat without the assistance of the sect''s medical herbs. Rigel himself was very interested in the various pills and potions he given to him during his recovery. Although Rigel learned the properties of different alchemical substances, Frank mainly concentrated on the poisonous effects and thus, Rigel was much more proficient in the alchemy of poisons than in medicine. During the ten days, Elder Feng visited Rigel a total of three times. Seeing that Rigel was recovering quickly, he informed Rigel about Patriarch SilverLeaf''s decision. The Xia sect, being one of the three major powers of the Rio town had an excessive number of disciples. Even though they were selective while recruiting disciples, they weren''t too strict either. Any person who reached the first level of Qi condensation by the age of fifteen would be instantly accepted. However, this led to a huge number of disciples being recruited into the sect. Even though the Xia sect could refuse these people, if they did, these people would all eventually join the Li sect or the Shia clan. There is always a chance that a diamond may appear among pebbles. Why should the sect waste the opportunity to acquire a diamond by rejecting these disciples? Thus, the outer sect was formed. The Xia sect is divided into the outer sect, the inner sect, and the core circle. There are no set rules to enter into each circle. However, the commonly followed rules were simple. Only a fifth level Qi condensation stage expert can join the inner sect, and only a spark formation stage expert can enter the core circle. Naturally the disciples of the inner sect and the core circle will receive better care and support from the sect than those in the outer sect. Since Rigel wasn''t even in the Qi condensation stage, so he was appointed into the outer sect. Rigel followed behind the guard until they reached the mountains. The Xia sect bordered the mountainous region of the Rio town. Even though the entire Rio town was the property of the Blood emperor, the Xia sect occupied an entire part of the town to establish their sect. Thus, the sect was huge with a total area spanning hundreds of acres. Such a vast area within a city represented the deep roots of the sect and its solid economic condition. After Rigel passed through the small forest which separated the main sect and the outer sect, he could see many small huts on the slopes of various small mountains. The guard raised his hand and waved it to call someone. Soon a man appeared in front of Rigel. The red-robed guard whispered something to the man, and the man looked at Rigel with confused eyes. "Are you sure? This kid isn''t even in Qi condensation stage yet. This place will kill him in no time." The man asked the guard in a serious voice. The guard shook his head indifferently and said, "Its the elder''s order." He then looked at Rigel and said in a pitying tone, "Kid, I will give you some advice. Don''t offend anyone. This place is worse than a jungle. If you aren''t careful, you will be dead before you know it." The guard then left leaving Rigel with the man. The man looked at Rigel and sighed lightly. Rigel looked at the man and saw his thick black beard. He was about thirty-five, with brown skin and had a massive built. The man patted Rigel lightly and said, "Kid, my name is Hedge. You can call me uncle Hedge. I am one of the guards stationed here. Let me take you to the pavilion master." Rigel nodded his head and followed Hedge silently. In an unknown place; you should always act with sincerity. Even though, it wouldn''t always protect you, it will at least make you seem docile and weak leading to others underestimating you. The guard Hedge walked through a rocky path leading into the valley of the mountains. He then proceeded to walk to the base of a small mountain. That mountain differed from the rest by the fact that it had no huts on its slopes. At the base of the mountain was a man who was sleeping peacefully. Behind him was a thick door which was attached to the mountain itself. Rigel could tell that inside the mountain was the hidden location of the treasure pavilion. A treasure pavilion is a place where the sect stored its resources to be distributed to the deserving disciples. Hedge walked to the sleeping man slowly. When Hedge was about ten steps away, the man slowly opened one eye and glanced at Hedge. He then saw Rigel behind him. Even though Rigel expected the man to be powerful, he didn''t expect to be stunned by his mere gaze. That instant, Rigel knew that under his watch, the pavilion can never be robbed. Hedge walked forward causally and bowed slightly. He then nudged Rigel to follow him. Rigel immediately bowed as he stood beside Hedge. "Pavilion master, Edgar. This kid is a new disciple. I am responsible for being his guide." Hedge said in a respectful voice. The pavilion master, Edgar looked at Rigel for a second and then threw a bag of holding towards him. He then quietly closed his eyes. Nobody could tell if he was sleeping or was only resting. A Bag of Holding is a storage bag which had a storage capacity of several hundreds of times its size. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Rigel noticed the bag of holding, and his face involuntarily lit with joy. He once very much wanted a bag of holding, but only a cultivator can use it. Since he had no way to cultivate, all he could do was to dream about those legendary inner spatial storage devices which can be used even without Qi. Inside the bag of holding, he saw a total of ten spirit crystals and two thin books. Hedge nudged Rigel to follow him as Rigel was deep in thought. Rigel immediately put away all his thoughts and followed Hedge as he hid the bag of holding among his robes. Hedge walked between the small mountains until he reached a relatively crowded mountain. He raised his head and shouted loudly, "JIYA." A boy in his late teens emerged from a hut and ran down the mountain and saluted Hedge respectfully. Hedge looked at Jiya and then at Rigel. He shook his head and said, "This kid will be with you for the time being. Make sure he isn''t killed for being stupid." Jiya nodded his head thoughtfully and said, "I will take care of him, Uncle Hedge." Rigel quietly stood beside Hedge and listened to everything intently. He glanced at Jiya, who had pale skin, brown hair, and a muscular body. Rigel could tell that he wasn''t too powerful but should be in the second level of Qi condensation stage. Soon Hedge left after once again reminding Rigel to be careful. Jiya watched as Hedge left and then turned towards Rigel. He smiled warmly and said, "Junior Brother, My name is Jiya. I am the caretaker of this mountain. Don''t worry; you will soon be able to fit right in. Follow me; I will show you to your hut." Rigel nodded his head silently and followed behind Jiya but before they could walk ten steps further a voice stopped them in their tracks. "Looks likes a new chicken has come to your coop Jiya," a voice snickered loudly and continued, "and by the looks of it, this kid isn''t even worthy enough to be a slave. What a waste of spirit crystals? Jiya, why don''t you speak some sense into this brat? You know me, I don''t like to be violent." Rigel turned around and watched the man who was laughing smugly as he saw the ugly expression on Jiya''s face. Rigel could immediately tell what was happening before him. Having lived in Gehenna prison for so long, how couldn''t he recognize this? This too was a form of bullying. Rigel had seen and experienced it many times. Listening to the man''s words and the ugly expression on Jiya''s face, Rigel knew right away that he was going to lose the spirit crystals anyway so he took them out himself and threw them towards the man. The man was about twenty-two and was in the third level of Qi condensation. He was surprised with Rigel''s actions, and so was Jiya. However, watching Rigel throwing the spirit crystals away indifferently, his face twisted with rage. "You fucking bastard, do you take me to be a beggar? How dare you throw these crystals at me?" The man roared loudly in anger and walked towards Rigel. However, Jiya stepped in and said in a cold voice, "Maze, you got your spirit crystals, leave the kid alone. He arrived here just recently so he doesn''t know the rules." The man named Maze snorted coldly and said, "If he doesn''t know the rules, then I will beat them into him." Jiya snorted coldly and said, "Maze, Uncle Hedge personally asked me to take care of the kid. Don''t you dare do anything Maze? Now get out of here." Maze stopped in his tracks as he heard Jiya. He looked at Jiya and raised his eyebrows. Jiya shook his head and eyed Rigel and then at mountains. Rigel''s face didn''t show any change, but he sneered inside. How could he miss the little conversation which was happening right before his eyes? Jiya was obviously telling Maze to deal with Rigel later in an isolated place. Maze coldly snorted and left the mountain. Jiya sighed loudly and smiled at Rigel warmly. He then said in a calm voice, "Don''t take it to heart Rigel. This is an everyday occurrence in here. Just make sure that you don''t offend anyone and you will be safe. I hardly doubt Maze will even remember about this incident tomorrow." Rigel only nodded his head and climbed the stairs following Jiya. Halfway up the mountain, Jiya pointed at a hut and said, "That would be your hut, Rigel. You are still new here and powerless at the moment. So until you gain sufficient power, you can never act recklessly. Understood?" Jiya reminded Rigel in a warm tone. Rigel nodded his head and said, "I understand, Senior Jiya." Jiya soon left leaving Rigel behind. Rigel looked at Jiya''s back and then at the distant figure of Maze walking away in the mountain valley with cold eyes. He walked towards his hut and thought to himself, "I certainly am new, but I am not powerless, Senior Jiya." As Rigel willed, a small amount of black fog drifted out of his hands and touched the surrounding vegetation. The weeds growing in his path instantly turned black and then slowly transformed into ashes under the effect of the black fog. ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Thank you. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 17 - Sore spot Sore spot: "Sir, I have about three hundred kilograms of demonic deer meat." A man in his early twenties said in a respectful voice as he took out a large portion of meat from his bag of holding and delivered it to another man. His eyes were fearful as he looked at the person standing before him. Rigel, who was standing alongside dozens of others, was watching the scene with calm eyes. The outer sect disciples had to hunt for the meat consumed by the entire sect. Usually, the sect would pay spirit crystals in exchange for the meat collected by the disciples. However, that wasn''t the case in the outer sect. Rigel understood this on his very first day. The outer circle was like a lawless jungle. A week has passed since Rigel joined the outer sect and every day he was forcefully ordered to hunt for meat in the forests outside the Rio town. Every day was the same and whatever meat he collected would be snatched away by others. Rigel quietly watched the scene with cold eyes. He had seen similar scenes numerous times in the past week, and he was once again watching it. Three hundred kilogrammes may sound much but actually it wasn''t. A single demonic deer weighs around three hundred kilograms, and the man had only offered a single deer after a day of hunting. That was unacceptable and thus, Maze was punishing him. Rigel moved his eyes from the man to Maze, who was watching the man kneeling on the ground with a sneer on his face. He then watched the people standing behind Maze with similar sneers on their faces. The outer sect had more than a single faction. All these factions were led by individuals who were at the peak of the fourth level of Qi condensation and were about to enter the fifth level. Maze was the leader of one such faction. When these people breakthrough into the fifth level of Qi condensation, they would be able to enter into the inner circle. The boss''s position would be given to his best lackey while he would continue to support his henchman after entering the inner circle. Who would trifle with someone who has connections with the disciples of the inner circle? One should know that fifth level of Qi condensation is nothing like the fourth level. When one reaches the fifth level of Qi condensation, their spiritual energy increases by leaps and bounds and allows them to bind to weapons and artifacts. Thus, only a fifth level Qi condensation stage expert can use flying swords and various other artifacts. Such a huge leap in strength is the reason why a fourth level Qi condensation stage experts aren''t allowed to enter the inner circle. The difference between them and the others would be too much. Rigel understood much of these facts after joining the sect. Rigel sighed as he touched his bag of holding and retrieved the two thin books given by the sect. One of the thin books was an abridged Qi condensation stage manual which explained about the intricacies of cultivation. The other was a guide which explained the basics of all levels of Qi condensation stage. "Bitch, are you playing with me?" Rigel''s thoughts were interrupted by the loud roar of Maze. Standing before Maze was a girl in her late teens. Rigel looked at the girl and once again sighed in his heart. Being a woman within the outer sect meant a lot of things, but freedom wasn''t one of them. She not only has to endure humiliation every day but should also guard herself day and night. The only way to escape that life would be to gain enough strength. People feared and respected those with power regardless of gender. However, if she has poor talent, it would sooner or later lead to one result, her death. Men weren''t too well off either. Rigel had seen more than once, acts of slavery within the outer sect. Even though he had killed people and wouldn''t bat an eyelid to torture his enemies, Rigel despised slavery. Having been a slave for almost all his life, he had experienced the worst aspects of slavery above and beyond anyone''s imagination. Thus, Rigel wouldn''t and could never tolerate slavery. The girl soon began to cry as Maze laughed loudly asking for her innocence. Rigel brow furrowed as he listened to Maze. However, he didn''t do anything because he was in no position to openly act against him. Rigel''s eyes turned red with anger as he saw the girl. His teeth involuntarily gritted as he thought about his past. If there was something he despised more than slavery, than it was sexual abuse. Rigel hadn''t always been alone and so cut off from society. He once believed in friends and friendship. He still believed in them only now; he wasn''t so innocent to simply believe a timely help as an act of friendship. Most people do everything in a calculated manner. A timely help is nothing but an investment for many, and they will try to reap that reward in their time of need. Unless you are extremely useful to them, they would never dirty their hands for you. Rigel had time and time again saw the suffering of his friends after being abused by their masters. Above all, he had seen his dearest person assaulted before his very eyes. That had broken his heart and made him the cruel, cold and heartless person he was when Frank found him. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Thus, Rigel despised sexual abuse to his core. As he saw Maze and his lackeys teasing the girl in public his eyes narrowed and killing intent seeped out of his body, but he controlled himself because he knew that even if he interrupted Maze, it wouldn''t be able to stop him. An untimely help would only do more harm than not helping at all. The girl had survived in the sect for years, and she will survive even without Rigel''s help. Rigel clenched his fists and took a deep breath and finally managed to control himself. The next day, Rigel once again set out into the forest. Even though others might think that this job was bothersome and cruel, Rigel didn''t think so. Every time he set out into the woods, he would leave a track of dead plants and small animals behind as he practiced on his black fog. The black fog slowly seeped out of his hands as Rigel bent his body and took a defensive stance. Standing before Rigel was a demonic wolf which was in the first level of Qi condensation. Although Rigel wasn''t even in the first level of Qi condensation, he had enough physical strength to deal with almost all first level Qi condensation stage cultivators and with some luck, he can even win against second level cultivators. Mortals can''t rival cultivators, but even they can strengthen their bodies with pure effort. However, the strength of a fourth level Qi condensation expert was the limit to any mortals strength. No matter how physically gifted a human is, he cannot rival the power of a fifth level Qi condensation stage expert. Having lived in Gehenna prison, Rigel''s physical strength and flexibility were far above that of a first level Qi condensation stage expert. Thus, it is a grave mistake to simply think of Rigel as a someone who wasn''t even in Qi condensation stage. The demonic wolf roared loudly as he faced Rigel. Wolfs were creatures always found in packs. Rigel''s face was serious as he faced the demonic wolf. He had to be serious because demonic creatures generally had far more power compared to the cultivators with the same level of cultivation. Secondly, the wolf was currently calling for help. Even a third level Qi condensation stage expert would be thrown into a rough spot if he was surrounded by a pack of demonic wolfs. Demonic wolfs had cultivation varying between the first level to the third level of Qi condensation stage. Usually, a pack leader would be at the second level of Qi condensation, but rarely even a third level wolf king can be seen leading a large pack. Thus, Rigel had to take care of the wolf quickly. He raised his hand and then threw a piece of meat on the floor before running away at high speed. The wolf looked at Rigel confusedly and roared as it followed Rigel. However as it passed the piece of meat, it stopped in its tracks and smelled it suspiciously. The meat was fresh, and it emitted a sweet aroma which was enticing to any canine. The wolf raised its head and tried to find Rigel, but it couldn''t see him. Demonic creatures being nurtured by natural energy were much more intelligent than their counterparts found in nature. The wolf did suspect Rigel but after a minute, it still ate the meat out of greed. As it ate, Rigel slowly walked out of bushes. He watched the wolf and smiled lightly. With a calm voice, he said indifferently, "So you ate it after all. This shows that demonic or not, you are still nothing but a wolf." The wolf watched Rigel with a stunned gaze, but it could no longer move or howl as its muscles were paralyzed by the neurotoxin present in the meat. Rigel had used this method repeatedly to catch a large number of beasts. He would put some neurotoxin with paralyzing properties and some appetizing aromatic substances into a piece of meat. He would then lure a demonic creature and then throw the meat as bait. Everything would happen in the same manner. Rigel was always cautious and would never attract the attention of a high-level demonic beast and was thus never caught off guard. As Rigel slowly collected the corpse of the wolf into his bag, he heard the screams of a woman. Rigel lifted his eyes and stared at a distant mountain valley. Quickly packing the wolf''s corpse, he immediately ran towards the source of the voice. Soon he came upon a valley where he saw Maze and his lackeys laughing loudly as they chained a girl to a tree. Rigel''s face turned red with anger; then his face twisted in unbelievable rage as he saw a man at Maze''s feet begging him to let go of the girl. The image of his young-self replaced the begging man in Rigel''s eyes. His legs trembled as he jumped into the valley. No matter how indifferent he could act, there was a limit to his patience and at that moment, Maze had touched the sore spot in Rigel''s psyche. ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Thank you. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 18 - Grateful for life Grateful for life: "So what should we do Angelo? Your sister though lacking in some spots is quite ripe, and you have to pluck ripe fruits before they rot. Don''t you know that?" Maze said with a sneer on his face. The man begging at his feet shivered as he heard Maze while the four lackeys behind Maze burst out laughing. Angelo, who was begging, was controlling the deep rage which was assaulting his soul as he kneeled on the floor. Even though he was at the second level of Qi condensation stage, his sister was only in the first level. He couldn''t do anything as he didn''t have the confidence to escape alive from Maze''s group. Even if he did manage to get away, he would have to leave his sister behind. Angelo would rather beg than abandon his sister. However, as he realized Maze''s inner thoughts, he was thrown into utter despair. With no way to escape and no way to retaliate, Angelo could do nothing but grind his teeth in intense anger. Even if by chance, he does manage to win against Maze, who was in the third level of Qi condensation and his four friends who were all in the second level, where would he escape? Maze would hunt him down with all his might. Suppose he does manage to kill Maze then he would stir up even more trouble. Usually, the sect wouldn''t mind the disappearance of a few outer circle disciples but if the inner circle disciples interfere to investigate the matter. Proven guilty, the murder of a fellow sect disciple is punishable by death. Not only Angelo but every other person in the outer circle knew these facts. Thus, no one dared to question Maze or his authority. If Maze kills a disciple, and if they go against him to lodge a complaint. The only thing that would happen is Maze getting scolded for taking rash actions. The judgment committee will simply write off the murder as an unfortunate accident to win the favor of inner circle disciples supporting Maze. At that instant, loud footsteps interrupted Maze''s laughter as Rigel walked out of the bushes into the clearing. As soon as Maze saw Rigel and his stunned face, an evil smile bloomed on his face. "Hahaha! Today truly is full of surprises for me. First, I find a girl alone with her worthless brother, and now, I find the punk who dared to treat me as a beggar here in the middle of nowhere." Maze laughed loudly and continued, "Brat, don''t even try to escape. Kane, get that kid for me." One of his four friends looked at Rigel and casually walked towards him. Rigel looked at Kain and then at Maze. His eyes finally stopped on Angelo, who was watching him with pleading eyes. Even though Angelo was delighted to see someone coming, his hope was instantly crushed when he saw Rigel. If he, who was in the second level of Qi condensation couldn''t do anything then what could someone who wasn''t even in Qi condensation stage do?" Rigel looked at Angelo and narrowed his own eyes. A serious killing intent suddenly surfaced in his eyes startling Angelo. However, this killing intent was also sensed by Kane. Kane''s eyes instantly flashed as he sensed danger. Even though he wasn''t certain why, but he knew that very instant that Rigel was somehow very dangerous. He stopped in his tracks, at a mere distance of five steps away from Rigel and stood like a statue unable to move. Rigel turned his head and looked at Kane and his defensive stance. He then turned around and ran away at high speed into the forest. Maze eyes bulged as he saw Rigel running away into the woods. He immediately kicked Angelo away and ran after Rigel as he roared loudly, "What are you doing Kane? Go after the kid. That kid saw us. Don''t tell me; you forgot senior Ian''s rule. Do not let any witnesses get away. Kill the boy. Go! Pi, you stand guard here. Angelo, don''t you dare do anything foolish. I will kill you if you even think of doing anything foolish, Understood?" Angelo was stunned as he saw Maze running into the forest with Kane and two others leaving Pi behind. His mind was replaying the scene of Rigel staring at him. Those eyes of Rigel contained incredible killing intent. He saw it with his own eyes, the killing intent which can never be emanated by a person who hasn''t killed before. Angelo was sure as to what Rigel was implying with his actions. He was telling Angelo to take the chance to run away. Angelo would have done it without a second thought if it was someone who was capable of defeating Maze, but Rigel wasn''t even in Qi condensation stage. At that instant, he looked at Pi and saw the ridicule in his eyes. The anger which was swelling inside Angelo''s heart erupted like a volcano as he lunged for Pi''s throat. Angelo can be called a coward because he didn''t fight back Maze, but he wasn''t going to sit back and see another second level Qi condensation stage cultivator sneer upon him and eye his sister in his presence. Pi was caught off guard as Angelo''s hand reached for his throat and wasn''t able to dodge in time. Angelo caught Pi''s neck in his death grip. Pi never imagined that Angelo would retaliate. He struggled hard to get out of the death grip, but since his strength didn''t surpass Angelo''s by a large margin, so it was impossible for him to escape. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. His eyes were filled with fear as he saw the insane expression in Angelo''s eyes. That instant all his life flashed before his eyes. Everything he ever dreamed of and everything he once was flashed before his eyes. He remembered his mother who raised him with all her heart; he remembered losing her to bandits who captured her as a slave. He once aspired to be a righteous man, but the world slowly changed him. He sunk deeper and deeper into sin until he gradually became a man he once despised with all his heart. The light in Pi''s eyes slowly faded away as he released the last bit of air in his lungs. Angelo fell on the ground crying bitterly. Even though he had killed people before, that was in a group along with his father and uncles. He killed bandits who attacked his tribe, but it was his first time killing a man with his bare hands. However, Angelo wasn''t regretting his decision. He did what he had to do to protect his sister. Angelo quickly untied his sister who was watching everything with tear filled eyes and hugged her tightly. He then turned around and faced the direction in which Rigel ran off. His eyes were filled with extreme gratitude as he bowed deeply and said, "Today, I was able to save my sister because of your help brother. I cannot repay this debt in this life. If I ever meet you again, I will offer my everything to repay your help. Thank you, brother. I am going to leave this sect, this city and return to my tribe. I hope that you will escape this predicament and live well." Angelo grabbed his sister''s hand and hurriedly ran off in the opposite direction of Rio town. They belonged to a tribe who were local landlords in the Great grasslands of North Deccan. Since his childhood, he was a kid who showed promise as a cultivator. Thus, his father sent him along with his sister to the Rio town to join the Xia sect. Now that it had come to it, whether or not Rigel lives, Maze or someone related to him will hunt them down. Thus, Angelo was presented with no choice but to return to his tribe. The Grasslands of North Deccan was a vast territory with numerous tribes. Angelo was confident that no one would follow them to avenge the death of Pi. Back in the forest, Rigel was running away at high speed. Even though, Rigel''s speed couldn''t match Maze''s. He was running on par with Kane and two others who were in the second level of Qi condensation. Rigel turned his head and saw Maze''s following him. Rigel''s eyes turned cold as he turned back and stopped in his tracks surprising them all. Kane watched Rigel''s actions and immediately slowed down, but Maze and the others didn''t. Maze laughed loudly and said with a sneer on his face, "Have you lost your mind, you fucking bastard? You dare to fight me head-on. I will kill you with my bare hands and feed your remains to my dogs." Rigel sighed lightly and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and thought back to the time he first examined the Great Black pearl within his dantian. That day, Rigel not only found the Black Pearl but also discovered that the black pearl was the source of the poisonous black fog which was circulating in his Qi channels along with his Qi. Rigel slowly opened his eyes and raised his right hand. His eyes were sharp as he clenched his hand and eyed the three people who were in the second level of Qi condensation expert. Rigel''s eyes showed his absolute confidence in himself as his other hand touched his bag of holding and retrieved three throwing knives. He licked the knives and then proceeded to condense the black fog around them. A second later, he threw them towards Kane, Maze and another person with absolute precision. "Don''t fuck with me." Maze roared as he retrieved a sword from his bag of holding and quickly deflected the knife. However, his voice struck in his throat as he saw three more knives coming straight at him aimed at various vital organs. The same happened to Kane and other person leaving the last one''s mind in disarray. That man was so distracted by Rigel''s attacks that he didn''t saw Rigel himself closing on him. However, being a second level Qi condensation expert he reacted immediately as he saw Rigel''s fist approaching him. However, his face twisted in pain and the next instant he coughed up blood as a throwing knife pierced his navel. The dash was Rigel''s way to bring the man''s concentration away from the knife. Before the man could utter a word, his face became pale with pain as black fog invaded his body through the wound. Rigel looked at the man''s painful expression and then at Maze''s stunned face. He snorted coldly and ran away towards the very clearing which started it all. ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Thank you. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 19 - Counter Strategy Counter strategy: Maze''s face twisted in rage as he saw Rigel disappearing from his sight. However, he couldn''t chase after Rigel after witnessing his retaliation. Maze wasn''t stupid, he understood from Rigel''s attack that he wasn''t dealing with some ordinary kid, rather he was dealing with a snake. A poisonous snake, small or large should always be dealt with a long stick. Size didn''t matter when it came to snakes. A bite from any one of them can squeeze the life out of you within minutes. Maze watched in mute horror as the man stabbed by Rigel passed away within minutes. How can a mere second level Qi condensation expert survive the black fog? That day when Rigel found the black fog and understood its origin, he realized very soon that the black fog had properties very similar to the poison, Jade snake venom used by the red-robed guard, Daiz. The Jade Snake venom is a very potent poison which can kill most of the early Spark formation stage cultivators. Even though, the black fog didn''t retain the full power of the jade snake venom. It still retained about half of its power. Rigel experimented with the black fog and understood several things regarding its nature. Although the black fog was in his control, the degree of control he had over the fog matched his control over his Qi. Also, even though the black fog was a separate entity, it was present within his Qi channels and had reserves less than his Qi. Thus, even though the black fog may sound almost like a godly weapon, Rigel had to use it conservatively. Rigel thought about the poisonous nature of the black fog and tried to find the origin of its powers. However, he soon came to a conclusion that the black fog which was present within his Qi channels should have in some way absorbed the Jade snake venom in his body and evolved into something similar. Rigel was a bit hesitant, but the idea of having a weapon which can evolve and absorb various poisons was too tempting for him. So he finally took out his poisons and tried to make the black fog consume them. Unfortunately, Rigel found that the black fog couldn''t absorb any more poisons. It was rejecting all the poisons in his arsenal. From this, Rigel came to two conclusions. One, the black fog could evolve only once. Two, it was rejecting his poisons because none of his poisons are more potent than the Jade snake venom. Even though Rigel wasn''t sure of his analysis, he thought that the reason why the black fog couldn''t evolve was that of the latter. Although Frank was a genius, even he couldn''t teach Rigel about advanced alchemy because not only do you need rare ingredients but should also possess Qi to meld them in the fire of the hearth. Rigel couldn''t cultivate, and thus Frank never spoke of poisons which needed to be blended with Qi. The Jade snake venom was one such poison. It was far above anything Rigel ever made in his life and thus was much more potent than all his poisons. Poisoned by the black fog, the man had no chance to survive at all unless someone of Elder class power interfered immediately. The black fog possessed by Rigel wasn''t enough to kill early Spark formation stage experts, but it could certainly kill anyone below the fifth level of Qi condensation with some exceptions. Rigel ran into the clearing at high speed and saw the corpse of Pi lying on the floor. He smiled lightly and walked towards the body. Turning his head, he saw behind his back. After confirming that no one was following him, Rigel checked Pi''s bag of holding and found a total of over three hundred spirit crystals. A first level Qi condensation stage cultivator was given ten spirit crystals month by the sect to help in his training. A second level expert got twenty while a third level expert received fifty and a fourth level expert received a hundred spirit crystals. Pi was only in the second level of Qi condensation and should receive only about twenty spirit crystals every month, but he had over three hundred in his bag of holding. Rigel couldn''t help but smile as he counted them. Next, he found two large books which were the unabridged versions of the books he received when he joined the sect. Rigel face lit up as he saw the books. The spirit crystals will be immensely helpful to him in his training but being an alchemist; Rigel thought that perhaps his best gain was the books. Next, he found a small chipped sword which emitted a fierce aura. Even though the sword was chipped and was almost unusable, Rigel could immediately tell that it was flying sword used by Immortal practitioners. Rigel smiled as he found a bunch of other things which will at some point be useful to him. He kept them all back in Pi''s bag of holding and stored it safely among his robes. He then turned around and watched the silent forest. He snorted coldly and muttered in a small voice, "Let''s see, how will you deal with me Maze?" Rigel didn''t stay in the clearing any longer and ran back to the sect. A few minutes after Rigel left the clearing, Maze, and his two accomplices, Kane and Hazard reached the spot searching for Rigel. As soon as they saw Pi lying lifelessly on the ground, an intense rage exploded in their mind. In a single day, they lost two of their friends. That fact made them puke at their inability. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Hazard walked forward and touched Pi to check for his pulse but shook his head as he felt nothing. Maze watched the surrounding mountains and the trees. He had to be cautious. Hazard spat on the floor and said in an angry voice, "Maze, we have to kill this bastard at any cost. He even killed Pi. How can he be so strong? He isn''t even in Qi condensation stage." Kane shook his head and said in a calm voice, "No, Pi was killed by Angelo. Rigel didn''t have the time to kill Pi before we reached him and besides, there are no wounds on his body. As far as I saw, this Rigel uses knives and poison to deal with his opponents. Besides, no matter how strong he is, he shouldn''t have the physical prowess to tie down a second level Qi condensation expert and strangle him to death." Maze sighed loudly and said in a low voice, "Forget about Pi and Angelo. I will take of Angelo later. For now, we have a much bigger issue to worry about. That bastard Rigel has gone back to the sect, and unless he is a fool, he should have filed a complaint against us." Hazard sneered coldly and said, "What if he files a complaint boss? We will show him the rules of the game very soon. Humph! How many days will the complaint protect him? Three days, a week? Sooner or later, I am going to torture the life out of that bastard." Kane nodded his head slightly and asked in a serious voice, "So what do you think he will complain about? It would be tricky if he complained that we killed Angelo and his sister?" Maze snorted coldly and said, "There are no dead bodies here, and their footprints are clearly showing that both of them escaped. If he really does files something so stupid, then it will only make our work easier." Soon Maze, Kane, and Hazard returned to the sect while chatting all the way. Since they had no way to catch up to Rigel, they decided to leave him alone and let him file a complaint. What would any claim lodged by a junior member of the outer sect do? At most, it will garner the attention of a guard. If necessary, Maze could even ask for the inner disciples to intervene. No guard will dare to object to his words. As Maze and others reached the gates, Hedge was standing for them. His expression was serious as he saw Maze and others. With a cold snort, he strode forward. Maze looked at Hedge and greeted in a cheerful voice, "Uncle Hedge, how was your day?" Hedge''s face twisted as he roared in an angry voice, "Shut your fucking mouth Maze. You should be thankful if you escape today with your life. How dare you kill your friend? I always thought that you were just a bit rowdy but today, I understood your true nature. You are a villain." Maze smiled lightly and said, "So, the kid complained to you. Uncle Hedge, you should know about my relations. I hope you will let this matter pass silently, and I promise there will be no recuperations." Hedge face turned cold as he said in a serious voice, "Humph! You think I am the one who asked for you Maze. The one who has come to question you is Elder Feng. Now, tell me, do you know people who can influence even an elder?" "WHAT?" Maze involuntarily screamed as he heard the word, Elder. An Elder was a position above that of a core disciple, and his authority was second only to the Patriarchs of the sect. Such a person can never be influenced unless another elder asks for a favor. "How... Why? Impossible. How can the kid know an elder?" Maze stuttered while Kane''s and Hazard''s face drained of all blood. At that moment, all three of them thought that they had unconsciously provoked a wolf in a sheep''s clothing. Silent footsteps rang out as Elder Feng slowly walked towards Maze and his group. His eyes were cold as he looked at Maze. Beside him, Rigel was walking with a fear filled face. Maze almost puked as he saw Rigel''s acting. He saw Rigel''s true nature and his ruthlessness and yet, here in front of an elder, he was acting so docile and fearful. Elder Feng glanced at Maze and said in a loud voice, "Maze, your fellow disciple Rigel has come to me claiming that you have killed your friend, Pi for his treasures. He also claims that you have tried to kill him as he accidentally saw you murdering Pi." Maze face was drained of all color as he heard Elder Feng''s voice. He never expected that Rigel will claim that he killed Pi. Feng glanced at Maze and asked in a cold voice, "According to Rigel, four of you ganged up on Pi and killed him, but I only see three of you here. Where is the fourth person?" The minute Elder Feng asked that question; Kane felt weak in his knees, and Hazard fell on his butt while Maze''s eyes became blank. From the corner of his vision, he saw Rigel with a little smile on his face. ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Thank you. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 20 - Establishing a name Establishing a name: Rigel smiled as he saw the ugly expression in Maze''s eyes. If Maze could use his relationship with inner circle disciples to control the outer sect, then Rigel could surely use his relationship with an Elder to bring these fake bosses of outer sect off their thrones. As soon as Rigel reached the sect, he immediately went to the main sect and requested an audience with Elder Feng. When he met Elder Feng, he immediately told him the entire story. Of course, he simply narrated what he wanted to and made Elder Feng believe that Maze killed Pi to obtain his spirit crystals as he was almost on the verge of breaking through to the fourth level. Experts in the fourth level of Qi condensation were the true rulers of the outer sect, and Maze wanted to be one of them for a long time. Thus, he chose to steal spirit crystals from his friend which turned into a fight later leading to a death match in which Pi lost his life. Feng wasn''t a fool so as soon as he heard Rigel''s story, he sent people to investigate about Pi''s whereabouts. What these people found was a corpse in the very clearing that Rigel spoke of, with Hazard searching the body and Maze keeping a watch on the surroundings. Having confirmed Rigel''s story, Feng came to the outer sect to further investigate the matter. Rigel, who was standing behind Elder Feng, eyed Maze''s bag of holding and licked his lips. Pi, who was a mere underling had more than three hundred spirit crystals. Just how many crystals did Maze have, Rigel had no idea, but he knew for sure that Maze''s bag of holding was surely a treasure. Rigel looked at Elder Feng and said in a respectful voice, "Elder Feng, Maze stole about two hundred of my spirit crystals as well as the ten spirit crystals provided by the sect. I have no proof regarding those two hundred spirit crystals he stole from me the other day but elder; Maze took the spirit crystals provided by the sect right after Uncle Hedge left me with Jiya. I am a poor man Elder; those were my entire life savings." "YOU!!!" Maze roared loudly in anger and took a step forward but stopped in his tracks as he saw the cold expression in Feng''s eyes. Feng glanced at Hedge and said in a cold voice, "Go, bring me this kid Jiya?" Hedge hurriedly bowed his head and ran off towards the valley. Soon, he brought Jiya along with him. Jiya was shocked as Hedge dragged him along forcefully without explaining anything, but his shock turned into terror as he the Violet robe worn by Elder Feng. That Violet robe represented his status as an Elder and any person with an elder status was a god-like existence to all outer sect disciples. Feng glanced at Jiya and asked in a serious voice, "Jiya, did Maze steal Rigel''s spirit crystals? Don''t you dare lie to me." Jiya glanced at Maze and then at Rigel. As he saw Rigel''s face, he was shocked as if lightning struck him. In Rigel''s narrowed eyes, he saw ridicule. It was directed at him because Rigel knew what he would do. There wasn''t really any choice for Jiya. What he would speak was, of course, the truth and furthermore, no matter how daring he was, he wouldn''t lie to an elder and certainly not for Maze. That instant Jiya understood that Rigel was far scarier than Maze, so he immediately nodded his head and said in a respectful voice, "Yes, Elder. Junior did witness Maze stealing spirit crystals from Rigel." Feng snorted coldly and looked at Maze. His face lacked all kindness as he waved his hand. Maze''s bag of holding immediately appeared in his hand which he threw to Rigel. He then looked at Kane, Hazard, and Maze and said in a loud voice, "The only reason why any of you are still alive is that I didn''t catch you committing the heinous crime of killing a fellow disciple red handed. However, it is confirmed that you steal and plunder. Stealing from people is an act which puts you on the same level as bandits. Mind you; this is Xia sect, not your home. We are raising you to be elites of the cultivation society, not some bandits." Feng''s voice was filled with power and resonated throughout the outer sect alerting numerous people who rushed to see him scolding Maze and his group. Feng then glanced at Maze alone and snorted loudly. He then narrowed his eyes and said with a hardened face, "You steal and do as you please because you haven''t experienced the pain of losing your hard-earned bread. Your bag of holding will be given to Rigel. That will be your punishment for stealing other people''s property." Maze''s face lost all blood and started to tremble as he heard Elder Feng. He glanced at his bag of holding which was now in Rigel''s hands. His eyes became red as he thought of losing all his treasures to Rigel but that was only the beginning. Feng glanced at Kane, Hazard and said coldly, "The sect shall seize both your bag of holdings. For your crime of cooperating with Maze, both of you will spend three months in solitary confinement." Feng''s judgment was so loud that everyone listening had shivers crawl up their backs, but as they heard his final decision, they all felt terror within their hearts. Feng then glanced back at Maze and snorted coldly. He shook his head and said, "A tree should be bent from an early age to take on a certain shape. Similarly, a man should be taught the values of life since his early childhood. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. However, humans can change at any age when they realize their crimes. Maze, for the crime of murdering a fellow disciple, I sentence you to a solitary confinement of one year in the second level of Forbidden tunnels." Maze body shook as he heard Feng. He coughed blood up and fell to his knees unable to accept the punishment. Forbidden tunnels were ancient tunnels which were once used by the Xia sect as an active prison. They were underground and lacked any hint of light. The sect once used those tunnels to break the spirits of prisoners and make them docile. Feng glanced coldly at Maze and then turned back to glance at hundreds of disciples who were watching him. He then snorted coldly and said, "Just because we are not able to see through your everyday activities doesn''t mean that you can become animals. You are all in the Xia sect, and this is not your playground. The sect has rules, and you will follow them at any cost. I have made myself very clear. The next time, I hear about such atrocities. I will personally tear apart the person responsible." Rigel watched the Elder Feng mutely. Even though he called him to use the little relationship between them to his favor, he didn''t expect Feng to react so violently. Rigel had a certain feeling about Feng since the very beginning, but he was now sure. Feng believed too much in the goodness of people and society. Such people were usually calm and warm-hearted, but when crossed, they become violent to extreme levels. Soon, the entire crowd dispersed as Elder Feng left the outer circle. Maze, Kane, and Hazard were escorted by guards to their respective confinements while Rigel stood there in the courtyard alone with Jiya. Jiya was nervous as he stood there silently. He was afraid to speak. Not only Jiya, many others who had seen the entire chains of events could immediately tell that Rigel had a special relationship with Elder Feng. This news spread like wildfire within minutes in the whole outer circle. Rigel looked at Elder Feng''s departing figure and then turned back to look at Jiya. Rigel smiled lightly at Jiya and asked in a calm voice, "Senior Jiya, why are you still here?" Jiya gulped softly and said in a friendly voice, "Junior brother, I was waiting for you. I didn''t know that you knew Elder Feng." Rigel smiled lightly and nodded his head, but he neither confirmed or denied Jiya''s words. He then proceeded to walk towards their mountain. Jiya walked behind with a nervous expression in his eyes. He couldn''t understand what Rigel was thinking and that made him even more nervous. Rigel glanced at Jiya''s figure from the corner of his vision and smiled coldly. He then said in a calm voice, "Don''t worry, Senior Jiya. I didn''t tell Elder Feng that you asked Maze to take care of me somewhere where you wouldn''t have to bear responsibility." Jiya face turned stiff as he heard Rigel. His heart began to beat at high speed as he heard Rigel''s words. He couldn''t reply; no he couldn''t open his mouth out of fear. How could he tell Rigel that he was mistaken? He can''t, no, he couldn''t because what Rigel spoke was absolutely true. As they neared the mountain, Rigel looked at Jiya''s cottage which was atop the mountain and narrowed his eyes. The cottage was far better than his little hut. So he coughed a little and continued in a small voice, "However, I am willing to forget all about it if you can give me this cottage of yours, senior Jiya. I think it is a fair trade." Jiya''s throat dried up as he heard Rigel. The cottage was something which he acquired after four years of hard work. Those who own the cottage own all the huts on the mountain. Rigel was essentially asking him to give up everything he ever earned for his forgiveness. Rigel narrowed his eyes and looked at Jiya. It was a bit cruel to push Jiya to this extent, but Rigel needed Jiya to understand that the consequences of offending him can be more than a bit grave. Jiya looked at the cottage for one final time and nodded his head. He then bowed lightly and left the mountain without turning back even once. The various people living on the mountain heard the entire talk and stood still stunned at the chain of events. A mountain changed hands within seconds of Rigel wanting it. That day, they understood not only Rigel''s high-level backing but also his ruthlessness in dealing with his enemies. Soon, the news reverberated in the entire outer sect regarding a new boss who had an Elder as his accomplice. They called Rigel ruthless and greedy when they saw him grabbing a mountain all for himself. No matter how everyone spoke, all of them came to the same conclusion. No one should ever provoke Rigel for his background was astonishing, and he was ruthless and greedy. Thus started the legend of Rigel in the Xia sect. ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Thank you. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 21 - Bloodshot Eyes Bloodshot eyes: Rigel sat in his cottage and took out Maze''s bag of holding. His face was anxious as he erased the spirit signature of Maze with his own and opened it. Soon a smile bloomed on his face as he scanned the contents of the bag. Maze had more than two thousand spirit crystals in his bag. Besides the spirit stones, there were some gold coins, a few ounces of Immortal silver and some books. However, Rigel''s face became serious as he found another bag of holding in the bag. Rigel took out that bag and scanned it. His face immediately changed as he found out that the bag had multiple bags within it. Rigel examined every single bag but found nothing. They were all empty. One didn''t need to think too much regarding how Maze obtained so many bags. All those bags were obtained from various disciples. Regarding who these disciples were and what happened to them, none knew. Rigel sighed as he stored the bags inside his bag of holding and took out all the spirit crystals. In total, he had a little more than two thousand and three hundred spirit stones. It was a fortune many would kill for. Spirit crystals were naturally formed after absorbing the elemental energy present in nature. They had a high density of natural energy within them and thus were very helpful for cultivation. By absorbing the energy stored within these spirit crystals, one can save a lot of time. Rigel sighed as he put away all the spirit crystals except for a few dozen inside his bag of holding and closed his eyes. His spiritual energy moved according to his order and examined his dantian. His dantian originally had a dense Qi within it. However, after using the black fog for only a little while, it was almost emptied. Rigel sighed as he saw that. The black fog was obviously different from Qi, but it needed Qi to control it and the expenditure of Qi to control the black fog was huge. If Rigel had continued to fight Maze with his current cultivation, he would have soon run out of Qi to control the black fog. Rigel sighed as he saw the faint Qi vortex within his dantian. Even though the vortex appeared huge, the amount of Qi within it was nowhere near enough to let him breakthrough to the first level. Rigel opened his eyes and rose to his feet. He closed the doors properly so that no one would disturb him and sat down with determination in his eyes. He held a few spirit crystals in his hands and closed his eyes. The spirit crystals, with the probing of Rigel''s spiritual energy, began to release a large amount of natural energy. Rigel slowly absorbed the energy and guided it along his Qi paths. The process of cultivation is always slow. Even if one had a million spirit crystals, they can not directly breakthrough to the Spark formation stage. One has to accumulate the Qi slowly and then let the Qi paths get accustomed to that amount of Qi. Over absorption of energy through spirit crystals or by any other external source will do more harm than good because that way, one''s foundation will be unstable. The foundation is everything within the world of cultivation. The core disciples from influential sects will naturally win over the disciples from average sects mainly because of their strong foundation. These large sects possess many Immortal techniques, and they also support their disciples so that they can establish a perfect foundation before they enter the Spark formation stage. Rigel slowly absorbed the energy stored within the spirit stones. Soon he absorbed energy from more than a hundred spirit crystals. Then he slowly opened his eyes and breathed out in relief. Even though absorbing from spirit crystals didn''t take too much toll on his mind, it was still exhausting because he still had to guide the Qi through all his Qi paths. Rigel, however, had a smile as he examined his dantian. It only took him three hours to slowly absorb the hundred spirit crystals, but the amount if Qi he gained were more than what he had accumulated over the seventeen days he had been cultivating. Rigel smiled lightly and muttered to himself, "I should definitely be able to enter the third level with all these spirit crystals. Ideally, I should be able to get into the peak stage of the third level." Rigel then sat down and meditated while circulating his Qi through all his Qi channels. In this way, the Qi paths within his body were slowly getting accustomed to the Qi. The vortex in his dantian was also becoming chaotic with every cycle of meditation. No matter how excited he was in, Rigel couldn''t just continuously absorb the energy within the spirit crystals. In the extreme situations, it was known that unstable foundation could harm the Qi paths permanently. Rigel wasn''t going to take a chance. Thus, Rigel began to spend his days. Every day, he would absorb the energy within spirit crystals for a few hours, then he would solidify his foundation by meditating. In his free time, Rigel studied the books he acquired from Kane and Maze carefully. Being an alchemist, Rigel naturally was accustomed to studying for hours together. Reading books were his escape from stress, and it was also something he liked to do in his free time. Rigel always believed that being blind is better than lacking the knowledge of being blind. A person can lack knowledge, but he can never be so blind that he doesn''t know that he lacks it. Rigel was new to the world of cultivation. He never learned anything regarding cultivation. Much of his knowledge came from the information he learned from Frank. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Thus, Rigel was careful when learning anything new. A novice can never differentiate between medicine and poison. Likewise, he had to be careful to understand the hidden meanings and the unstated sentences present within the books. Rigel carefully studied the books left behind by Pi. The unabridged versions of Qi condensation stage intricacies and the other book explain in detail regarding the stages of Qi condensation stage. The Qi condensation is the first stage of cultivation. As the name suggests, the primary goal of Qi condensation stage is to condense the Qi. The stage above the Qi condensation, namely, the Spark formation stage would greatly rely upon the foundation laid during the Qi condensation. When the Qi is condensed to the most extreme levels, the faint gaseous Qi within the vortex will give rise to a Spark. This Spark is essentially formed when one achieves a breakthrough and enter the Spark formation stage. With each level of Qi condensation, the body will undergo massive changes and with each change, the body becomes stronger in both mind and body. The fifth level of Qi condensation is the stage when the body and the mind finally surpass the limits of humanity and enters the realm of Immortals. It is also at the fifth level that a cultivator''s spiritual energy evolves into the divine sense. Though spiritual energy and divine sense are essentially same, the latter, however, is much more powerful and has usefulness which far surpass the spiritual energy. A fifth level Qi condensation stage expert has extraordinary strength and can control the flying swords with his divine sense. It is also at this stage that the sect would grant him with an Immortal technique. Rigel read the book with intense concentration and sighed lightly. The fifth level of Qi condensation was the true start of the journey of a cultivator. The Spark formation stage experts were the true elites. Rigel couldn''t help but think of the powerful aura emanated by the Patriarch SilverLeaf. That was a realm beyond the Spark formation, the realm of legends, Soul Ignition stage. Seven days passed away in a blink of an eye. In his cottage, Rigel was sitting with bloodshot eyes. According to his investigations and calculations, about five hundred spirit stones were more than enough to enter the first level of Qi condensation. However, in the past one week, Rigel used more than six hundred spirit crystals. As he got accustomed to the amount of Qi, he increased the number of spirit crystals every day until he could effortless absorb more than a hundred spirit crystals within hours. But no matter how much he absorbed, he couldn''t achieve a breakthrough. Forget about the breakthrough; Rigel didn''t even feel that he was on the verge of a breakthrough. His dantian was still crazily absorbing the natural energy with no sign of stopping. Rigel watched his dantian with bitter eyes. No matter how he thought, he could only think of one reason for this abnormality. Rigel''s dantian was once shattered and was fixed by the owner of the mysterious voice. Rigel now felt cheated because he couldn''t think of any other reason except for the abnormality of his dantian as to why he couldn''t achieve a breakthrough. Rigel glanced at the remaining number of spirit stones in his bag of holding and clenched his teeth. His eyes were determined as he said through his clenched teeth, "Today, I will achieve a breakthrough even if I have to use all my spirit crystals." Rigel slowly began to absorb the energy within the spirit crystals. 700 800 900 1000 1100 Rigel''s eyes were turning red as his spirit crystals were being used up like water, yet there wasn''t a change in his dantian. 1200 1300 1400 Finally, as he used up more than fourteen hundred spirit crystals, Rigel''s dantian began to shake. The Qi vortex within his dantian began to revolve at high speed, and the dantian itself began to tremble until his entire navel area began to feel hot. A pop sound rang out as Rigel watched with anxious eyes. The violent Qi vortex within his dantian began to slow down as the dantian expanded greatly providing more space for the turbulent Qi. Rigel finally achieved a breakthrough and entered the first level of Qi condensation stage. A smile bloomed on Rigel''s face as he finally made a breakthrough. Even though he had to use almost fifteen hundred spirit crystals, it was worth it. What Rigel feared most was that he wouldn''t be able to cultivate at all. Now that he has successfully broken through into the first level of Qi condensation, his anxious heart calmed down. What Rigel didn''t notice at the time was the dim light deep inside his Qi ocean. The black pearl which was lying static suddenly started to tremble and began to revolve slowly around itself. On its surface, among the many strange markings, a single mark began to glow brightly like a lonely star in the dark skies. ********** Hey guys, I am working my ass off to bring these chapters to you. I would really appreciate it if you can spare a minute and rate my work. Rate here - http://royalroadl.com/fiction/4075 Smile more GSD Reddy. Book 1 - Chapter 22 - The Wind Stirs The Wind stirs: The black pearl started to rotate and tremble as the strange symbol began to glow like a brilliant sun. Soon, the entire Pearl was vibrating and then it began to shake as the symbol on the Pearl began to melt due to the sheer heat produced by the brilliant light. Deep inside the Pearl, inside the mysterious black space, the young man looked at the skies. In the dark sky, a single flame was burning like a lonely star. A look of determination appeared in his eyes as he raised his hand and wrote a single word in the air with his finger. "Will" He glanced at the word which was now floating in the air as it emitted a brilliant light and said in a low voice, "By the ancient pact which binds me, I now claim back my divine Will severed by the seventh tribulation." As the words rang out, the entire black space began to tremble as the black pearl began to rotate at high speed. Tal, who was waiting outside the entrance of the black area, lifted his head and stared at the skies. At that instant, a Divine Will came forwards like a surge of oceanic current from the black space and engulfed him. It was like a tsunami which couldn''t be contained and slammed at the skies like an uncontrollable current. Numerous symbols appeared in the skies restricting the Divine Will but the part which was still burning cracked under the assault of the divine will. For a split second, it gave way to that Will and in that second, the world outside stopped in its place. A divine will seeped out of Rigel''s body. It scanned the Rio town, rose to the skies and flew out faster than light. It engulfed everything and anything it came across in all directions. It searched the Black Deserts of the north, touched the chaotic seas of the West, swept across the temples of Tian in the Great East and touched the Barbaric lands of the south. It scanned the Qin in Chaotic sea, visited the Black Emperor in the North, bypassed the barriers of the Tian Temple and saw the abundant life in the south. In just a split second it scanned everything within Gehenna plane and slammed across its spatial walls. That split second passed away and then everything returned to normal. Rigel face suddenly flickered as he sensed something deep within his dantian but before he could check, he was suddenly frozen still for a split second. His mind, however, was extremely clear. He sensed a terrifying surge of a Divine Will scanning his entire being. He felt powerless as the Divine Will scanned his soul, He felt as if it had seen through his entire self. At that instant, Rigel watched his whole life flash before his eyes. He watched himself as he suffered, as he slept hungry, as he begged for food, as he cried after losing one friend after another, as his trusted friend betrayed him. He watched himself as his loved one was assaulted before his eyes. He watched himself shedding tears as he knelt by her dead body. Rigel''s eyes turned red as he remembered his past, his heart was filled with bitterness as he watched it all again. He felt angry at himself as he once again understood his powerlessness. He was twelve that year, and now he was fifteen, nothing would have changed even if he would be able to go back to his past now. Now and then, he was always weak. Rigel felt intense anger stir his soul; he felt angry at the divine will which made him remember all his life. His anger erupted as he shouted loudly, "Screw off." The young man inside the black space narrowed his eyes as he heard Rigel loud curse. A small smile lit on his face as he closed his eyes and shook his head. In all the years, he had lived, there weren''t many who could curse him and there certainly weren''t many he couldn''t see through. For some reason, he who had a Divine Will strong enough to scan through any soul in its entirety wasn''t able to see through Rigel''s soul nor could he see through all of Rigel''s memories. Thus, he couldn''t naturally understand what Rigel was experiencing at the moment. The young man lifted his hand and a spark lit on his finger. He raised his hand and pointed it at the sky. The spark flew out of his finger in a flash piercing through the air. It then emerged from the surface of the Black Pearl, passed through the Qi channels within a second and entered Rigel''s sea of consciousnesses. Within a split second after Rigel had cursed the young man, an unknown source of energy had already invaded his mind. An impossible amount of pain assaulted Rigel as the spark entered his sea of consciousness. Rigel''s eyes shook as he vomited blood due to the sheer amount of pain that assaulted his mind, but he tried to resist. However, his struggle lasted only a second before he lost his consciousness. The young man looked at Rigel through his Divine Will and closed his eyes. His face became serious as he said in a low voice, "For every aspect of my soul I recover, you shall dominate everything under the heavens in one aspect. That is the pact which binds us. We are not truly free for we are both bound by our duties." The spark which entered Rigel''s sea of consciousness in his mind lit like the sun, and the next instant, the spiritual energy within the sea of consciousness began to roll like turbulent waves of the sea. The spiritual energy began to boil under the light of the spark. Then it began to multiply in quantity at an astonishing pace. Soon the entire sea of consciousness was filled with an extraordinary amount of spiritual energy. When the sea of consciousness was filled with spiritual energy, the spark descended into the sea. An explosive reaction took place in an instant, and the spiritual energy began to condense crazily. