《Godefiance: Audun》


 Chapter One: Of Bandits and Death

    It was a joyous moment for the Bast Clan, a prodigious baby boy was given to them. He had an astonishing soul force, a soul force of 100! This was higher than most commoners reach at their peaks! For a child like this to be born, it must certainly mean that they will be destined for greatness.


    Audun Bast. This child was the child that will raise the Bast clan to ultimate power.


    -10 years later-


    The sun shone hard onto Audun¡¯s exposed shoulders. He was training his body, since he had finished tilling the soil long ago, and was practicing the variety of cultivation techniques gifted to him by the clan. When he was born, he had caused a huge commotion because of his unheard of soul force upon birth, but it was found out a few years later that he had no ability to cultivate. His dantian was a twisted knot, and his soul couldn¡¯t be made out from it. The clan had thrown every cultivation method they had access to at him, all in the hopes that one would work. After three years, they had all but given up, allowing him to go back with his family. He still receives cultivation manuals from time to time, but he was no longer the Dao Child.


    Audun didn¡¯t really know nor particularly care about his rise and fall from fame, but he had the personal desire to be strong. He has always been around those exceedingly more powerful than him, leading him to lust after such an existence. It was as if the Heavens themselves could not contain his elders. But as hard as he may try, the Qi he could sense around him refused to enter his pathways.


    The current technique he was attempting involved him damaging his Qi pathways with fire, after strenuous physical activity. After several minutes of trying however, he had the same feeling every other cultivation technique had left him with, wanting more. He sighed heavily, and prepared to go home. It was in this instant that the smell of fire hit his nose. Looking over the rolling hills, he saw a billow of smoke coming from his house.


    A sense of worry gripped him, and he ran as fast as he could to get home. Even though he was only a child who could not cultivate, his natural born power was simply too frightening. He could run at the speed of a horse, with a little help from the special movement techniques that were a part of his self defence classes.


    Arriving in the courtyard of his family''s modest wooden home, his face gave way to shock as he saw his house burning. He began to run towards it, he needed to make sure his family was okay, when a hard kick sent him into the dirt.


    ¡°Well well, what do we have here. A little kiddie not knowing his place. You should have stayed where you came from.¡± A big, intimidating man loomed over Audun. His features were almost entirely hidden by the shadow he created. But he was not intimidated, since he was young he was able to overpower most normal adults. Even though his soul hadn¡¯t increased at all, his fighting prowess and body strength had soared.


    He moved quickly between a bandits legs, hitting the weak point in his knees, knocking him down. The other bandit had just begun to reach for his sword when Audun swung a full force punch to his stomach. The bandit coughed blood and hunched over, dropping his blade. Audun swiftly picked it up and decapitated both of them.


    He turned around to begin to head back when yet another bandit appeared in front of his face. This one was different, his dantian exhibited a noticeable pressure. He was obviously on another level.


    ¡°Heh, you¡¯re not bad kid. It¡¯s too bad you turned out to be a dud, someone who can¡¯t even refine their body is worthless in the cultivation world.¡± The bandit slowly reached toward him, his hand slowly eclipsing the rest of the world. His knotted dantian shook violently, as if it was trying to leave his body and run away. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t move away.


    Suddenly, the man reached forward and held his head. Everything went quiet, and then blood began pouring out of every crevice, his dantian shattered. His soul went wild, expanding and contracting repeatedly. Then, everything stopped again.


    The sky began to rain, as if to mourn in the death of the child. Lightning violently flashed across the sky, as if from another plane. It seemed that the heavens themselves were angered by the destruction of Audun¡¯s dantian.


    ¡°It¡¯s time, we need to move out. I don¡¯t know why this is happening, but we will all be killed if we don¡¯t get the f*ck out soon.¡±


    -----


    Pain, excruciating pain. Every second another ripple ripped through Audun. He vaguely felt that this shouldn¡¯t be happening, he shouldn¡¯t feel anything, but it quickly passed when another ripple hit. Then, heavenly enlightenment descended, and he felt his soul move to the True realm. He felt wisdom bestow itself, and his body repair itself, but the dantian was still a void shooting out pain.


    Days passed, his soul kept increasing in power, the pain slowly lessened. After several days, he could finally crawl. He made his way to the castle, wondering why no one was sent to check on his family, someone had to have seen the smoke. Almost as if by request, a caravan appeared. A brightly dressed woman exclaimed at him, and the blackness returned.


    ¡°Awaken young master! Please, let your soul return to you!¡± Audun could feel the use of an artifact on him. The artifact was trying to bring in his dantian, but to no avail. It was completely dissipated. After several more minutes, the presence of the artifact disappeared. To the outside world, he must be dead. Yet, he was alive. He didn¡¯t understand it, he was always taught that dantian destruction was the end of all living beings. So why was it he was alive. And why was it he could so clearly sense the world Qi around him.


    ¡°The boy is dead now, it¡¯s a true shame. He was finally able to make the leap, even soaring straight to the sixth rank of the true level. But his dantian has dissipated. It¡¯s odd for it to have happened so quickly, but it is reality.¡± Audun recognized this as the voice of the clan¡¯s master alchemist, Chimia. He had interacted with the kind but stern old man many times. He held still a full head of hair due to his elixirs, but one look at his face would betray his age. His body was surprisingly spry however, showing he truly was powerful. He was at the peak of the sky rank, one of the strongest in the clan, and his alchemy title allowed him to be only second to the Patriarch, Alistar. He had tried everything to increase Audun¡¯s cultivation base, but to no results.


    ¡°It is a shame we lost such a talent, the heaven¡¯s certainly are cruel. We could have gone interplanar with him. I want his body out of my sight and burned, I want no reminder of heaven¡¯s games.¡± No! The Patriarch was always a prideful man, as he was born in the upper echelon of soul force users. He was at the middle saint level, and he was young. Defeat was still a fresh taste to him, so it is natural that he would be so inclined as to have Audun burned.


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    But Audun was alive! He struggled to awaken from his coma, fighting against the black void that held him under. Yet, even though he felt he was only a step away, he couldn¡¯t make it. Soon, he felt himself lifted. Time was growing shorter, once he was in the ritualistic chamber of burning, there would be no escape. Desperately, he flailed in his mind to try and twitch something, but when he finally realized that wouldn¡¯t work, an idea came to mind. Attuning himself to the Qi around him, he attempted to push his body to the ground. Feeling the flow of the earthly Qi clearly, he swayed it like a wave, back and forth, gaining in power. Finally, when it was strong enough, he crashed it into himself.


    In the real world, it seemed as if he had rolled out of the alchemist¡¯s assistant¡¯s arms. This led to a horrified gasp from the assistant. This child he had held had no dantian, there was no way he could be alive. To survive without a dantian was simply impossible, it held the soul in place. Without it, the soul would disperse back into the world, as sustenance for other living beings. But the child, the thing, it moved.


    Audun¡¯s head was spinning, but he was able to finally move. For the first time in days, he felt he had the strength to stand on his own two legs. He held himself up against the wall, looking around the bleak stone corridor. Finally his eyes settled onto the young apprentice, who appeared to be about 17. He was average in nearly every way, from his appearance to his height. His brown eyes held terror, and a bit of intrigue. But what caught Audun¡¯s eye most was his soul. He could see the man¡¯s soul. It was a flamingo, but one of washed out red. This.. This is an ability that should only be able to be harnessed by those at the sky level.


    ¡°What are you doing standing there, take me to the Patriarch!¡± While Audun had never really used his status, when he had it, as a tool to get his way, he felt it necessary now. Although his status has diminished, the conversation he overheard earlier was enough to give him confidence this man would take him to the Patriarch.


    ¡°S.. sorry milord, I.. I cannot..¡±


    ¡°You cannot nothing! You will take me to the Patriarch, or you will face the wrath of the dao child of the Baste Clan!¡±


    Audun didn¡¯t know why, but panic had begun to seize him, he felt as if disaster was coming his way soon.


    ¡°Sorry milord, right away milord.¡± The apprentice turned and beckoned Audun forward. This would usually be considered very rude, but Audun was not going to object right now. As they emerged from the dark corridors into the vibrant,


    luxuriously carpeted castle, he was able to look outside and see terrifying tribulation clouds billowing. They seemed to encompass the entire plane and beyond. Audun couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the thought that they were for him.


    Soon, they were before an ornately designed door, bearing the image of many different men standing on top of a Legendary Golden Baste, which was the beast the clan was named after. Once the ancestor¡¯s killed the ancient Baste, 23,000,000 years ago, through luck and heavenly tribulation Angel¡¯s descending on the beast, they found its martial training manual. It was the third and most recent immortal martial manual. The book was able to give those untalented in the abilities of the soul the ability to become a true immortal. However, only 10 of the great clan had made it through the training.


    Through the door, Audun could clearly hear the Patriarch shouting.


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s! How have I angered you! I, a simple cultivator who follows the path of a million million other men, have done nothing of note to call for a tribulation!¡±


    The apprentice knocked, muttering under his breath about the Patriarch being crazy.


    ¡°Come in.¡± Opening the door led to a hugely beautiful sight. It had been so many years since Audun had been here, he forgot the majesty of the throne room. It¡¯s lights that shifted to fit one¡¯s mood, the beautiful paintings adorning the walls. And most of the, the throne itself. It was a mighty creation, beckoning one up a flight of stairs. Then, a golden throne shone out, carved to be the perfect size for a true immortal, with a secondary throne at the base. In that cushioned throne sat a young man, who looked to be around 22. In reality, this was the Patriarch, who is really 76. He arrived at the saint level when he was 22, so unless he becomes a demigod, he cannot change his appearance.