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Soon the entire spiritual energy condensed into the form of a spider''s web around Rigel''s soul which was rotating at the center of the sea of consciousness. At that instant, the spark completely fused with the spiritual energy in the shape of a spider''s web. The colorless spiritual energy began to tremble, and a flicker of black color emerged from within. The young man who was observing everything with his divine Will smiled as he saw the black color. He raised his eyebrows and thought to himself, "A black current. Interesting!" ....... Three days passed away within a blink of an eye. Rigel was still asleep with no signs of waking up. However, the sect wasn''t as peaceful as he was. In the three days he slept like a piece of log, the entire Rio town was enveloped in a state of tension. A small argument broke out between the disciples of Xia sect and Li sect in the markets regarding the territorial policies. It was a common occurrence in the Rio town where all three powers were constantly at each other''s throats. However, this argument ended up with more than just curses because the one who was present at that time happened to be a Conclave disciple of the Li sect. Unable to tolerate the humiliation he suffered at the hands of a Xia sect disciple, the conclave disciple launched a sudden attack which ended up killing the pupil in question. The enraged Xia sect''s disciples all teamed up and fought to the death. In this struggle alone, more than three Xia sect''s disciples lost their lives but in return, they killed the conclave disciple who started it all. Even though the Xia sect lost more disciples than the Li sect, in reality, it was the Li sect who suffered more losses. A conclave disciple is far more valuable than a dozen ordinary disciples. Given enough time and resources, any conclave disciple can enter the Spark formation stage and can even become an elder class figure. Thus, the Li sect had invested a lot of resources in raising him. His death was like a trigger which ignited their rage. Such a trigger was far more than enough to shatter the false peace between two enemies who were hell bent on dominating another. For three days, over a dozen fights broke out in various parts of the town and the surrounding forests. Even the elder class figures were ordered to patrol the city to protect the sect''s reputation. Though no elder class fight broke out, it was nothing but an eventuality with the way the things were escalating. Rigel, however, was sleeping without a clue as to the what was happening in the town. Even as Rigel slept, a man was walking towards the main sect and stood before a large cottage far better than anything present in the outer sect. "Senior Ian, today Elder Feng is going out to patrol the town. I have kept my word and followed your orders to the last word. You are an exalted person with unfathomable power. I hope you will not fool this junior." He said in a low voice as he stood outside the cottage. A man in his early twenties sat inside the cabin. As he heard the man''s words, he opened his eyes and gazed at the walls of his cottage. His vision seemed to pierce through the walls as it looked upon the person who came to inform him about the news he had been waiting for. He smiled lightly and said in a calm voice, "You have done a good job Jiya. Do not worry; I don''t lie for I have no reason to. You have my word." Jiya bowed respectfully as he heard Ian''s voice. He then slowly walked back to the outer sect. His eyes were cold and cruel as he thought about Rigel. Rigel stole everything from him, and now, he was going to pay for his sins with his life. Even though Jiya had no background and he lacked talent in cultivation, he was still considered an influential figure in the outer sect due to his diplomatic connections. Jiya knew how to approach people far stronger than Maze. Even though Jiya lacked the power to take revenge himself, he knew someone who had similar intentions, Ian. Jiya approached him and worked for him to keep an eye on Elder Feng''s movements. Initially, Ian thought that it would take a while before Elder Feng eases his vigilance, so he appointed Jiya to keep an eye on Elder Feng. However, by taking advantage of the chaos, he made his move. That night, in the silence of the moon, a man sneaked into the outer sect and made his way towards Rigel''s cottage. He was wearing a casual robe but with an insignia of a tiger on his chest. That was the mark of an inner disciple. He slowly entered the cottage and saw Rigel sleeping peacefully. His face was filled with ridicule as he snorted coldly and muttered to himself, "Senior Ian is surely overestimating this brat. He is just a brat in the first level of Qi condensation. Why should I, a sixth level Qi condensation stage expert has to come by myself to take care of this pathetic Idiot. Whatever, I will take care of this quickly." At that instant, deep within the black space, the young man opened his eyes. Simultaneously, outside the black area, Tal opened his eyes. They both stared at the sky and then narrowed their eyes. A cold snort resounded from the dark space and the next instant Tal disappeared from the Locker. ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Smile more GSD Reddy ***** Book 1 - Chapter 23 - A Bold lie A Bold lie: The minute Tal disappeared from the mysterious space; Rigel woke up with a start. His mind was reeling, and he felt as if he had been asleep for an eternity but before he could understand what was going on, his face froze as he saw a man standing in his room with a shocked expression on his face. Deep in Rigel''s sea of consciousness, Tal was floating with a cold expression on his face. Just now, he had to wake Rigel up forcefully. Though he would have liked to take control over Rigel''s body again, it was no longer an option. The current Rigel was a lot different from before; the spiritual energy surrounding his soul was like a protective barrier which was protecting him from external attacks. Tal looked at the Black Current flickering within the condensed spiritual energy and narrowed his eyes as he remembered something. Rigel was stunned to see the man. Even before the man took a step forward, Rigel jumped to his feet and retreated to the wall. The man himself was shocked to see Rigel waking up with a start. He was careful not to make the slightest noise and was thus surprised. However, his surprise lasted only for a second before a vicious light appeared in his eyes. Rigel didn''t miss the change. His face flickered as his spiritual energy surged out of his body and scanned the man. A look of surprise appeared in Rigel''s eyes as he felt the change in his spiritual energy for the first time. His spiritual power was no longer weak; it was like a surging storm and yet, it was precise like an arrow. Rigel could immediately tell that the man before him was in the sixth level of Qi condensation. In turn, the man''s face froze as he felt Rigel''s spiritual energy scan him. "Impossible, how can you possess Divine Sense? You are still in the first level of Qi condensation." He roared as he looked at Rigel. Rigel mind became blank as he heard the man. "Divine sense." That was divine sense. Why would he possess it? Divine sense is possessed by only experts who are in the fifth level of Qi condensation. Rigel questioned himself, but he immediately put aside the question because he was sure that the man didn''t come to his room to only talk. "Who are you and why are you here in the middle of the night?" Rigel asked in a cold voice. The man looked at Rigel with narrowed eyes and snorted coldly. He shook his head and said in a cold voice, "Get real kid, why would I tell you my name? Even if I did say my name, what would you do? You are going to die today, we both know that for sure." Rigel''s eyes became serious as he heard the man. He understood the minute he woke up that he was in trouble. As he saw the vicious expression in the man''s eyes, he knew that he had come to assassinate him. However, he didn''t let the serious expression reach his face. His face was still as indifferent and arrogant as ever as he looked at the man. Rigel sighed lightly and took out the flying sword out of his bag of holding. A look of ridicule appeared on the man''s face as he saw the chipped away flying sword. He laughed loudly and said, "Just because you can use the divine sense, you want to contend against me using that piece of junk." Rigel looked at the man coldly and said, "I won''t fight, and you won''t kill me because this isn''t a sword. It is a soul linked weapon given to me by my grand uncle. You should know him; he is Patriarch SilverLeaf." "What!!!" The man screamed involuntarily in shock as he heard Rigel. He looked at the sword and then at Rigel. He couldn''t believe his ears but what he heard was certainly what he heard. He looked at Rigel and roared in a loud voice, "You are lying. There is no way Patriarch SilverLeaf is your grand uncle." Rigel looked at the man with pitying eyes and said, "Try me. Let me warn you though, even if I am in the first level of Qi condensation; I have a large arsenal of weapons which can kill even a spark formation stage cultivator with ease." The man narrowed his eyes and said in a cold voice, "Don''t bluff. You are..." His words froze in mid sentence as he saw a black fog emanating out of Rigel''s body. Everything the black mist touched began to corrode away at a speed visible to naked eye. In the man''s eyes finally appeared a glint of dread. He looked at Rigel with a serious expression. Rigel looked at the man and said in a calm voice, "I am not a man who shows mercy to someone who wish to harm me, but I am not a person who goes around killing people for no reason either. I can tell with certainty that you aren''t here on your own because we have no conflict between us. You should have come on someone''s orders, but now you are trapped with no way out. You can''t defy that person, and you can''t kill me either. No matter how I convince you, I can''t show you proof that Patriarch SilverLeaf is my grand uncle and no matter what, you can''t prove that I am lying either. We are now in a stalemate. You kill me, and you will die for certain, but if you cooperate with me, I will show you a way in which both of us will benefit from this mission of yours." Rigel said with a calm face. The man''s face was ugly as he heard Rigel. He was indeed completely trapped due to Rigel''s words. He couldn''t make a decision. He couldn''t go against Ian''s orders, but he couldn''t kill Rigel either. He had no proof that Rigel was telling the truth, but he had no evidence that he was lying either. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. His family was a well known local power near the coast of Lake Sumatra. If Rigel indeed turned out to be Patriarch SilverLeaf''s grandson then, he was certain that he would not only bring destruction upon himself but onto the entire family. So he made a decision, he would believe in Rigel''s words. There weren''t many people who would lie so blatantly, and he didn''t think that any ordinary first level Qi condensation stage expert would have such guts. Besides, he saw the deadly black fog in Rigel''s arsenal. On top of it all was Rigel''s attitude. Rigel didn''t even seem to think of the possibility that he would die in his hands. It was as if he didn''t even consider the man as his opponent. All these led to the man''s decision. He looked at Rigel and said in a calm voice, "My name is Ryan, I am a sixth level Qi condensation stage expert of the inner sect." Rigel nodded his head calmly as if he had already predicted the entire chain of events but deep inside his heart, he released a heavy sigh of relief. Rigel didn''t have the time to think of an elaborate plan to fool Ryan so he said whatever he could to stop him for a moment and give himself some time to think about the entire chain of events. Even though Rigel felt surprised at the evolution of his spiritual energy, he knew that to the current him, a sixth level Qi condensation stage expert was too big of an opponent. Handled wrongly, Rigel knew that he would die a dog''s death in his hands, so he tried to talk his way out of it and to his surprise, it worked well. Most people have never experienced deception in its purest and insidious form. People fear anything unknown; they try to manipulate the information to their point of view to escape from it. When told a lie with absolute confidence, many believe it for they fear of the unknown which comes with it. Ryan was the same; he believed in Rigel''s lie. No, he didn''t totally believe in him. He made a choice and chose to believe it. If he goes against Ian''s orders, he would perhaps lose his position as an inner disciple or at worse his life. However, if Rigel''s words turned out to be true, he would lose all his family along with his life and thus, he chose Rigel over Ian. Rigel chose his words knowing that Ryan would choose him over Ian. It was the Art of Misdirection. He made him think about his family and his future and prevented him from thinking of simple logic. Why would a Patriarch''s grandson live in the outer sect? Even though misdirection is just a simple manipulation of information, it is a tool used by every single strategist in the history of warfare. Rigel prevented Ryan from thinking in such a direction by choosing his words as a diplomatic negotiation. From the very beginning, Rigel didn''t want to push him into a corner. Instead, he chose to drive his purpose of assassinating him out of the picture thus giving him no choice but to follow his words. Rigel looked at Ryan and narrowed his eyes. Their eyes met as Rigel asked in a cold voice, "You know my questions. I want my answers." Ryan closed his head and gulped lightly, he sighed loudly and said, "Senior Ian asked me to assassinate you. As for the reason, I am sure it is because of the issue regarding the outer disciple Maze who was thrown into solitary confinement." Rigel narrowed his eyes and asked in a cold voice, "Who is this Ian?" Ryan shook his head and said, "Senior Ian is a conclave disciple. He came to the Rio town a few years ago from the North. Even though we both are in the Qi condensation stage, his strength is eons apart from mine. Some say that he is hiding his actual power, but even with his current strength, he can even rival mid-stage Spark formation stage experts." "Why would such a person bother taking revenge for a puny boss of the outer sect, Maze?" Rigel asked in a cold voice. Ryan shook his head and said, "I have no idea." Rigel glanced at Ryan for a second and then nodded his head. He said, "Tell this Ian that my cottage was guarded by a red-robed guard so you couldn''t accomplish the job. Speak to no one regarding today''s night and I promise that this matter will be forever buried in my heart." Ryan nodded his head and said, "Thank you, Young Master Rigel. I will follow your orders to the last word and in return, I hope you will keep your word." Rigel nodded his head in confirmation. Soon, Ragnar left the cottage and slowly walked back in the shadows of the night. Rigel looked at the distant main sect and whispered to himself in a deadly voice, "Ian, is it?" ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Smile more GSD Reddy. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 24 - A Single Chop A Single chop: The next day, Rigel sat in his backyard deep in thought as he looked at the cloudy skies. His face was dark as he waited patiently for Ryan. Although Rigel managed to fool him; he had to be certain that Ian was fooled as well. Rigel knew that he was still too weak to deal with Ian or even with Ryan, but he had to take the risk to guarantee his safety. Soon the sun reached its zenith while Rigel maintained his vigilance. About three in the afternoon, Rigel sensed some disturbance at the foot of his mountain. With the evolution of his spiritual energy into the divine sense, Rigel''s spiritual range had increased to a whopping three hundred meters from a mere fifty meters. Rigel still didn''t know how his spiritual energy underwent such an early evolution, but he was certain that the mysterious man was responsible for it. Rigel had his doubts before but now he was sure that everything was related. The black pearl, Tal, the mysterious man. Tal said before that he was the guardian of the Locker. The black pearl was in his own dantian and Rigel was able to enter the mysterious dimension repeatedly. Thus, Rigel was now sure that the black pearl was the Locker and Tal was its guardian. However, Rigel was now even more confused. With a few questions answered, many more questions assaulted his mind. What was the black pearl? Why did Tal call it a Locker? Who was Tal? Who was the mysterious man? And above all, why was the black pearl inside his dantian? Rigel spent the entire night thinking about the surge of terrifying Divine Will which had assaulted his mind when he had broken through into the first level of Qi condensation stage. That power was at a level inconceivable to him. He could still clearly remember the pain which had assaulted his mind when the Divine Will had scanned his soul. Rigel was no stranger to pain. He had experienced unimaginable pain when Gerald had destroyed his dantian and when the white-robed man who captured Frank had shattered it again. However, even if he was no stranger to pain, the pain he felt this time around was like a knife. Sharp, refined, like an explosive lightning. It attacked him in an instant, without any hesitation and mercy. That''s how Rigel felt when the Divine Will had scanned his soul. What Rigel felt before was a mere physical pain but this time, the pain was directly felt by his soul. That intensity of the pain might be the same but the difference felt was massive. Slowly Rigel rose to his feet and made his way to the foot of his mountain. The events of the night made Rigel believe that the mysterious man was dangerous. He was like an almighty god, but it also made him confused, if he wanted to kill him, he would be dead without a question. The mysterious man could have killed Rigel with just a thought, and Rigel had no doubt regarding that. However, he didn''t. Not only did he not kill him but also healed his shattered dantian for him. All these events put together made Rigel believe that the mysterious man wasn''t his enemy. He might not be an ally, but at least; he wasn''t an enemy. Three people were standing at the foot of a mountain shouting angrily. As Rigel slowly walked down the steps, those who resided on his mountain and surrounding mountains gathered around quietly. They were all curious about how Rigel would deal with the three men. The three people gazed at Rigel and narrowed their eyes. Their eyes held a bit of ridicule as they saw that Rigel had a pitiful cultivation base of the first level of Qi condensation. Rigel didn''t miss the contempt that flashed in their eyes. Looking at them coldly he asked in a calm voice, "What is this ruckus?" The one in the middle snorted coldly and said, "Hey kid, I don''t care who you are, but you should know that the outer sect has rules. This area is under the command of my boss, Leyden. Why haven''t you paid your monthly donation yet?" Rigel looked at the three men and then at their necks. Through the gap in their robes, he could see the distinctive tattoo of an eagle on their necks. That was the mark of Leyden''s group. Leyden along with Boler were the two unofficial rulers of the outer sect. Both of them were at the peak of the fourth level and were next in line to be promoted to the inner sect. However, inner sect promotions happen only once every three years. Since none of the two wanted to be left behind, they were in a state of war with each other. These donations were their way of gathering more funds to maintain more followers which in return will concrete their position within the outer sect. Rigel sighed in his heart as he heard the man. Rigel initially didn''t want to start a conflict so he would have ascertained to their demands. However, a single night had changed it all. For some reason, Ian was after his head. Rigel didn''t know why, but he was sure that Ian wouldn''t leave him alone after a single failed attempt. Ian was a conclave disciple while he was an outer sect disciple. The difference in their status was a deadly trap which would sooner or later prove fatal to Rigel. Rigel knew that so he had no choice but to change his plans. The next inner sect promotion was in two months, and Rigel was sure that he would die if he waited for three more years. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Rigel was sure about it because he knew more about the art of killing than many peak experts. Rigel didn''t do anything to Ian directly, but Ian had tried to assassinate him. Rigel would never forget any kindness, and similarly, he would never forget an enemy. Once an enemy, always an enemy. Unless the enemy loses his will to retaliate or loses his life trying to destroy him, he would always be a threat. Rigel knew that so he looked at the three men and said in a cold voice, "Get the fuck out of my property." The trio''s faces changed as they heard Rigel. Rigel''s words weren''t quiet either. Everyone in the surroundings had heard him loud and clear. Rigel had not only ignored the three men but also publicly declared that he doesn''t give a fuck about their boss. Rigel didn''t talk any further. He turned around and began to walk back to his cottage. The three men stared stupidly at Rigel. Never in their wildest dreams had they expected Rigel to curse them publicly and without a single second of hesitation. Who were they? They were direct subordinates of Leyden. They were all in the second level of Qi condensation and were all infamous in the outer sect for being notorious, and a mere first level cultivator had just told them to fuck off. Anger boiled in their hearts as Rigel slowly walked back. Their eyes turned red as they charged at Rigel without waiting for a second longer. Gasps of horror rang out as the three men charged at Rigel. Rigel was walking without glancing back, but his divine sense was wrapped around the three men, following their movements. With his divine sense, he had naturally seen through their cultivation base. Rigel originally had a physique which allowed him to go head-on against second level cultivators. With the help of his poisons and a bit of good luck, he could even take on third level Qi condensation experts. Then, Rigel had neither a dantian, nor Qi and not even hope. Now, he was in the first level of Qi condensation. He had confidence in his strength; a divine sense and the black fog at his disposal. True, the cultivators in the Gehenna plane were far stronger than those in the Gehenna prison but no matter who they were, Rigel had absolute confidence. There was no second level disciple in existence he couldn''t win against. As they neared Rigel. A soft sigh escaped Rigel''s mouth. His legs stopped, and his torso turned, his right arm rose and caught a punch smoothly. That punch had great strength behind it, but Rigel''s arm didn''t even budge. A look of surprise and shock spread across the face of the middle man who was right behind. Rigel didn''t stop there as his left hand swung abruptly and chopped the person''s neck who punched him. That motion was fluid, like a well-practised sword swing of a sword master. "Crack!" A dull sound reverberated in the air as the man fell to his knees after directly losing his consciousness. The middle man and the other person stopped in their tracks stunned by the turn of events. What should have been an entirely one-sided battle had turned into something they had never imagined even in their dreams. Rigel''s movement was far too easy, far too simple but every expert understood the power that was transmitted through his hands. That was the advantage Rigel had over others. Supposedly, these disciples of so-called major sects were trained from childhood. True, Rigel received no such training, but he had been in more brawls than a hundred of these elites combined. None of them had ever fought for food, and certainly none of them had ever starved for weeks. Rigel''s childhood was different. He knew the exact value of food and life. They were all trained by experts but life, the greatest expert had trained Rigel. Even if he was just a slave by the side of the road, he had fought a dozen kids stronger than him, alone and without a weapon in a hole with no escape. He survived, and thus he lived. Compared to that, Rigel felt that this fight was nothing but a child''s brawl. Rigel looked at the person at his feet and then at the middle man. He twisted his neck as he slowly walked towards him. With each step Rigel took, the man took a step back. He didn''t know why? Rigel didn''t show him some undefeatable strength, all he did a single chop and yet he was terrified. The killing intent in Rigel''s eyes scared him. It was like a cloak which was masking Rigel in a thick odor of blood. He had experienced killing intent before, but this went beyond anything he had ever experienced. It was pure and unadulterated. Rigel didn''t attack nor did he do anything. He only looked at the man and said in a calm voice, "Tell your leader. The outer sect has a new boss, Me." ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Smile more GSD Reddy. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 25 - Rudra Rudra: As Rigel slowly walked back to his cottage, he heard the faint laughter of the mysterious voice in his mind. Rigel''s face changed as the strange voice continued to laugh and said, "You are more amusing than I thought you were, boy." Rigel gulped lightly and asked in a respectful voice, "Who are you, Sir?" The voice laughed slightly and said, "I am me. You are you. From this instance, I am your benefactor, and you are my heir." Rigel narrowed his eyes and said in a calm voice, "Sir, I am indeed indebted to you for healing my dantian, but you have lost my gratitude by attacking my soul." The voice smiled and said, "Don''t be such a wuss kid. You have gained much more than you think you have from that encounter. Even if you suffered from the attack of my Will, your spiritual energy has evolved as a consequence. Tell me, don''t you think that wasn''t worth it?" Rigel remained silent as he heard him. He had to admit, even though that was a mortifying experience, the evolution of his spiritual energy into divine sense was an enormous gain. Suddenly the voice coughed and said in a low voice, "We can talk later, it seems your assassin is here." Rigel was startled as he heard the voice. He had spread out his divine sense to find Ryan as soon as he was in sight. Rigel had divine sense just like Ryan so he was sure that he would be able to find him. However, he didn''t sense Ryan at all until the mysterious person mentioned him. He was unable to detect his presence at all. "How is this possible?" Rigel muttered to himself in his mind. "Just because you have obtained the divine sense doesn''t mean you are well versed in using it, kid. You are far too weak and immature to know the ways of the world. That kid Ryan is using a cloaking Qi art to hide his presence. I guess it''s a good thing that I informed you, else he would have attacked you for sure if you weren''t able to see through his cloaking art." The voice said in a calm voice. Rigel nodded his head as he heard the voice. He knew that the mysterious person was telling the truth. He sighed and asked, "What did I do to incur this Ian''s wrath? True, I was responsible for this whole Maze incident, but if I were Ian, I wouldn''t even bother with a lowly lackey like Maze anymore. He, however, is doing it while considering the risk that I am related to Elder Feng." The voice smiled and said in a calm voice, "Well, this only proves that you have far too little experience kid. Even if you are much more mature or had a much bloodier past than most others, that doesn''t make you well versed in the ways of the world. Tell me, if you were the boss and had a lackey. Who would do your dirty jobs? You or your lackey? This Maze was Ian''s lackey, and thus, he knew Ian''s dirty secrets. So considering all of this, the only conclusion is somehow Ian thinks that you may know his dirty secrets. Maze is in secluded captivity, and so are Kane and Hedge. So you can''t touch them and neither can he. However, you have something which was once Maze''s. That should be the reason for this entire chain of events." "His bag of holding." Rigel answered in a serious voice and continued, "But I combed it upside down. There wasn''t anything suspicious in it." The voice sighed and continued, "Searching it without a goal and searching it with a goal are two different things. Wasn''t there something strange in that bag of holding." Rigel raised his head shocked as the realization hit him. He suddenly remembered all the hundreds of bags of holding he had found in Maze''s bag. He first thought that they all belonged to Maze but can it be, he was wrong. If he was wrong, then Ian did have a reason to fear him. Rigel''s shock only lasted a moment before he regained his calm. A cold smile surfaced on his face as he understood what he now possessed in his hands. A bargaining chip. The young man within the black space was smiling widely as saw Rigel. To him who had been in there for a long time, Rigel was like a little child in his eyes. Besides the fact that Rigel was inheriting his legacy, he liked Rigel himself. From the gutters of the Amaron mainland to the streets of the Gehenna prison, and then to the Xia sect of the Rio town, Rigel had always been on his own. He was never guided by anyone, nor did he receive help from anyone but himself. Thus, he had his flaws in his strong nature. Ryan was observing Rigel from the top of a tree. He had traded for a Spark formation cloaking skill, "Behind the skies" to test his theory. After he had left Rigel''s cottage, he didn''t immediately report to Ian regarding his failure. He only told him that there were guards out there so he will try once again tomorrow. The matter regarding Patriarch SilverLeaf being Rigel''s granduncle sounded ridiculous to him but on the other hand, Patriarch SilverLeaf was known as an eccentric man. It wouldn''t be all too unbelievable if someone said that he had thrown his grandson in the outer sect. As Rigel reached his cottage, he lifted his head and looked at the tree as if he saw Ryan himself. Ryan''s heart thumped in anxiety as he felt Rigel''s gaze. How did he find me? That question was assaulting his mind. Rigel only narrowed his eyes and sat down as he waited for Ryan. As he started to stare at the tree, Ryan''s face was drenched in sweat. A minute later, he slowly made his way down. He had to pay a fortune to buy a high-level camouflaging skill and yet, Rigel had seen through his camouflage. Rigel didn''t say anything and just stared at Ryan. He had learned long ago that being silence was just another way of pressuring his enemies. Silence makes them anticipate and that in return makes them think worse of their situation. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Ryan sighed in his head and said in a calm voice, "Young master, I have delivered your message. Ian now believes that two red-robed guards are protecting you. Even if it is him, I don''t think he will attack you with two red-robed guards standing guard." Rigel sighed lightly and asked in a cold voice, "And what did you say about our encounter Ryan?" Ryan shook his head and said, "Nothing sir, I didn''t say anything." Rigel nodded his head and said, "You can leave now. Remember, we never met." Ryan nodded his head and left as quickly as possible. As he left, Rigel heaved a sigh of relief. He rubbed his forehead and thought, "That was dangerous. If it didn''t go well, I could have died today." "That isn''t necessarily true, boy. You could have killed him with some help and the Asura Poison." The voice said in a light voice. Rigel was stunned as he heard the mysterious voice. He was still in the first stage of Qi condensation. How could he kill a sixth level expert? Besides what was Asura Poison. The only poison he possessed was the black fog? Was the Asura Poison the black fog? The voice continued and said, "The black fog is just an initial manifestation of the Asura Poison. Once you awaken it, I promise you; it won''t be anything less than heaven decimating. The Asura Poison is a masterpiece I developed when I was alive. It is my pride and was feared throughout the worlds of the universe." Rigel''s mind reeled as he heard the voice. The worlds of the universe. He knew there were multiple worlds because he had seen two of them. However, this man had seen much more and had a Poison which was even called as heaven decimating. Heaven decimating - Asura Poison. Just who would name their poison with such a terrifying name? From the sound of it, he wasn''t lying at all. Considering the power of the poison Rigel now possessed, he knew that there was a high possibility that everything the man said might be true. Rigel gulped lightly and asked in a respectful voice, "Who are you, sir?" Silence permeated the air and a deep sigh reverberated in his mind a second later. The voice smiled lightly and answered, "I am the ruler of the Nagas, the commander of the armies of Gana, and the bearer of the trishula. I am Rudra." Rigel''s mind reeled as he heard the words of Rudra. It was just a few words, but they sounded like a chant to Rigel. He felt immeasurable power hidden within each of those words. Nagas, Gana, Trishula and Rudra. He felt that each of those words held immense meaning behind them. As Rigel''s mind was o?cupied with the profound feeling of strength he felt from those words. Rudra was shocked to find out that Rigel was able to feel the mysterious aspects of those words. "As I thought, this kid isn''t normal. There is something about him. That makes it all the more interesting." Rudra laughed to himself and then said in a loud voice, "Wake up kid." Rigel was abruptly brought back out of his daze by Rudra. He was angry because he felt that he was about to comprehend something which was very powerful, almost godly. "Don''t even think about it. You cannot comprehend something like that now and even if you can, you will only die because your body won''t be able to sustain the destructive aspect of my divinity." Rudra calmly explained. Rigel sighed as he heard Rudra. Indeed, he was rushing too much. He should have thought it out before jumping in. However, the thought of gaining power had blinded him. Rudra smiled lightly and said, "Strength can be acquired in many ways. The current you lack the guidance of a teacher. No matter how much you know about this world, you are after all just a kid. Cultivation base isn''t as important as the foundation. With a strong foundation, you strength can directly surpass realms. Say, Rigel, do you want to learn my profound arts?" Rigel narrowed his eyes as he heard Rudra. He didn''t know much about Rudra, but he was aware that until now, he had only benefitted from him. He had once trusted Frank, who went on to become his beloved grandfather. To gain Frank back, he needed help and Rudra was offering him a choice, to be his disciple. Where else would he be able to get an ultimate expert to teach him? "Are your profound arts strong?" Rigel asked calmly. Rudra smiled lightly and said, "They are." Rigel took a deep breath and said in a calm voice, "Then, I am ready. Please guide me." Rudra smiled lightly and said in a calm voice, "As the inheritor of my legacy, I need you to promise me one thing, Rigel. Don''t ever forget that this is the pact which binds us." Rigel soul shook as words of incredible power once again resounded in his mind. "For every aspect of my soul I recover, you shall dominate everything under the heavens in one aspect. That is the pact which binds us. We are not truly free for we are both bound by our duties. The legacy shall be passed on to my heir for it is my duty. As my heir, you only need to fulfill my legacy. That shall be my sole fee." ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Smile more GSD Reddy. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 26 - Derek Derek: Rigel was looking at a Rock Python, which was trembling at his feet intently. He was in the hills behind the Xia sect. Though the sect had cleared away all the high-level beasts, there were still many low-level demonic beasts which would appear in the forests. The Rock Python was one such low-level beast. It was just a second level Qi condensation stage serpent but unlike other pythons, this beast had toxic venom. Rigel had come into these forests as Rudra forced him to get away from people as far as possible. He then made Rigel catch a bunch of low-level beasts. The Rock Python was one such beast. "What do you see?" Rudra asked in a calm voice as he observed the beast suffering near Rigel''s legs. Rigel bent down and watched the animal. The beast was suffering, but it wasn''t quite dying. There wasn''t a single wound nor was it poisoned. It was simply afraid of Rigel. It all started a day ago when Rudra started explaining the uses of the Black Pearl, mainly the Asura Poison to Rigel. "As you can see, the poor beast is suffering because it''s poison is working against him." Rudra said in a calm voice and continued, "That is one of the most mysterious aspects of the Asura Poison. The Asura Poison isn''t simply a poison; it is a divine ability passed down to the bearer of the Locker, essentially to my heir." Rigel listened carefully while Rudra shook his head and asked in a low voice, "What do you understand from this situation Rigel? What do you think has happened here and what conclusion have you reached based on it?" Rigel looked at the python once again and sighed lightly. He then looked at the single black dot on the brown python''s body and said in a calm voice. "I can feel that the Asura Poison is suppressing the Python''s poison, and somehow I seemed to have gained control over the beast''s poison." Rudra smiled lightly and asked, "Ok. Then, how and why did this happen?" Rigel shook his head and said in a serious voice, "I don''t know." Rudra laughed lightly and said, "The Asura Poison in its current state only retains some of its power, but it is still Asura Poison so you can exploit its primary characters. Remember, the Asura Poison will never bow to another Poison. In return, it will always try to engulf any and all poisons in the universe. The reason is quite simple; the Asura Poison has long since gained sentience. So, unless you obtain its approval, it will never bow to you, and unless you can''t impress it, you will not be able to unleash its true power." Rigel nodded his head as he heard Rudra. To him, Asura Poison was like a heavenly weapon. A day ago, he had no idea what it was and what it was capable of but now, he had a basic idea mainly due to Rudra. Rigel slowly got back to his feet and walked away from the python. The python opened its eyes and cautiously glanced at Rigel until he was out of his sight and then it finally began to crawl away at high speed as if it feared that Rigel would come back for him. Rudra smiled lightly and said, "So you now know an easy way to use the Asura Poison. The beast was simply afraid of you because it sensed that a more potent Poison was suppressing its poison and that you were the one controlling it. The Asura Poison is one of its kind poison because it devours and gains the abilities of any Poison it comes into contact with. However, there is a defect in this ability. Unless you live through the ritual of surviving a poison, the Asura Poison won''t evolve. That is the reason why the Asura Poison has gained the characteristics of the neurotoxic the red robed man had used on you." Rigel nodded to himself. After Rudra had started explaining about Asura Poison to him, he had pretty much guessed the reason for its evolution. Still, he mind reeled as he heard Rudra. If what Rudra said was true, then with enough risk, it was easy to upgrade his personal hidden weapon into a deadly poison which can even kill ultimate experts. Having sensed Rigel''s thoughts, Rudra sighed and said, "I know you are an intelligent kid so don''t fall for those foolish thoughts. Nothing in this world comes without a price and playing with your life is the last thing a fifteen-year-old should think about. You are already very lucky that you have survived the attack of that red-robed man''s poison. Your current body can''t handle any more potent toxins. If you ever come across a top tier spark formation poison, then you will die without a doubt so stop thinking about this nonsense. As I said, you are just a kid. If you can''t think of a way, ask me. That''s what kids should do, and that''s what you will do from now on. Understood?" Rigel narrowed his eyes and snorted as he said, "I am not your slave. I don''t follow anyone''s orders." Rudra laughed lightly and said, "Good try but you are far too immature to fool me. Let''s get back to work. First, I have to whip that body of yours into shape." Rigel clicked his tongue as he heard Rudra. Just now, he wanted to act rebellious to fool him, but it didn''t work. Of course, he understood Rudra''s concerns. He didn''t like others ordering him, but somehow Rudra always reminded him of Frank. Frank was the same. Even though he was the kindest person, he would shout and scream and scowl at Rigel when he was concocting poisons because he was afraid that Rigel would harm himself. That was Frank''s way of showing his love. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Rigel laughed as he walked towards a river which flowed through the Rio mountains. The city of Rio was constructed around the Rio mountains. It was named after them, and the surrounding lush forests were leveled to accommodate the city itself. Thus, the town was surrounded by forests. As Rigel neared the river, he could hear some sounds. Rigel narrowed his eyes as he climbed a tall tree and stealthily reached the banks. There in front of him were more than a dozen people playing in the water. By the looks of them, they were all in their teens. "Careful, a Spark formation stage expert is coming towards us." Rudra warned in an urgent tone. Rigel''s face changed, but he kept his cool. He slowly got down the tree and walked towards the river bank himself. A man was walking towards Rigel, but as he saw him, he stopped in his tracks and asked in a loud voice, "Who are you? Don''t you know that this part of the mountains belongs to the Shia clan?" Rigel''s frowned as he finally heard the identity of these people. Shia clan was one of the three strongest factions of the Rio town along with the Xia sect and the Li sect. No one knew whether they could compete against the two sects but everyone knew that messing with them will only do more harm than good. Rigel lifted his hands defensively and said, "Sir, my name is Rigel. I am an outer sect disciple of Xia sect. This junior hadn''t been in Rio town for long and thus has wandered off unknowingly." The man frowned as he heard Rigel. Usually, he would have reached violently, but Rigel was just at the first level of Qi condensation. At that level of power, even if he was caught off guard there wasn''t anything much Rigel can do to him. "Let him in Luther." A voice called out loudly from behind. The man named Luther turned his head to look at a blonde boy walking towards him. He immediately bowed and said respectfully, "Yes, young master." Rigel gulped as he heard the guard. A Shia clan guard will only call a single person as young master. He must be the son of the current master of the clan. Rigel gulped as he knew that the boy in front of him was one of the true elites of the society. Abruptly, his typical day had taken a turn to an extreme level. One second, he was walking in the woods and the next second, he was standing before the young master of the Shia clan. The blonde boy walked towards Rigel with an amused expression on his face. Rigel looked back at the young master of the Shia clan. After a second, a smile bloomed on the boy''s face as be extended his hand and shook Rigel''s. With a laugh, he said, "I remember seeing you in the church a couple of times kid. My name is Derek. Nice to meet you." Rigel''s mind shook as he heard Derek. He spoke no more than a dozen words, but he blew away Rigel''s mind. Rigel''s instincts began to scream of danger as he stood before Derek. Yet, he maintained his calm as he said, "It''s a pleasure to meet you too Young Master Derek. I am honored that you remember a mere disciple like me." Rigel knew that the worst thing he could do in this situation was to show that he was shaken to the core by Derek''s words. Who was Derek? He was an exalted Young master of a major faction. It wouldn''t be surprising if he was spoiled and yet, he wasn''t. He was considerate, careful and above all, clever. Rigel did indeed see Derek before in the church. The Shia clan had close ties to the Church of Light. Rigel was in the church in multiple occasions, and he thought that no one would see through his plans because who would possibly try to see through a little cripple''s plans. However, this man remembered him. Derek, being a young master of the Shia clan bothered to remember him. There can only be two reasons. One, it was a fluke. Two, he was the most dangerous person in his age group he had come across. Rigel knew for certain that it was the latter. Seeing Rigel''s calm attitude, Derek laughed lightly and thought to himself, "Oh! He didn''t falter nor did he let fear rule his mind. A first level Qi condensation stage kid with such mental strength. Interesting!" Rudra, who was calmly observing the situation, laughed to himself and thought, "Likewise, you are interesting as well kid." Derek looked at Rigel and asked in a calm voice, "So how about you join us, Rigel. We are celebrating my seventeenth birthday." Rigel looked at Derek confusingly seemingly thinking about accepting his offer, but a second later he smiled and said, "My pleasure, Young master." No matter how cautious he wants to be, he can''t disrespect the young master of the Shia clan in his territory. Thus, Rigel followed Derek into the Shia clan''s camp silently with a smile on his face. That was the first encounter between Rigel and Derek. ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Smile more GSD Reddy. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 27 - Borrowing Fame Borrowing Fame: "Kubera Auction house is going to auction yet another Top-tier third level medicine pill tomorrow. I wonder how much attention this pill would gather? The last one was sold off for more than eighty thousand spirit stones." A girl said in an excited tone to another girl while two men beside them were drinking wine and listening to the girls chatter. High-class wine beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators was wasted everywhere while girls so beautiful and so enchanting that ordinary men can only dream about were in every man''s arms. Standing there on the bank of the river, Rigel was at a loss. It was his first time experiencing the luxury which is an everyday commodity for the high-class society of the cultivation world. "What do you think?" Derek asked with a smile on his face. Rigel''s face didn''t change in the slightest even though he was surprised by the sheer magnificence of the party. He looked at Derek and said in a calm voice, "As expected, it is a magnificent party worthy of your status Young Master Derek." Derek smiled as he saw Rigel. To him, all the attention he got from these women and heirs of the various powers wasn''t interesting. All of them without an exception would try to win his favor. Rigel, on the other hand, was an enigma he was trying to break. The first time, Derek saw Rigel in the church. He just merely glanced at a kid who stood among many others, but somehow he remembered him. Then again, he saw him more than half a dozen times within a single month. The more he saw him, the more he realized that Rigel wasn''t your ordinary kid. He was more cautious and alert than guards. Now, he met him again in the most unexpected manner. Derek only hosted this party because of his father. His father, Ragnar had always told him that being social is also a part of skills he had to learn to be able to survive in the cultivation world. The Shia clan unlike the other two major powers of Rio town was just a minor branch of a major power. The main clan was a super power respected and feared in the whole Gehenna empire. Thus, it''s position was a lot more stable than the other two. Even if they had the guts to oppose them, neither the Xia sect nor the Li sect was willing to start a war with the Shia clan. However, with certain advantages comes certain drawbacks. Since Shia clan was a branch sect, the main sect had total control over it. So unless the son of the current clan master excels, he can''t succeed him. Thus, Derek had always been careful and sincere in front of everyone but his inner thoughts, they were varied. He didn''t exactly share his father''s philosophy. Derek smiled in his mind as he sat down with Rigel. The two then went on to talk for half an hour. Derek asked Rigel about his time in the Xia sect and his past. Rigel frowned in his heart as he explained about himself revealing as little information as possible. Rigel was hesitant to believe anyone without thoroughly knowing them because he had seen and experienced his fair share of people who aren''t exactly what they look like. Finally after half an hour, Derek left Rigel to attend to his other guests. Rigel sighed in relief and thought, "This guy is dangerous." Rudra laughed and said, "Leaving aside how dangerous he is, you should probably stay away from people. This little trick by that trickster has garnered you more attention than you may want." Rigel''s eyes turned cold as he felt various gazes land on him. Men and women alike were watching him with cold stares while Derek was nowhere to be seen. Rigel sighed loudly and rose from his seat. However before he could take a step forward, a man walked towards Rigel and stood before him. His face was cold as he asked in a small voice, "Who are you, kid? How do you know Young master Derek?" Rigel glanced at the man. He was almost twenty with a rugged beard and a massive muscular body. His young face had a sharp lines and had various scars on his arms showing his numerous brushes with death. Rigel scanned with his divine sense and caught Derek two hundred meters away smiling as he silently watched the whole scene with an amused expression on his face. Rigel sighed in his mind and thought to himself, "Since you have decided to trick me for your fun, I might as well reap every last bit of profit from this instant fame." Rigel raised his head and said in a calm voice, "It is proper manners to introduce yourself before you question complete strangers." The man frowned as he looked at Rigel but he didn''t want to make a scene in front of everyone, so he snorted coldly and said, "My name is Aldeth, I am the heir of the North River clan." Stolen story; please report. Northriver clan was a major power near Lake Sumatra, almost at the level of the Xia sect. Ryan too belonged to the Lake Sumatra region. According to the legends, once an immortal used to live in that lake. He had several servants who eventually build their clans and began to rule the lake and its surroundings. Rio town and the Lake Sumatra were close by and shared the water and resources of the lake. The three powers of the Rio town made a non-aggression pact with the factions of the Lake Sumatra four generations ago after a devastating war. Since then, all three major powers have maintained an amicable relationship with their counterparts in Lake Sumatra. Rigel smiled slightly as he looked at the man. He had pretty much guessed his identity from his sheer size. Northriver clan had a peculiar art called the Vajra Body. Its central concept lies in treating the body as a weapon and training it to exceed the limits set upon cultivators by weapons. "My name is Rigel, and I am a disciple of the Xia sect," Rigel answered in a calm voice. Aldeth frowned as he heard Rigel. Why would the young master of the Shia clan bother talking to a mere disciple of the Xia sect personally for so long? "And what business did Young master Derek have with you?" Aldeth asked in a cold voice. Rigel smiled to himself inwardly and thought, "This is what you get for tricking me Derek." He nodded his head and replied, "I am an expert in the alchemy of Poisons, Young Master Derek, and I just made a deal." Derek, who was sipping his juice, coughed up as he heard Rigel. He had intentionally tried to trap Rigel to try to force his true intentions out. However, never in his dreams did he expect that Rigel would instead use his name so daringly. However, his surprise soon turned into a hearty laugh. How could he blame Rigel when he was the one to first mess with him? Derek smiled lightly and walked away thinking to himself, "Rigel, was it? Haha! Interesting. I shall remember you name kid, and let''s hope that we shall meet again soon." Back at the grounds, the crowd was in an uproar as they heard Rigel. A Poison master and that too one who had eligibility to make a deal with the Young Master of the Shia clan. Aldeth attitude immediately changed as he asked in a respectful voice, "Sir Rigel, was it? Hahaha! I didn''t know that you were a Poison Master. My bad, my bad. What services did Young master Derek seek from you, Sir?" Rigel shook his head and said, "It''s confidential. If you may, I have work to do." Aldeth''s face immediately fell as Rigel didn''t give him any face, but he still moved aside because he didn''t dare to block a guest of Derek. The other''s similarly moved aside making way for Rigel. In front of their gazes, Rigel slowly disappeared from their view. When he came, he was no one, but when he left, he made sure that his name was etched in their minds. Frank taught Rigel two things about opportunities. Life gives us many opportunities. If you manage to use them all, you will be rich. If you manage to find opportunities within an opportunity, you will be richer. Meeting Derek was an opportunity Rigel had encountered through sheer luck. However, by making use of such an opportunity, he now paved a path for many such opportunities. As Rigel walked back into the forest, he said to himself in a small voice, "I need to get into the alchemy department of the Xia sect at any cost. I regained my ability to cultivate, but alchemy was something I learned from Frank. I promised Frank; I have to improve myself every day." Rudra, who was listening to Rigel, smiled to himself and said in a calm voice, "If it''s alchemy then, I think you need not go anywhere else. I am more than eligible to teach you, kid." Rigel was startled as he heard Rudra. He immediately asked in an excited voice, "What level of an alchemist were you when you were alive Rudra? Seventh, Fifth, no, no, fourth is pretty good as well." Rudra smiled mysteriously and said, "Who knows. Forget about my rank kid. Tell me, do you want to learn alchemy?" Rigel nodded his head and said in a determined tone, "Of course, I do." ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Smile more GSD Reddy. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 28 - Imparting Knowledge Imparting Knowledge: "What is alchemy?" It was a question which had haunted people since ancient times. Some called alchemy, the science of making medicines. Some called it a mysterious art which can make elixirs. Some called it a mad science. Some called it wizardry and some even called it evil. No matter what it was, one thing was for sure; people were always interested in alchemy and thus in alchemists. Rigel was sitting beside a pond and was observing it as if trying to find some hidden mystery within those clear waters. Rudra, who was observing Rigel, said in a small voice, "What do you see Rigel? Why is this pond so calm? And why aren''t there any ripples on its surface even though there are plenty of fish in it?" Rigel frowned slightly as he sat there. The pond was crystal clear so he could see many fish swimming underneath the surface of the water and yet, the water surface remained calm except for the occasional trembling. It was a natural phenomenon. Many would see it in everyday lives except no one would wonder how it is possible. Rudra continued to explain and said, "The movement of the fish is an active action. Thus, it is ''Yang''. The ripples in the water are the result. Thus, it is ''Yin''. Together they are the ''Yin-Yang''. Rigel, the concept of Yin-Yang is the foundation for Taoism. The idea of cultivation comes from the Taoism. Upon practicing the teachings of Taoism, one is called a Taoist. We also call them cultivators. There are Yin and Yang everywhere around us, Rigel. The wind is the Yang; the ripples are the Yin. The Sun is the Yang; the moon is the Yin. Yin and Yang always coexist. They are always in equilibrium. However, that changes when the Yin or the Yang is disturbed. Now touch the water." Rigel listened carefully to Rudra and reached the pond. The calm waters now were no longer calm. Ripples upon ripples could be seen on its surface. Rudra nodded his head and said, "Now, you are the excess Yang that has invaded this system which was in equilibrium. The Fish have learned to be as subtle as possible. The water has adjusted itself to the movement of fish. However, you are the foreign element which has changed that equilibrium." Rigel nodded his head in deep thought. Even though he had seen the pond and such phenomenon often, he had never thought about the underlying principles behind it. "Now, as for the reason why I am telling you this, it should be obvious Rigel. The Yin-Yang is present everywhere in nature including alchemy. In fact, the Yin-Yang is the most basic and also the most important concept which will determine your alchemic skills." Rudra explained with a serious voice and continued, "The alchemic fire is the Yang. The ingredients are the Yin. Neither Yang nor Yin can dominate the other. A strong Yang will crumble the balance and vice versa. Now, who is an alchemist? What is the difference between the various alchemists? And why do we differentiate them when the underlying principle is the same for all levels of alchemy?" Rigel narrowed his eyes in serious thoughts and said, "Because of the difference between their understanding of alchemy." "Correct yet, incorrect," Rudra said with a laugh. "Correct as in each alchemist has a different level of understanding. Incorrect as in, it is not the alchemy that he needs to have an understanding of, it is the processes which happen alongside it." "Rigel, the result of any alchemical process is obtained when the Yin and Yang form a complete circle, "The Taijutsu or the Yin-Yang circle." At the border of the Yin will be the Yang and at the boundary of the Yang will be the Yin. At the point where they meet will be the result." "The more powerful your Yin and Yang are, the tougher it is to reach the result. That is the difference between the various alchemists. Unless you have the skill, strength, senses, and the ability, you will fail to produce a high-level pill." Rigel listened to everything with all his heart. To him, this lore was a treasure trove. The art of alchemy though not very rare was still kept secretive for obvious reasons. A grandmaster who was willing to share his lifetime of insights was rarer than the elixir itself. Why would anyone share all his insights? For money? For fame? In fear of their life. None of these would be able to alter a grandmaster''s will. Besides, any grandmaster would also be a master practitioner with many experts owing him favors. Why would anyone in their right mind try to get on his bad sides? What Rudra spoke made perfect sense to Rigel. In just under a few minutes, he was able to see the world in a different light. He was able to understand the basis of alchemy. The science of the alchemy. Rudra then smiled lightly and said, "Rigel, now tell me what is this pond?" Rigel stared at the pond. It wasn''t very large. Just over thirty meters wide and seven meters in depth. It was just a small ditch which had accumulated water and would most probably dry up in summer. Rudra laughed and said, "It is the container. This pond contains the Yin-Yang of nature here. Thus, it is the barrier which bears the pressure of carrying the reactions. In alchemy, the cauldron bears the Yin-Yang of reactions. Thus, it is an essential part of the alchemy." Rigel nodded his head and asked in a worried voice, "I don''t have a cauldron. How can I learn alchemy without a cauldron? I doubt I can get one with my current resources." Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Rudra laughed and said, "Rigel, possessing a cauldron should be your last worry for now. The present you who haven''t even learned to catalyze substances shouldn''t worry about a cauldron or pill concoction." Rigel frowned and said, "That''s not true. I do know how to catalyze substances. Frank taught me how and I have refined poisons before." Rudra nodded his head and said in a calm voice, "I am aware of that fact. However, what you learned wasn''t alchemy. It was a simple concoction. Let me tell you, the potency of the Poison Lady will increase by at least three times if I concoct it. Do you know why? It is mainly because of the catalysis. Using your cultivation base as a source and your divine sense as your eyes, you try to extract the properties hidden within each substance. That is catalysis. Remember Rigel, no substance in this world is pure. Every substance has something to it which makes it impure because there can be no pure Yin or Yang in nature. Such a material can not exist unless it is a Heavenly treasure. By catalyzing, you bring out the pure Yin or Yang within the substance which will increase the reactions potency." Rigel listened with rapt attention and remembered every sentence. Rudra laughed and said, "Alright, enough of learning the lore. You will learn more about alchemy by personally experiencing it. I doubt you have ever seen an alchemist at work." Rigel''s was confused as he asked, "Where will I find an alchemist who will let me see him at work?" "You won''t," Rudra said with certainty. "All alchemist try to hide their skills unless it is necessary to show them. You will be watching me. I will concoct for you." "What? How? You......... you can come out of the Black Pearl?" Rigel asked in a shocked voice. Rudra laughed and said, "Not with my physical body but I can use a spiritual form." Rigel''s face turned grave as he asked in a small voice, "What if Tal finds out?" Rudra laughed and said, "Oh! I didn''t tell you yet, right? Tal isn''t the guardian of the Locker. He is my trusted servant who has served me since my early years. He was just acting according to my orders. So you need not worry about him." "But he tried to kill me," Rigel said with a cold voice. He then continued and said, "You tried to kill me." A sudden wind blew in the forest as a divine Will surged out from Rigel''s body and took the shape of a young man. The Young man had pitch black eyes and white hair. He looked as if he was in his mid-twenties but his eyes, they were wise beyond his years. As he looked at Rigel, he smiled lightly and said in a light voice, "Did I?" Rigel looked at the spiritual figure flying before him and stuttered, "Rudra." He was finding it hard to believe that the young man before him was the one who was imparting him the lore of alchemy just a few minutes ago. As if he had sensed Rigel''s uneasiness, Rudra smiled lightly and said, "Don''t be fooled by my appearance kid. I have lived longer than you can imagine. Tal saved your ass while you were sleeping like a log. Don''t be fooled by the way the world lets you see things. When you can see past the illusion of falseness the world projects before you, you step into the realm beyond simple truth which is known as Dao. Rigel immediately calmed his mind and asked in a somewhat cold voice, "Alright, I was hasty, but that doesn''t change the fact that you put me in a dangerous position. How are you going to redeem my trust in you?" Rudra began to laugh loudly and said, "Stop acting tough kid. We both know who is currently in charge. It is impossible for you to control me with your words. So don''t think about such nonsense. Bring our all the medical ingredients you have in your bag of holding. Let me see if I can find something of use." Rigel groaned in dissatisfaction. No matter how he tried to take advantage of the situation, Rudra always managed to see past his front. Rigel wanted to establish an order of authority between them but every time, it ended with Rudra showing him the difference in their experiences. Rudra wouldn''t get angry, and he wouldn''t fall for provocation. In front of him, Rigel felt like a little child. As Rigel was thinking, Rudra dug through the small pile of medical ingredients and selected an odd looking root. He then laughed and said, "Boy, your luck isn''t bad. Do you know what this is?" Rigel looked at the root and casually answered, "It is an asparagus root." Asparagus was a commonly found medical herb, and he did indeed have a few roots. Rudra however smiled and said, "No, this is not an asparagus root. It is a Gamalgam root, a rare herb and is usually confused as an Asparagus root due to the similarities. I must say that you are lucky since you found this root. With this, I can refine a third level pill but before that, I need one more ingredient. The spirit core of a level three spirit beast." ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Smile more GSD Reddy. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 29 - The Pure Yang art The Pure Yang art: "A third level beast spirit core. That''s impossible. You should know that I am still in the first level of Qi condensation Rudra. If it were a third level Qi condensation cultivator, it wouldn''t be a problem, but a spirit beast is a different matter. Any spirit beast is compared to a cultivator one rank above it. So a third level spirit beast should be at the same level as a fourth level Qi condensation stage expert. I can take on a second tier beast but fighting a third level spirit beast is risky." Rigel said in a grave voice. Rudra laughed and said, "Don''t be scared, kid. A third level spirit beast hasn''t even awakened its innate ability. Why would you fear that?" "Innate ability." Rigel gasped and said, "That''s something which is awakened only by Spark formation stage beasts. Are you trying to get me killed?" Rudra smiled lightly and said, "Alright, alright. We will put aside alchemy for some time and do something about this uncertain character of yours." Rigel snorted coldly and said, "I am not uncertain. I am just stating the facts. I have next to nothing to protect myself if something goes wrong and my only means to attack is the Asura Poison. Asura Poison is indeed powerful, but it takes a huge toll on my Qi. With my current cultivation, I can''t use it more than three times. What if I don''t manage to strike? Besides brute force, I don''t have a single profound art." Rudra listened to Rigel and smiled lightly. It wasn''t that he didn''t understand why Rigel was uncertain as he knew what Rigel had experienced in his life to come here. Someone who had experienced such a hellish past wouldn''t be uncertain. If he were, then he wouldn''t have made it past his childhood. He was just teasing Rigel. To him, Rigel was like a little child, someone comparable to his son. Rudra laughed lightly and said in a calm voice, "Profound arts, is it? Maybe I can teach you one." Rigel''s face immediately lit up. He guessed that with Rudra''s strength, he should know a lot of profound arts, so he knowingly acted like a coward front of him. Rudra, on the other hand, knew that Rigel was only faking it but allowed him to fool him. They were both playing with each other. One was a kid who wanted to fool an adult while the other was an adult who was amused with the kid and played the fool to satisfy him. "What are you gonna teach me?" Rigel asked in an excited voice. Rudra smiled mischievously and said, "It''s a profound strengthening art called the Iron Body." Rigel''s excited face immediately lost all color as he stared stupidly at the young man before him. Iron Body, that was just a Qi condensation profound skill taught for a mere thousand spirit stones in the Xia sect. Rigel was expecting to learn some incredibly powerful skill, but he didn''t expect that he would be offered such a crappy profound art which can be found anywhere in the entire world. "You are kidding, right?" Rigel asked in a small voice. "No, I am not. I am offering you a legitimate profound art." Rudra said in a calm voice. "The fuck are you promising. It is shit! I can learn this anywhere." Rigel shouted angrily. Rudra laughed loudly and said, "Yes, you can but not my version of the Iron body." Rigel narrowed his eyes and asked, "What do you mean?" Rudra smiled lightly and said, "Profound arts are created by experts who have gained insights into certain aspects of Dao. The Iron body was created by an expert who had gained insight into making one''s body like that of Iron. Indestructible, powerful, profound and yet malleable. The current Iron body art, however, is just a simplified version of the actual art which was passed down to his descendants. The art lived on through the ravages of time. However, the essence of the profound art was lost. The Iron body I am teaching you isn''t the degraded version but the one, originally created by the expert, "The Paragon Body." Rigel, the Paragon Body, is not something that can be trained with just your Will, you should be able to comprehend the lore yourself. I can teach you the basics, but you have to be the one who has to gain insights into the art." Rudra extended his hand and touched Rigel in the area between his eyebrows. Rigel''s felt his mind reeling as thousands of words of great power were transmitted to his mind. One second, he was in front of Rudra, the next second, he was in a huge paradox where he was surrounded by thousands of words which were emitting an unimaginable amount of energy. Rigel felt his eyes burning as he stared at the floating words. They were burning and emitting intense light like stars. "Don''t try to read them Rigel. Try to feel them, comprehend them. Only when you embrace their nature would they reveal themselves to you." Rudra''s voice resounded in Rigel''s mind as he stood there in that paradox. Rigel calmed his mind and began to watch the words carefully. He couldn''t make out anything except for intense light. He felt that they were like the sun. The heat, the light, they were like balls of fire, like stars. Rigel mind then began to think, "Why are these words so bright, so hot? Why aren''t they cold? Why are they so intense? Why aren''t they docile? Rigel was trying to find the underlying nature of the words. As he stood there staring and thinking about the meaning behind those words, he lost all measure of time. In the outside world, Rudra floated there with a small smile. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Suddenly he frowned as he sensed a black leopard crouching towards Rigel. The black leopard was a second level spirit beast and as soon as it confirmed that Rigel was completely still. It''s face revealed a savage look as it''s growled and slowly moved forward. However, as it reached just fifteen meters from Rigel, its face became pale as it felt an incredible presence crushing his soul. Rudra''s face was cold as he stared at the beast and said in an utterly cold voice which contained chilling killing intent, "Get lost!" The black panther felt as if it was struck by thunder as that voice resounded in its mind. It backed away moaning in fear. It then turned back and ran away without even glancing back. As soon as the panther ran away, Rudra''s face returned to normal. His face now had a small smile like ever. Not a single bit of that killing intent or coldness that was predominant a second ago could be seen on his face. Ten days passed away in a flash. Rigel''s consciousness was still within the illusory world. Now, he was able to watch the words closely without blinking in pain. "The Sun is hot and bright; the words are like the sun. No, they are similar to the sun, or maybe the words are formed from the sun. The sun is the source of all the words. It is the source of the art itself." Rigel began to comprehend the nature of the words slowly. "The profound art, The Paragon Body comes from the sun. The sun is the source of all life. It has a boundless life force. It is the purest Yang element there is in nature. The Paragon Body utilizes the Yang energy of the sun to nurture the body. "Absorb the solar energy and bind it in your body. Absorb the solar energy to transform your body. The transformed body will be the container of the solar energy. This in return will make your body a paragon." As Rigel comprehended the Paragon Body, his body began to tremble. His bones, his tendons, his blood, his sinews and his dantian along with his meridians began to harden as the solar energy his body had absorbed all his life was being transformed by the art of Paragon body. As his body toughened, his cultivation base soared and at last broke through into the second level of Qi condensation stage. However, in didn''t stop and continued to soar up until it reached the peak of the second stage. Rigel''s face was filled with delight as he observed his cultivation base but then, it turned into shock as the rise in his cultivation base still didn''t show any signs of slowing down as he once again broke through into the third level of Qi condensation. Finally, his cultivation base solidified at the middle stage of the third level." It was at this exact moment that Rigel opened his eyes to stare at Rudra who was staring back at him. Rigel''s was stunned by the way his cultivation base just broke through to third level all the way from the first level. Rudra smiled lightly and asked, "What do you think?" Rigel stood up and looked at his body. His skin was now glowing while his body was bursting with energy. He felt much more muscular even though his body didn''t undergo any external changes. "I just broke through two levels. Is this normal?" Rigel asked in a doubtful voice. "Normally, no, but you have completed the first cycle of the Paragon Body so yes. If my guess is right, your body should be filled with boundless energy at the moment. Isn''t it?" Rudra explained in a calm voice. Rigel picked up a stone and crushed it into bits as he said, "I do. In fact, it''s scary. Can just two levels of cultivation make such a difference?" Rudra laughed and said, "No, they won''t. The reason you strength increased by such a large amount isn''t because of your breakthrough. It is because of the Paragon Body. Your body has just been rebuild from the scratch in the ten days you have been meditating." "Ten days." Rigel asked in a shocked voice. "I have been meditating for ten days. How is that possible?" Rudra laughed and said, "Anything and everything are possible in this world, Rigel. So tell me, what did you learn about the Paragon Body?" Rigel looked at the sky, toward the shining sun and said, "It''s a pure Yang art which focuses on destructive power, and the sun is its source. The Paragon represents the perfection. The immortal who invented this art sought perfection by turning his body into a pure Yang form. He wished to make his body like the sun. When one''s body reaches the level where he can rival the sun will be the level at which he shall reach the zenith of this art." Rudra nodded and said, "That''s right. The Paragon Body can be cultivated in a total of six cycles of two. You have just completed the first cycle." Rigel''s heart trembled as he thought, "I just completed the first cycle and already experienced such a change. There are still eleven more cycles, just what level of profound art is the Paragon Body?" ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Smile more GSD Reddy. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 30 - Dark Secrets Dark secrets: Rigel was crouching behind a huge boulder observing a giant rhinoceros as it shook its head angrily to drive away the flies. Though the beast looked like any other rhinoceros, there was one little difference. Unlike any other rhinoceros, it had three horns. Two Horned Rhinoceros were categorized as second level spirit beasts, but a three-horned rhinoceros was a king of the demonic rhinoceros race. It was a peak third level spirit beast. Even though the three-horned rhinoceros appeared calm on the surface, Rigel knew from experience that one should never underestimate a beast. A cornered man can never be like a cornered animal because he would still be bound by the laws of the society. However, a cornered beast wouldn''t hesitate to kill an enemy even at the expense of its life. Rigel knew this, and thus, he was patiently waiting for his chance. Even though the three-horned rhinoceros appeared calm and inattentive, it was very sensitive to the changes in its surroundings. The muddy pond in which it was resting was its domain, any intruder in his domain would be like a trapped rat. However, it couldn''t sense Rigel because he was at a distance of two hundred meters and was casually observing the beast with his divine sense. Rudra watched Rigel with a smiling face. Hunting is an art. One can never be hasty while learning it. When the lion attacks, it attacks to kill. However, a lion can wait an entire day for the prey to fall into its trap. Similarly, Rudra wanted Rigel to be patient. He wanted him to learn to wait for his enemy. Brute force can accomplish much, but clever use of similar force can achieve much more. He wanted to make sure that Rigel understood that. Rigel waited for more than two hours. Those two hours were painful for him. He had just experienced a breakthrough and was itching to test his newly acquired strength, but he knew that Rudra was right. Finally, the three-horned rhinoceros King walked out of the muddy water and began to stretch. It shook its head vigorously to get rid of the remaining mud. It observed its surroundings for a moment before walking down the path where Rigel was hiding. Rigel face immediately brightened as he took out a small sword and readied himself for the beast. Rudra, who was watching Rigel said in a calm voice, "Rigel, you managed to contain yourself for the past two hours. However, the next minute will determine your control over your emotions. Don''t get too excited. Calm your breathing and your heart. Think about your enemy, concentrate on its weakness. A hunt should ideally be completed in just a single strike so aim for the beast''s weak point. Hide your presence, your killing intent and wrap it all around yourself. Rigel, hunting will teach you more than just killing. It teaches you to be patient, to be careful and to be precise until the last moment. Don''t ever think that brute force can solve everything in this world." Rigel wasn''t new to the art of killing. He immediately slowed down his breathing and concentrated all his mind at one point. As the three-horned beast slowly walked by his boulder, his body moved, like a flash of lightning and without any hesitation, his sword aimed straight towards the beast''s neck and pierced it like a sharp spear. One moment the beast was walking and the next moment, it''s eyes shook in pain as the sword pierced it''s neck all the way to his heart. It''s legs trembled as the last bit of life in his body struggled but soon gave up and fell like a broken puppet. Rigel jumped up into the air and landed a little distance away. He watched as the beast slowly fell. His face was filled with indifference as he walked down to the beast and pulled out his sword. He then began to dig for the spirit crystal embedded in its head. Rigel watched the three-horned rhinoceros and said in a low voice, "I am not going to apologize because if we were in opposite positions, you wouldn''t have hesitated to kill me either." Rudra smiled as he floated behind Rigel. The way Rigel handled his first real hunt was praiseworthy, but he wasn''t going to praise just yet because there was much he still had to learn. Suddenly, Rudra turned his head and stared at some distant bushes. Sensing that something was wrong, Rigel got up and followed Rudra''s eyes only to see some bushes. Rudra narrowed his eyes and said, "Rigel, get that spirit core out quickly. We have to leave now. At least fifty people are coming this way. Even though none of them are in the fourth level of Qi condensation, you can''t handle all of them by yourself." Rigel was startled, but he nodded his head and immediately began to dig out the crystal out of the thick skull. Rigel''s eyebrows furrowed as he skillfully cracked the skull open and grabbed the third-grade spirit core. He then immediately began to run away in opposite direction while spreading his divine sense as far as he could. Soon he could make out the noises and before he was able to disappear completely from their view. A group of people walked out of the bushes only to find a dead three-horned rhinoceros beast. However, before they could check for his presence. Rigel had already hidden safely behind a boulder more than three hundred meters away from them. Rudra, who was floating in the air, looked at them and furrowed his eyebrows. "How did so many people manage to escape your detection?" Rigel asked Rudra in huffed voice. Rudra narrowed his eyes and said, "I can''t keep my Divine Will active at all times. It takes a toll on my spirit when I can''t even bring out my physical body. These people, they belong to your sect. It looks like your sect has some dark secrets. They have all been enslaved." Rudra''s words changed Rigel''s face. Slaves, there were human slaves among the sect''s disciples. The Xia sect foundation laid in its treatment of disciples. The sect considered each and every disciple precious. Who would dare to touch the sect''s disciples? Rudra''s eyes narrowed as he sensed another presence. His spiritual projection instantly brightened and enveloped Rigel in its light. Rigel was immediately alarmed, but his shock turned into horror as he saw Elder Ley flying past him. Rigel''s heart almost stopped when he saw Ley because if he found him, then he would die for sure. However, Ley couldn''t even see Rigel as he flew above his position. All he could see was a boulder. Rudra sighed lightly and said, "This guy is trafficking these poor disciples as slaves. A person in the position of a teacher is betraying his students. However, this guy shouldn''t have this sort of authority even if he is an elder. Kid looks like there is a dark side to your sect. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. It''s best if we leave now. Many immoral things happen in this world. We can''t solve them all with our strength. Just remember, when you have the ability to do so, don''t hesitate to use it." Rigel nodded his head and began to run at high speed. Even though he repeatedly glanced at his back, he never found anyone following him. How could they when Rudra''s spiritual force hid Rigel. Soon, Rigel was out of the forest and almost at the borders of the outer sect. He glanced back at the woods and then at the sect. Nearly two months had passed away while he was out in the forest. Rigel heaved a heavy sigh of relief as he passed through the sect''s gates. He then raised his head and asked Rudra in a quiet voice, "Elder Ley, are you saying that he was in cahoots with an even more powerful person within the sect? If he was, what should we do?" Rudra shook his head and said, "Nothing. This guy Ley, he is already at the peak of Spark formation stage, and he is just an elder. So the person behind him should be one of the four Patriarchs. Kid, don''t even think about opposing any of them. At your current level, it is best if you steer clear of these matters. Also, it isn''t entirely impossible that the sect itself had commissioned the trafficking of enslaved disciples. Rigel, you are no stranger to these things. You should know what these people are if they are indeed what they appear to be." Rigel''s eyes turned cold as he remembered his past. Rigel was once a slave so he swore to himself that he would never enslave another human. He had seen the horrible world of a slave so his conscience wouldn''t allow him to ignore slavery. He might have killed people before, but he would never kill innocent people or those who didn''t pose any threat to him. If the sect was actively involved in this type of activity, then that only meant one thing. The Xia sect was far more dangerous and corrupted than he had imagined it to be. What made Rigel''s stomach revolt in horror was the fact that the sect was using its disciples. It was selling cultivators who had sworn to protect the sect as slaves. Rigel''s coldness slowly disappeared as he calmed his mind. The image of a sect which can be his home was forever wiped away from his mind. To the current him who knew the sect''s dark secrets, it was nothing more than a temporary haven. As Rigel reached his mountain, his eyes once again turned cold as he saw Jiya talking to someone. A flag with the mark of an eagle was fluttering above his cottage indicating that it now belonged to Leyden. Rigel had already witnessed something which had thoroughly ruined his mood. Now, he found out that while he was out training, his residence was occupied by its former owner with the support of Leyden, a candidate for the next inner sect promotion. He walked straight towards Jiya. Rigel arrival caused an uproar as people arrived to see how he would react. Although, everyone thought that Rigel was strong and had a good backing, they all believed that he wouldn''t dare to oppose Leyden. Jiya, who noticed the commotion, saw Rigel. He smiled inwardly and said in a loud voice. "Rigel, I thought you were dead since you didn''t come back for almost two months." Jiya''s face then turned cold as he said in a haughty voice, "I am taking back my cottage. It now belongs to Boss Leyden. Would you do you dare to touch me now Rigel? Hahaha!" Rigel''s image shook as he instantly covered the last ten steps between them and slapped Jiya with all his might. "Boom!" A loud sound rang out like thunder and Jiya''s body flew like a broken kited and smashed against a tree. People gaped as Rigel walked towards Jiya and caught him by his collar. He then said in a loud voice, "Boss Leyden. Who the hell is he?" That moment everyone was shocked by Rigel''s words. By claiming that he had never heard of Leyden, Rigel had virtually declared war on the entire Leyden faction. However, that was not the only reason. The strength that Rigel displayed defied all logic. A slap. He defeated a second level Qi condensation expert with just a single slap. The crowd stood still unable to register the shock Rigel gave them. ***** Author note: So someone gave me a 0.5 rating today. I can tell because my rating dropped by a large margin due to a single rating. I don''t think any work deserves a 0.5 rating, and certainly not mine. If it is a 2.5 or 3, I can understand if they explain it in a review but this person didn''t leave a review behind. Actually, there is a lot going on behind the scenes which general readers aren''t aware of. Some Authors or someone related to them down vote reviews to bring their reviews to the Top Weekly reviews. They blatantly rate 0.5, the minimum score to other competitive fictions to push it down. I had a review named "This deserves more attention" on Top reviews. Now its Down voted and disappeared. The review was very subjective giving pros and cons to new readers, and yet it was down voted. This is hate, the dark side of RRL and people like me, who doesn''t like to take advantage of this flawed system struggle to keep our works floating. I ask readers to share/rate their opinion at the end of every chapter. The one who respond are bare minimum. A second of your time for a comment, or opinion, or a complaint, or a simple thanks will make our day. I try to express my feelings so that you can understand me as a person. That single rating of 0.5 has now ruined my day, I try to think that it is something like an occupational hazard but its difficult. Hope, you will understand my point of view. Remember, authors are people just like you, they will be hurt when someone sends hate instead of love when they are doing all they can to make you happy. I am not asking you to not to state your opinion. If you think a work deserves only 0.5 go ahead and give it, but explain why in a review. This way, you will help him become a better author and a person, blatant hate will only make lives harder, it won''t help anyone. Thank you for listening to my rant. Rate Rigel: The Savage World here. Smile more GSD Reddy. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 31 - Conspiracy Back with more chapters. Conspiracy: Jiya walked into a huge mansion located on one of the larger hills and bowed respectfully before a man. The man raised his eyebrows as he eyed the pitiful state of Jiya, however, a smile formed on his face as he took a puff of his cigar. He was Leyden. "Looks like this kid named Rigel is more troublesome than we imagined him to be," another voice rang out in the room as a man in his late twenties walked in with a glass of wine in his hands. "What should we do Boler?" Leyden asked in a low voice. Jiya, who was kneeling on the floor, trembled as he heard the name, Boler. Leyden and Boler were known to be bitter enemies. Why were they here together? Boler smiled lightly and said, "This kid Rigel, he is just a little cocky. Well, he doesn''t know the cruelty of this world yet so we should perhaps educate him." He looked at Leyden meaningfully and then eyed Jiya. Leyden smiled coldly and then asked in a calm voice, "Jiya, do you trust us?" Jiya lifted his head and then stared at Leyden. Alone and helpless, what could he say? He, of course, nodded his head. Boler smiled as he saw Jiya and then sat down beside Leyden. Leyden eyed Jiya coldly and then asked Boler in a quiet voice, "Young master Ian''s plan is almost nearing its completion, this wouldn''t impend him, would it?" Boler shook his head and said, "Young master Ian wouldn''t bother dealing with Rigel if not for the bag of holdings he had stolen from Maze. Don''t worry, the death of a single outer sect disciple wouldn''t even reach his ears." Jiya''s face lost all color as he heard the words, "Death of an outer sect disciple." Even though Rigel was also an outer sect disciple, he felt that those words were meant for him. His instincts were screaming of danger as soon as he heard the two men. Leyden nodded his head and looked at Jiya as if he was looking at a specimen. Boler smiled lightly and said, "Don''t take this personally Jiya. We hold nothing against you. It''s just that your death now benefits us much more than your life." Jiya rose to his feet in shock. He opened his mouth trying to reason with them but stopped midway as Leyden suddenly appeared before him. His eyes trembled as he slowly looked down only to find a hand piercing through his lungs. "Arrrgh!" A grunt of pain escaped Jiya''s mouth as he coughed up blood and once again fell to his knees. He looked at Leyden before him, and his mind went reeling as he noticed that he was floating in air inches above the ground. Flying was a skill innately possessed only by experts in the Spark Formation stage. How could Leyden float in the air when he was still in the fourth level of Qi Condensation Stage? In the moment of his death, Jiya laughed bitterly as he finally understood everything. He was nothing but a toy in their hands all this time. He was used in every possible way when he was alive and finally, they were even using his death. "Why?" Jiya managed to ask with his last breath. Leyden looked at him coldly but didn''t bother to answer. He shook his head coldly and walked away to clean his arm of blood. Boler, who was still smiling, as he sat in his chair with a glass of wine in his hands, rose from his seat and walked towards Jiya. He looked at him indifferently and said in a calm voice, "It doesn''t matter why Jiya. You should be proud that your life finally had some use for Young Master Ian." Jiya''s eyes were unwilling to die, but his struggle soon ended as he breathed his last. Leyden walked into the room after cleaning his hand and stared at the dead body. He took out a jade slip and broke it. A few minutes later, another figure appeared in the room. He seemed young for his age with dirty blond hair and a cold look. He was Elder Ley. As he looked at the bloody corpse on the floor, he sighed, and sat down with a tired expression. "You guys should learn to control yourself. I have to take care of your mess every time, you know," said the man in a calm voice. Leyden didn''t speak and continued to smoke his cigar. Boler patted Ley and said, "Sorry about that brother. This kid is named Jiya, an outer sect disciple. You have to blame his death on Rigel, another outer sect disciple." Ley frowned as he heard Boler. He poured himself some wine and asked in a calm voice, "Oh! How is this related to that cripple?" Boler shook his head and said, "He has Maze''s bag of holding. We can''t let anyone get hold of those bag of holdings. You should know that very well. It won''t be too troublesome even if someone finds them but you know Young Master, he doesn''t like to leave any loose strings. A fight broke out this morning between these two. So we will use that as a reason to trap Rigel." Ley nodded his head and said, "I can do that, but you should know that for some reason, Feng and SilverLeaf have some interest in that kid. Once they interfere, we can''t do anything unless uncle decides to interfere." Leyden narrowed his eyes and suggested, "Throw him in the Gutters. We can then take care of him there." Boler nodded his head and said, "That''s a good idea. Once you have thrown him in those Forbidden tunnels, he will be at the mercy of fate. I doubt he will survive with his strength. However, we should be careful. We are not the only ones who have access to the Forbidden tunnels, both the Li sect and the Shia clan have access to them. If he manages to escape, that might prove troublesome." Ley nodded his head in agreement and said, "Indeed but we both know that''s not gonna happen. Big brother will take care of that brat. If we let him stay here, then we risk of exposing ourselves. Young master Ian had been living this kind of life for three whole years. We can''t take even the slightest of chances at this crucial time. Eliminate any and all risks posed against the Young Master." The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Boler and Leyden nodded their heads in agreement. Just like that, three seemingly different people who should have no connection with each other made a deal which was going to change Rigel''s life forever. The next day. Just like any other day, the sect woke up to hear the chirping of the birds and the cold autumn air. Many disciples sat down to cultivate but in somewhere in the outer sect, a scream rang out as a female cultivator found the corpse of Jiya in a well. The news of Jiya''s death spread like wildfire and within minutes, the entire outer sect was speaking of Jiya. Obviously, Boler and Leyden were involved in manipulation of information. They started the fire and let the people do the work. You need not have to be too proactive to manipulate people. Just spread a rumor and the people will slowly add fire to make it more interesting. In under an hour, the entire outer sect was talking about the fight between Rigel and Jiya. Rigel was one of the last to know about the situation. No one wanted to break the news to him that he was a culprit in the murder of a disciple. Rigel''s face was dark as he received the news. That moment, he understood that he had been played. It didn''t take him long to realize that Leyden had trapped him in his own game. By provoking Leyden, Rigel wanted to drag him into a war, and then Rigel would side with Boler thus essentially profiting from both of them. However, Leyden had used Jiya and even killed him to trap him instead. Rigel walked out of his cottage towards the well where Jiya''s corpse was found. People made way for him as he walked by. Rudra, who was floating beside him, frowned as he too didn''t think that a mere outer sect disciple will be able to plan so cunningly and systematically. As Rigel reached the well, he saw two men standing at the head of two enormous groups along with Elder Ley, who was observing the corpse. Rudra''s face immediately changed as he instantly saw through the disguise of Leyden and Boler. He said in a calm voice, "Rigel, don''t try to fall in their pace. If the situation changes for worse, just request an audience with Patriarch SilverLeaf." Rigel frowned lightly and asked in a calm voice, "What is wrong Rudra?" Rudra didn''t speak any further and maintained a vigilance. His spiritual energy spread out and enveloped the entire area. His eyes narrowed as he observed the three men. There was just some subtle interaction between them, but they couldn''t fool Rudra, he instantly realized that all three of them were in cahoots. Ley glanced at Rigel coldly and said in a loud voice, "I didn''t want to allow you into the sect because that scumbag from the church had recommended you. I initially thought that the church can only recommend cripples, but you turned out to be a murderer. Rigel, I am amazed that you have the nerve to show up here so boldly." Rigel''s face didn''t change; he tried to keep his cool as he answered in a calm voice, "I don''t know what you are talking about respected Elder Ley. If you are trying to prove that I am the murderer, then I am afraid you are wrong. I didn''t do anything, and I am here to declare that very fact." Ley snorted coldly, and his figure disappeared in a flash. Rigel''s pupils dilated and the next instant; he was on his knees as he was pushed down to the ground by a powerful hand. Ley then grabbed Rigel''s neck so tightly that he felt that he was about to choke to death. Rudra''s eyes revealed indescribable killing intent, but he suppressed it and said in a low, urgent voice, "Rigel, don''t do anything. These people want to kill you. Let them do whatever they want. That way, we will at least have a chance. Resist and he won''t hesitate to kill you." Rigel gritted his teeth, but he stopped resisting. Ley snorted coldly and announced in a loud voice, "For the crimes of murdering a fellow disciple, and for not admitting to his crimes and further for opposing an elder. I, Ley with the authority granted to me by the sect am banishing Rigel from the Great Xia sect and as for his punishment, he shall be thrown into the fifth level of Forbidden tunnels." Rigel''s eyes turned cold, but he didn''t move because he understood more than anyone what Ley''s intentions were by throwing him into the fifth level of Forbidden tunnels. He wanted Rigel dead one way or another. Forbidden tunnels were ancient giant tunnels constructed even before Rio town came into existence. They had a total of six levels. The first three levels were a bit safer because they were used as secret routes by the sects. However, the lower three levels were an unadministered territory where ruffians, criminals, and even rebel groups lurked. Throwing him in the fifth level clearly showed Rigel Ley''s intentions. But Rigel kept his calm as he was forcefully lifted and then was transported in chains to the Forbidden tunnels. Rigel spent most of his life in a cage. He had been to Gehenna, and now, he was once again thrown into a prison. Then, he was weak, physically, emotionally and mentally. This time, it wasn''t going to be the same. Those who messed with him won''t be left alive. Rigel glanced at Ley who had a frown on his face; he looked at Leyden and Boler, who had similar expressions, but he didn''t miss the smile hidden deep in their eyes. "I won''t forget this day," Rigel swore in his mind before he was thrown into the Forbidden tunnels. ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Smile more GSD Reddy. ***** Book 1 - Chapter 32 - At the moment of Crisis At the moment of Crisis: Rigel fell through a series of tunnels in succession at high speed. With a grave expression, he readied his body for the impact. As soon as Rigel realized that he was near the ground, he kicked the tunnel wall to lower his speed. Intense pain assaulted his mind as his leg received the brunt of the impact from free fall. However, he didn''t stop, using the momentum, he turned around mid-air to kick with his other foot. In that brief moment of the stillness, Rigel turned around and slashed the wall with his knife which buried itself into the rock effectively halting him just a few meters above the ground. Rigel breathed a sigh of relief and raised his head to glance at the tunnels. Though he couldn¡¯t see the exit; he was fairly sure that he was more than three hundred meters below the ground level. Thinking about the various turn of events, Rigel gritted his teeth in anger and released his grip on the knife. *Thud!* Rigel quickly jumped the last few meters and reached the ground. He glanced at his legs and sighed in relief. An impact created by his body weight propelling at a high speed that should have at least broken his bones but Rigel sighed in amazement as he realized that his legs were perfectly fine. "No wonder it''s called the Paragon Body. Even though I feel a bit of pain, my legs are fine even after such an impact." Rigel mused silently. Rigel turned his head around and watched the cave formations. There was only one exit other than the long tunnel. Anger boiled in Rigel''s mind as he angrily kicked a rock. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry Rigel,¡± Rudra warned in a calm voice. ¡°How can I be calm Rudra? You saw everything, didn¡¯t you? I could have died in his hands. Why didn¡¯t you help me?¡± Rigel asked in an angry voice. Rudra¡¯s eyebrows finally furrowed as he listened to Rigel''s unreasonable words. That moment, killing intent surged out of Rudra like an avalanche. That killing intent was like a tyrannical force, but it wasn¡¯t aimed at Rigel. However, Rigel still fell to his knees unable to withstand the pressure. That moment, Rigel was once again reminded of Rudra''s almighty power. He could even invade his soul with just his divine will. If Rudra had directed his killing intent towards him, he might have directly lost his consciousness. Rudra sighed lightly and closed his eyes while withdrawing his killing intent. Rigel watched Rudra and sighed in his heart. He knew that he had been too rash and blamed it all on Rudra. Truthfully, it was no one¡¯s fault. Everything that happened in there was out of Rigel¡¯s control and was naturally out of Rudra¡¯s expectations. ¡°I am sorry Rudra; I was unable to control my emotions.¡± Rigel apologized in a quiet voice. Rudra opened his eyes and stared at Rigel. He knew that he was a bit harsh, but he needed Rigel to understand that anger won¡¯t solve anything. Rudra sighed and said in a calm voice, ¡°Rigel; actually, it¡¯s good that you were thrown into these tunnels. Something big is currently happening in the Xia sect. I cannot sense the danger lurking in that sect, but one thing is for sure, it is no longer safe for you. Leyden and Boler, both of them are in the mid spark formation stage while Ley is in the late spark formation stage. Above all, all three of them planned the entire thing together including Jiya¡¯s murder to trap you.¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± Rigel shouted in horror as he heard Rudra. Learning that all three of them were involved wasn¡¯t much of a shock to Rigel, but he was stunned by their cultivation bases. Mid Spark Formation stage. Rigel couldn¡¯t help but question himself, "Why would experts of such station act as mere Qi condensation stage disciples?" Rudra nodded his head confirming his words and said, ¡°Three Spark Formation cultivators could have easily killed you in an instant but they didn¡¯t. I can think of no other reason except that they were afraid to cause trouble which might draw unnecessary attention. However, I find it hard to believe that they will simply let you go like this. Rigel, if I am right, we should be expecting someone soon.¡± Rigel¡¯s face became cold as he heard Rudra. He closed his eyes and sighed while leaning on the rock wall as he knew that he was in some serious trouble. ¡°Rudra, what should I do?¡± Rigel asked in a small voice. Before, Rigel always had only himself to rely on through thick and thin, but now he had Rudra, who could share his wisdom. Rudra sighed as he said, "Rigel, we have no information regarding these tunnels. Even though your body appears fine, it is not in its peak condition. The fall earlier has taken a toll on your body. If you fight as you are now, you might encounter some serious trouble. So our priority is to get you back into your peak condition. Take out the third-grade spirit core; I am going to concoct a pill right now." Rigel nodded his head and took out the spirit core and the Gamalgam root. Rudra nodded his head and listed some more materials already in Rigel''s possession. Rigel slowly sat down and watched as Rudra lifted the Gamalgam root into the air with his spiritual energy. He heaved a sigh and raised his hand, and a small black flame appeared. The flame looked extremely ordinary, but Rigel felt that the it was very similar to the Asura Poison, only it was a bit more conservative. As the flame approached the Gamalgam root, it began to burn due to the sheer heat produced by it. However, unlike regular burning, the root didn¡¯t turn into ashes, it was instead slowly withering while clear droplets were slowly drawn out of the withering root. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.Those droplets were the actual Gamalgam essence. Rudra only narrowed his eyes as he then took the third-grade spirit crystal core and purified it with his black flame. The crystal core couldn''t even resist the flame for a few seconds and was directly refined, leaving behind a large amount of elemental energy. Rudra looked at Rigel, who was observing the entire process with concentrated eyes. He laughed and said in a calm voice, "This is catalysis, and this completes the first part of pill concoction." Rigel nodded his head as he silently observed the process. The space between Rudra''s palms began to twist causing the ingredients to start to merge under the control of his spiritual energy. Rudra''s eyes were serious as he concentrated on finding the point where the ingredients would achieve a complete fusion. A little earlier and the pill won''t be as effective as it should be and a bit late, the pill concoction would fail. So no matter which tiers an alchemist is, he would have to be absolutely serious in the final part of concoction. As soon as the essences coalesced, Rudra''s hand made a swift grabbing motion and smoke emerged out of his tight palm. Rigel stood up and excitedly glanced at the hand. Rudra laughed lightly and slowly opened his fist, there in the middle of his palm was a pale white pill. Rigel raised his hand and carefully grabbed the pill. He carefully inspected it and asked Rudra in a little voice, "What is this pill?" Rudra smiled lightly and said, "It''s called a Qi Congealing pill. It is one of the few third-grade pills which can be used to strengthen one''s foundation. It''s useless for those in Spark Formation stage, but it is very useful for those in Qi condensation stage. You do know that a weak foundation will result in the formation of a weak spark, don''t you?" Rigel''s face became excited as he looked at the pill. He almost wanted to pop it into his mouth immediately, but he gulped as he thought of something and asked in a low voice, "How much would this pill sell for Rudra?" Rudra thought for a moment and said, "I can''t say for sure, but I believe that it will have a market price of at least fifty thousand spirit stones." Rigel drew in a deep breath as he looked at the pill. ¡®Fifty thousand spirit stones, that was a fortune many would kill for.¡¯ He then calmed down his heart and threw the pill into his mouth. As the pill dissolved in his mouth, he felt boundless amounts of elemental energy enter his body. However, before he could absorb them, he heard Rudra''s serious voice, "No, don''t focus on absorbing the energy, Rigel. Try to strengthen your current foundation." Rigel nodded his head and sat down cross-legged before starting to circulate the boundless energy in his meridians through his dantian. After he had finished cultivating the first cycle of Paragon Body, his dantian was now in a far better condition than it had ever been. The profound art, Paragon Body, has two grand cycles with each having six cycles. At the beginning of each grand cycle, the first cycle and seventh cycle, the user¡¯s body will be completely rebuilt from the scratch, and thus, any scars and injuries of the past will be completely healed. Rigel''s body slowly began to absorb the energy contained in the pill and began to solidify his recent breakthrough. Two hours passed and Rigel''s cultivation base solidified after being strengthened by the Qi Congealing pill. Rudra watched as he floated before Rigel. He narrowed his eyes as he sensed some movement within his spiritual range. Even though he would be able to unleash a much stronger spiritual sense with his physical body, in his spiritual projection form, his strength was greatly restricted. In this form, his spiritual range was limited to only three thousand meters. He wanted to wake up Rigel but at the same time, he didn''t want to, at least not until the last moment because Rigel was currently in the middle of a breakthrough. He kept a close look on Rigel as the people hurried towards them. Rigel cultivation base began to grow after he finished strengthening his current cultivation. It slowly grew from the mid-stage of the third level to the late and then to the peak stage of the third level. Then, it began to slow down as it faced the barrier of a breakthrough. Rigel''s eyebrows furrowed as he too sensed some movement in his spiritual range. They were now just three hundred meters away from him. He stared at his dantian and the thick Qi flowing through his meridians while gritting his teeth in determination. The large amount of Qi in his dantian shook violently and pushed harder as the people arrived at the cave. Rudra looked over at them. There were seven men, all of whom were in the late stages of Qi condensation. An evil smile bloomed on their faces as they saw Rigel meditating in a corner. One among them ran towards Rigel while narrowing his eyes and drawing out two flying swords. Rudra narrowed his eyes as the man neared and shouted, "Rigel." Right at the exact moment, a popping sound rang out in Rigel''s dantian and the next instant, Rigel opened his eyes and stared coldly at the man in front of him. His mouth twitched as he opened his palm where a black fog began to gather and said in a cold voice, "I¡¯ve been waiting for you." ***** Hey guys, If you are enjoying Rigel: The Savage World then please consider leaving a rating or review behind. I appreciate every vote. Just scroll down to the button of the this page, and click the stars then submit. Smile more GSD Reddy. *****