    His fiery red eyes betrayed his shock upon looking at Audun. He couldn¡¯t sense this child''s dantian, yet he could tell he had reached the true rank. There was no way that someone could exist without a dantian, yet here was proof of this existence before his eyes.


    ¡°Wha.. What are you? How do you exist?!¡±


    ¡°Senior, I am Audun Baste, the Dao Child of the Baste clan.¡± The heavens outside seemed to rumble angrily at that statement, threatening the destruction of the whole clan in response to Audun¡¯s statement.


    Alistar¡¯s face was full of turmoil, the child before him was exceptionally talented , but the Heaven¡¯s reject his very existence. Cultivator¡¯s defied the Heaven¡¯s, yes, but this was a blight upon Heaven. Only a fool would provoke Heaven further.


    ¡°No, you are Audun Arimasen, Dao Child of Nothing. You will leave this clan and take all your disputes with Heaven with you. From hence forth, the clan will no longer acknowledge you.¡± Arimasen. The death sentence of Amrestria. It means you have no family, no clan. Merely speaking it is considered taboo, yet the sky lightened, as if to approve the decision.


    ¡°Clan Patriarch! Please reconsider! My latent talent is unmatched in history!¡± He was practically yelling, but the Patriarch nor the apprentice even acknowledged there was a sound. A raging heat built up inside him, and he prepared to attack.


    The Patriarch however put him in his eye again, and the entirety of him shook. Even the hollow part where his dantian was shivered.


    Tears built up in his eyes, there was nothing he could do against these people. He was too weak. He left quietly, knowing that he would never know the warmth of his clan again, but he step brought a cool rage sweeping through him. He was weak now, and everything was taken from him. He would not be weak. He will become strong enough to grasp his life that was taken from him. He will become strong enough to make the Heaven¡¯s submit. This was Audun¡¯s life or death promise.

 Chapter 2: Survive

    Cultivating was still an issue. At first, he tried a few of the more powerful techniques he was given, but they didn¡¯t work. He then decided to try his clan¡¯s most famous technique, the Martial Asura¡¯s Requiem. Its contents were secret, but it allowed a martial artist to incorporate Qi into their attacks, even if they had no affinity for Qi control. It did this by not having Qi absorbed into your dantian, but by circling Qi through it, then launching it. Each of the elemental essences require tuning your dantian to accept them, but since he didn¡¯t have one, he theorized he could use any element without having to tune his dantian.


    Audun took off his shirt, letting the warm sun radiate over his body. He opened his eyes, taken in the hilly surrounding, adorned by nothing but short grass. He had traveled for two weeks before he had found a place sufficiently devoid of other sentient life. As soon as he found this place, he went to cultivating. He would waste no time in his promise.


    He circulated the world Qi around him, slowly bringing it into his pathways. It was a pleasant feeling, one his knotted dantian had prevented before. He noticed that his pathways were larger than before, which he theorized would help the power of his martial techniques. The first level was attuning yourself to an element, learning to sense it and control its elemental ki. Audun knew he could skip this step, his control over world Qi was at the level of an Earth level elemental master. Step two was learning how to circulate the Qi. Most people could work off of their souls shape, but Audun wasn¡¯t most people. He was possibly the first being to ever live without a dantian.


    He attempted to just imagine a circle and have the Qi flow like that, but he found it very hard to keep the image, and very hard to get the Qi to listen. After several tries, he was drenched in sweat, and knew that his mind was at its limit for the day. Now it was time to train his body. He had thought of using normal training methods, but he knew that training like that was slow and systematic. He would need to move into the next level through training, then train his body to properly use its strength.


    He needed to circumvent this process, and he picked this area not just because of its seclusion, but because of the excess of true level spirit beasts near him. Hunting them would push his body to its limits, and allow him to train technique. It was dangerous, but he was impatient. He would receive vengeance, and the first step was the bandit leader at the True level. He was at the sixth level of the True realm, nearing the seventh, but he knew the bandit was at the peak of the True realm. He needed to practice and become more powerful.


    He began walking up a hill, over which he knew that a spirit beast of the seventh level frequented. While spirit beasts were usually stronger than people of the same rank anyway, he knew that fighting something of this level would force his body to evolve and adapt. Standing atop the hill, he saw the Harpy he was after. Harpies were humanoid spirit beasts, with intelligence that was around the level of a ten year old child. It was akin to a chicken that could stand on two legs, and was colored a hollow gray.


    It was an excellent target for Audun, who was nearing eleven. His comprehension shot up with his cultivation level, so his intelligence was on the level of a seventeen year old. He took a moment to make sure he knew his escape paths. The harpy couldn¡¯t swim very fast, so he made sure that the lake was close, so that he could get there in just a few long steps.


    Preparing his mind and body, he strode forward. The Harpy noticed him as soon as he stepped within fifteen meters of it. It squawked out a battle cry, then dashed toward him. Audun was barely able to dodge before the Harpy brought around its talons down across his face. A light scratch still found its way onto his head. His eye was blinded, and he panicked. He could still see out of his right eye, but he had a huge blindspot.


    Fear and anger rushed through him. How could he be so stupid, he should have trained, practiced for this. No, no that thought is stupid now. All he could do was live through this. Just keep the Harpy to the right. These thoughts flashed by faster than a normal ten year old could think, so the Harpy had only just turned to begin its next attack. Leaning right, Audun got into Crane Stance, a nimble stance, having him place all of his weight onto his left foot directly under him. His right foot was slightly raised, enabling him to either dodge or counterattack as necessary.


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    The Harpy charged straight forward, but at the last moment, seemingly teleported to his blind spot. Audun cursed himself for thinking the Harpy would just charge again. He threw himself down, feeling the hostile air from the savage kick brush by. He began to reposition himself, but he felt the harpy¡¯s other leg move towards him. Instinctively, he was able to move move slightly out of the way, throwing himself forward. As the Harpy passed by, he grabbed at its neck like lightning, snapping it.


    He got up, feeling numb staring at the Harpy before him. The world slowed, and everything was turned upside down. He couldn¡¯t keep it in anymore, he burst into tears. He was truly all alone, in this kill or be killed world. He could train and become strong, but he will still be alone. The turmoil he felt caused him to sob in anguish for hours, until he cried himself to sleep.


    Day faded to night when Audun woke up. He was emotionally exhausted, doing nothing but blankly staring at the triple moon system above. With his exhaustion came a resolute feeling however, and now more than ever, he felt confident he could take on the world. Those feelings came crashing down when he tried to sit up.


    ¡°Ah hell, everything hurts.¡± Looking himself up and down, he was a pretty sorry sight. Limping over to the shining water, he rinsed himself off, and soaked. It would be daylight soon, and his strict training regime would begin. It seems he has to ability to sense where his opponent is, and what they are doing. He decided to make a few workouts dedicated to training that, mainly running ones, while doing so blindfolded.


    ¡°I¡¯m an idiot.¡± Shooting up out of the water he ran to the harpy. Many intelligent demon beasts had rings, and although their full properties couldn¡¯t be explored due to the lack of demon beasts, they have been found to help in cultivation. The green Harpy lie there with its neck broken, being a sorry sight. Audun ignored the body and immediately used the Qi of the world to search the harpy. There! Sure enough, there was a ring the size of a palm right where a humanoid¡¯s dantian is located.


    The method to extract a ring is simple, and was in the courses that Audun was taught as a child. He had to revise them slightly, but the principle was the same. Rotating the world Qi around his finger, as to make a saw, he cut down the harpy¡¯s stomach. Doing so also untethered the spirit bonds that helped keep a soul in when the body is cut. The spirit ring started floating out, so he quickly snatched it. As soon as his finger touched it however, the circle was absorbed into him.


    And he was writhing in pain. Every poor in his body ached, and his cultivation surged. He may not have a dantian, but his soul is still can grow, likely him to control more Qi. The pain he experienced was his soul attempting to escape, without its dantian shell.  After several moments of hell, it finally dulled. The dull brought with it a new feeling, a feeling of¡­ The breeze. Yet this feeling only stemmed from his palm.


    He shook his head, this was certainly interesting, but splitting his focus into too much at once would be counter productive. He needed to get strong enough to be accepted by a clan, and receive their techniques. While he couldn¡¯t use them exactly as described, techniques have proved to be very useful starting grounds. The only problem was, he didn¡¯t know what to do once he became strong enough to take out the bandit.


    But these were thoughts for later, for now it was training time. Taking a breath, he began jogging towards the forest. He allowed himself to pick up speed as he was running, and by the time he was in the forest, he was in full sprint. He allowed himself to close his eyes and feel the world around him, to feel the objects around him. Directly ahead, he could sense a tree, so he pivoted around it. He knew he was feeling correctly when his arm cut against it. The wound stung, but he pressed forward.


    By the time he left the forest, it was dark and he had many cuts all up and down his body. But he also radiated a new sense of stillness. All around him, nothing moved, and Audun seemed at peace with the world. The training had not only vastly improved his sixth sense, but his control too. If he kept up like this, well, it would only take two years to hit the peak of the true level. With a newfound fire in his eyes, Audun set up camp and prepared for the coming trials.

 Chapter 3: New Faces

    The road was bustling with activity, and both sides were cramped with people. Hundreds of faces past, and most were unremarkable commoners, in the low Nascent stages. A few low True levels here and there, but experts are fairly rare. One young man especially stood out on the road. He was around 1.5 meters, but one couldn¡¯t make out much more than a little bit of hair that peeked out of his hood, flowing a crisp brown.


    The young man¡¯s hood was attached to a long coat, which was left unzipped. He had pants, which were stretchable, but tight enough to not get in the way. The shirt was the same. Both were a medium brown, the color of wood almost. The coat itself was made of an animal''s leather, and could warm him or cool him depending on how he made the ki flow.


    The young man was Audun of course, whose leaps in cultivation allowed his body to begin reaching maturity at a younger age. Only a year and a half had passed, and he was only twelve yet if one took a close look, they would see he was young. With his face hidden, he could masquerade as a young man.


    He paid extra attention to the voices around him, attempting to pick up on where he was headed, and some local news. His first objective was to take on the bandit that devastated his cultivation, but that would take a whole new set of skills.


    Listening to idle conversation allowed him to learn that the town he was going to was a small merchant town, one that had coincidentally been having bandit problems. Avera. It seemed that this was where Audun¡¯s next step was.


    There wasn¡¯t much of a transition between the road and the town, before now there was never a need for a wall or any kind of checkpoint, so the town just slowly built up, with buildings appearing closer and closer together. The building¡¯s quality increased the closer you got to town, from wood and mud into solid stone. The look of most the buildings were very plain, showing that even though local experts cared enough to create a solid foundation and maintain it, they were not doing it for favors.


    Audun figured that he had gone far enough to have left Baste territory, the meadow had already been fairly close to a border, but he knew nothing about the more chaotic southern region he was in. He had been deemed non important before he was given this knowledge. Deciding to fix his ignorance, he walked towards a building that bustled with life, and the doors left wide open. The smell of drink leaked out, and the wooden sign above had the words ¡¯Avera¡¯s Tavern¡¯ painted across.


    A rare smile touched his face, all the stories that he had read had heros finding out more information about their quests from taverns. He began to walk towards it when he saw some fairly haughty looking men with a mid True rank cultivation begin to bully a young girl of about 16. Audun paused a moment, gathering information on what was going on.


    ¡°Now little miss, I heard what you did to poor old Natsu. That little Nascent bugger can be troublesome, but there was no need to leave him of his manhood.¡± The lead of the men was a medium height, with a slight muscular build. He had a handsome face, albeit it had a hinge of gruffness. He had on a loose fitting cloth top without sleeves, and light black pants with open toed shoes.


    ¡°Well Natsu should learn to keep his hand off people to tell him to get away, especially people who are obviously stronger. I would advise you learn from him.¡± The girl herself was completely different than the noble and girls Audun was used too, she was dressed in men''s clothing. She wore a shirt that she must have half made herslef. It was light blue, and clashed with her green shorts that extended to her knees. Her long, black, wavy hair was kept tamed by a knot used to keep it in a pony tail. She was around Audun¡¯s height, and he could clearly see her bright green eyes.


    ¡°I was going to keep this nice and civil, but now I have to teach you a lesso¡­¡± Mid sentence, the girl lashed out, and punched him. Yet, when the punch landed, it appeared light as a feather. Her cultivation base went out in waves, being of the ninth stage in the true realm. Audun found himself impressed, and somewhat taken by her looks.


    Although it was clear she needed no help, he decided to show off a bit. With a special footwork movement, he was almost instantly upon the second strongest of the bunch, finishing him with a tap to the pressure point on the back of the neck. Turning, Audun launched a kick to the last man¡¯s throat. From the way the man crumpled, he appeared to be dead. A tinge of sadness and guilt hit him.


    ¡°Let''s get away from here, wouldn¡¯t want to cause too much of a scene.¡± Without hesitation, he walked into the loud tavern. It was a bustling place, with characters of all walks of life in every corner. Audun looked around, feeling a sense of adventure hit him, before he found his way to a somewhat private corner.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t in need of any help you know.¡± Her lavish scent made her all the more appealing to him, reaching over the rough smell of alcohol.


    ¡°I know you weren¡¯t, but seeing people act so arrogantly without the ability to back it up, I couldn¡¯t help myself. Plus, I thought maybe I could convince you to help me gather some information.¡±


    ¡°You presume much, stranger whose name I do not even know.¡±


    ¡°Call me Arimasen.¡± He didn¡¯t want his true existence to be commonly known. Amstria had many powers who worshipped the heaven as sacred, and those powers would crush him into nothingness if they knew who he was.


    ¡°Hmph, you are a forsaken one then. And you would think that someone of my stature, that Avari Joka would deal with a forsaken.¡±


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    Audun¡¯s eyes widened, she was a core member of the Joka clan, a clan of legendary Wind cultivators. They were backed by two peak level saint cultivators, with an elite guard of fifty sky level experts each. They were one of the strongest clans in the land, second only in power to the Sero clan of light cultivators. Who would¡¯ve thought their influence would expand up through the chaotic southern lands.


    More pressingly, the oppressive Church of Heavens held a huge amount of influence in the Joka Clan. Audun felt eternally grateful that he had the foresight not to reveal himself. He was sure his clan would not give out what truly happened to their prodigy child, but all information could be bought.


    ¡°I hoped a noble would be willing to help people in need! Especially someone willing to help them!¡±


    At first, Avari¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion, before she bursted out into laughter. A sweet laughter, that annoyed Audun to his core.


    ¡°Why are you laughing at me!"


    ¡°It¡¯s just, you are so childish. I can¡¯t believe that someone like you is at the peak true level, when you act as a ten year old.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯M ACTUALLY 12, ALMOST THIRTEEN!¡± Oh no, that wasn¡¯t supposed to come out.


    ¡°Wha¡­ What, there''s no way¡­ Even I¡­ A genius born at the almost peak of the Nascent realm¡­ Needed 16 years to reach the ninth rank.¡± Audun sensed out around, making sure his outburst wasn¡¯t noticed. When it appeared no one else noticed, he prepared on how to deal with this gorgeous lady. What if he had to¡­. kill her?


    He let out a nervous laugh. ¡°I was born at the peak of the Nascent realm at birth, a step away from the True realm. With the help of some special items from my family, I was able to reach such a level at this young age.¡±


    ¡°But then why would you be Arimasen. Furthermore,  why would a genius such as yourself be named such a despicable thing.¡±


    Oh no, how could he explain that. ¡°Well, uhm¡­ M.. My family was killed by bandits early in the year, and my clan wouldn¡¯t take action. So I forsook myself.¡± He let himself feel some of the feelings he had been keeping within himself, as to make it more believable. His whole story was not a lie.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss, but what clan would be so weak and despicable as to turn their back onto a genius such as yourself?¡± She knew she had to bring this young man to her side. A genius such as him will no doubt reach the Sky level, maybe even the Saint level! It was only a matter of time and resources.


    Audun thought for a moment, the Baste and Joka clan were enemies since that dispute ten thousand years ago. He could use them, if he showed them his unrivaled talent. It wouldn¡¯t take much persuading. But he still felt a longing, a hollow love for his clan. Yet, he could still talk his way in, and maybe even help his clan see the error of their ways.


    ¡°It¡¯s a small southern land clan, the Jeronka¡¯s. Our elder was only a middling Sky expert, but he had enough connections to provide me with decent cultivation methods. Not nearly as good as the training you must have received though.¡±


    Avari smirked inwardly, she had him hooked. ¡°While I undoubtedly had better training than a small clan such as yourself could offer, you too could have the same training, if you join us.¡±


    Audun almost jumped with joy. He could join a powerful clan, and receive their techniques. Maybe even have the resources to discover what he truly was. He would have to be careful, sure, but this was an opportunity he wouldn''t deny. But their was still the bandit matter.


    ¡°I would love to join Miss¡¯s clan, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t know about your clans temperament. From what I¡¯ve seen, you are not too disposed to helping those in need.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. That was merely a misunderstanding, I would have no problem helping you in your task.¡±


    ¡°Oh miss, you are too kind. If your whole clan is as helpful, I can join with no qualms. All I need is to be told where the bandits who attack this town hide, and some help in defeating them.¡±


    ¡°You ask for¡­¡±


    An old man bursted through the door of the tavern, looking haggard and scared. ¡°The bandits are here! You must all flee!¡±


    ¡°Well miss, looks like our first issue is solved. Let¡¯s go greet those no good ne¡¯er do wells!¡± Running straight outside, Avari was left to gape in his wake.


    "This surely is a strange child," she muttered to herself. She had always acted with caution and the utmost care, yet she just ran after him, not even thinking twice.

 Chapter 4: A Bandit Makes a Mistake

    Audun stood there like a stone pillar, with people flowing like river water fleeing on either side of him. Most of them just instinctively went around him. The few who did notice his presence shot him looks of pleading and helplessness. It really hit him how low the bar of power was outside of the capital of the Baste clan. Average people would never leave the middling Nascent stage, so a peak expert of the true realm would be a lord to them. He could just imagine the wistful stories of immortal cultivators flying the sky being told to children, a fantasy to them. In his world, it was a common occurrence, just a thing that was for those who were strong. An Earth expert could fly with a treasure they imbued power in, and a Sky expert could literally take to the skies with their own bodies. It wasn¡¯t until the Saint rank, however, that one would have sustained, indefinite flight.


    Avari could see the crowd parting around one spot. and she could only assume that¡¯s where Audun was. She felt a nudge of worry, not being sure if that''s where he was and if he had encountered the bandits or not. It was stupid, sure, he was at the peak of the true stage. But she was older than him, if only by two years, and she could tell that she could defeat him if it came to it.  Her techniques far outstripped his own.


    After several minutes, the crowd cleared and Avari made her way next to Audun. The gang of bandits then slowly came forward on their horses. There were a few outliers who who broke off to pillage the village, however a core group of three remained moving forward, stopping ten meters away from Audun and Avari.


    They all had shocking cultivation bases, with the ones to the left and right of the main bandit having cultivation bases of the ninth and peak stages respectively. They both wore ragtag clothes of cotton, with the bandits salamander insignia across the left and right breasts. The one to the left had short red hair, while the one on the right had long blonde hair. The most shocking of the trio, however, was the one in the center, who had a cultivation base of the second level Earth realm. His figure was huge, with hair trimmed to the scalp and harsh, violet eyes.


    ¡°Some brave children want to play I see. I¡¯ll give you both one chance, give me all of your valuables, and you leave with your lives.¡±


    Audun had a look of stubborn determination in his eyes, while Avari had one of panicked contemplation. Both were unwilling to give up what they had, even if all he had was a special belt that could store valuables he would one day receive. He found it on the edge of the forest, and he could only assume some unlucky traveler met an unfortunate fate with one of the few demonic beasts in this world.


    Avari, however, held a wealth of life saving treasures. In all honesty, she could easily escape here with one of them. It just happened she was unwilling to waste such precious items on such a lowly person. She would if it came down to it, but if they could somehow remove the two people behind the lead bandit.


    ¡°Hahaha, it seems you two have some spunk. How about this then, you two join my little gang, and we will only take half of your valuables.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the one I¡¯m looking for, too bad really. It would¡¯ve been nice to have achieved that goal so easily.¡± Audun finally realized that this man was not the one who had broken him those many months ago. This one had an exceedingly weak foundation, and an injured one at that. He could tell from how the Qi reacted to the man that his power was only slightly above Audun¡¯s own. A normal person would never know, but Audun was not normal.


    ¡°Hmph, I suppose that arrogant response is a no. And you girlie? It¡¯d be a shame for someone with your beauty to die with this brat.¡±


    Almost as if by a sixth sense, Avari could feel Audun nudging her to press his temper. ¡°As if, you ugly pervert. Do you really have to kidnap innocent 14 year olds to find a wife.¡±


    Before she had even finished speaking, Audun riled up the horses with world Qi, and had launched himself towards the peak true expert. Reaching out with his left hand, he grabbed the neck of the cultivator. and used the elemental Ki of air to burst his windpipe before he could get his defences up. He then kicked backwards off the dead expert¡¯s horse, flipping away from the sword that was screaming towards him. Just as he seemed to get far enough away to dodge it, a shadow slicked off and left a cut through his back. Luckily it was just a flesh wound, but it stung like hell.


    Avari was just barely slower, but her seconds of lateness allowed the ninth level expert to throw up a defense. Unfortunately for him, Avari had kunai that had the inscription pattern from a saint level beast carved on them. Inscriptions were a somewhat rare magic, that relied upon using a special bone in a demon beasts body to copy the inscription from. The inscription was how the demon beasts had special abilities, and the stronger one was, the stronger the inscription.


    So the expert was dead in a flash of lightning, with some of the bolts trickling on onto the Earth expert. His eyes flew red with rage. In an instant, his two pillars of strength had been wiped out. He sensed these two children were strong, but he never could have imagined that they had the resources to finish both of his men in a flash. Now his bandit clan was destined for destruction, his damaged cultivation wasn¡¯t strong enough to keep it afloat. But if his clan was doomed, he could doom these children too.


    ¡°You both will regret not taking my kindness.¡± All of the sudden, the light skinned bandit leader turned black as night, seemingly absorbing all light that tried to touch him. This darkness trickled off of him, and his sword had transformed into a long sickle. By this time, the other bandits seemed to notice what had happened, and they all chose to flee. When the leader was like this, anyone in his sight would die.


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    Audun gasped at how much power radiated from the man, it was astonishing. He could only sense a sixth of what the bandit was displaying now. One of the biggest differences between the True and Earth level was that the Earth level was able to manifest their ki into a visible form, and in turn the Ki would be hundreds of times more potent. Only in special circumstances, like with Audun¡¯s spirit ring that was infused into his left hand, could one manifest Ki before the Earth realm.


    The bandit vanished from Audun¡¯s sight for a moment, causing him to panic for a split second. He then quickly used his world sense to find out where the bandit was, and just barely rolled out of the way of a scythe aimed at his head. He struggled to keep the bandit in his view for a few more strikes, before he realized that this was the first fight that he would have to use just his sense. Slowly, the bandits crazed scythe swing missed by more and more.


    Avari stood on the sidelines in amazement. ¡°He is gaining enlightenment in the midst of battle, he truly is a genius.¡± She was not lost in amazement although, she had another kunai ready, for whenever it appeared it was too dangerous for Audun. It wouldn¡¯t kill or seriously injure the expert, but it will be enough to get Audun and herself to safety.


    Audun found himself enjoying the thrill of the fight like never before. This was certainly not his first engagement, nor the first one where the odds were as stacked and high as they are now. He had faced his share of demon beasts, but this was the first time fighting had brought him such pleasure. Smiling, he decided to launch a counter attack.


    This is just what the bandit wanted. Audun leaped forward, preparing a world Qi pressure point strike, a strike that used world Qi to clog the Qi pathway and render it unusable, when the shadows in the center of the man launched out in retaliation. Three spikes lodged themselves into Audun, and the bandit prepared to finish him off, when Avari launched her kunai.


    To her surprise, when it hit the man, he toppled over. A person of the second level Earth realm should not be felled this easily, but when the shadows disappeared, she saw the truth. He was a broken man, breaking himself further to take down his enemies. But she did not care about this, as Audun was bleeding fairly heavily.


    ¡°Arimasen, you arrogant little idiot! You could have been killed!¡± He smiled sheepishly, and as she came over, the bleeding stopped. The wounds were still there, but the bleeding was closed off.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. Just a few flesh wounds.¡± Avari rolled her eyes, and went into her interspatial ring, retrieving a few medicinal ingredients. Audun let her apply them, and although they stung a bit, the wounds closed up. Audun then stood up and walked over to the fallen bandit.


    ¡°You¡¯re not dead, get up. I need to ask you a few questions.¡±


    ¡°If I had any kind of Qi left, you¡¯d be dead. I¡¯ll answer nothing.¡±


    A dark look flashed over Audun. He was a child, but the forest had tempered some of his childlike tendencies. He raised his left hand toward the man, and heated the air that was going into his lungs. The bandit''s eyes opened wide, and he screamed. Audun tried his hardest to not let his sympathy show, but he couldn¡¯t stop his hand from wavering. Avari saw this, and a look of motherly gentleness swept over her eyes.


    She lightly grasped his arm. ¡°What do you want to know, Arimasen? Is it about the bandits that killed your family?¡± Reservation swept through his eyes, but then a look of trust entered them.


    ¡°Ask him about bandits that attacked close to the inner courtyard of the Baste Clan, and destroyed a noble child''s dantian. I overheard the leader bragging about it, and that probably is more descriptive than some no name village.¡± Audun left Avari there with the bandit, not looking back. He couldn¡¯t show them his tears, although he is sure Avari saw them welling up. He may be strong, but he is too young. He found a spot outside the village, a spot that overlooked a valley that one would have to cross to get to Joka territory, and sat down. He imagined that his journey was through there next, unless he could convince Avari to take him to the Bandits hideout. That probably wouldn¡¯t happen though. He would be fine not going right away, however. The stronger he is, the easier time it will be getting revenge.


    Avari found him around an hour later, with a grim look on her face. ¡°Well Arimasen, I have some bad news. He knew exactly who you were speaking of, and the leader of that group is the direct Vassal of the King of Thieves, Handen Vance. The King is a fifth level sky expert. I¡¯m sorry Armisen, but there is no way we are going to be able to take him on alone. If you come with me to the Joka clan, and train hard, you could become a Sky expert yourself within twelve years. At that point, our clan would allow you to take a group of experts, and you could get your revenge.¡±


    A frown fell on Audun¡¯s face, but he also felt a sense of hope. For the first time, he had a goal that was in his sights. He looked up at Avari, and allowed a big smile to engulf his face. He ran up and hugged her.


    ¡°Thank you so much Avari!¡±


    ¡°Let go of me or I will kill you for touching a main branch family member.¡±

 Chapter 5: Through the Valley

    The valley was astoundingly beautiful, and vast. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, shining on a bright path that stretched for as far as one could see. In the distance, one could barely make out the huge mountain range that made the divide between the Joka Clan and the southern regions. The southern regions themselves were like a band, they divided the continent distinctly, even though there may not be much space directly south, it was almost never ending from East to West.


    All throughout the chaotic southern region, many small clans vied for power, and although none of them are great enough to conquer it alone, they are powerful enough together to keep out the big clans. There were three big clans, the Baste to the North, Joka to the South and the mysterious Astrals that have conquered the sea. Each of the great clans hold with them an affinity for one of the many cultivation paths, with the Baste¡¯s have their martial arts hybrid cultivation that allows them to theoretically use all of the elements. The Joka¡¯s use wind cultivation, and are known to have very free spirited people, although a strict main branch in association with the Church of Heaven, has arisen to try and keep order. Avari is a part of this branch. Not much is known about the Astral¡¯s, but it is known that every member of the clan, besides the younger generation, is a sky level expert that prefers to stay one with the light. All of the clans have at least one Saint level backer, with the Astral clan supposedly having three. But above all of them was the mysterious ¡®Dark God.¡¯ He keeps to himself, staying in pure darkness at the bottom of the world, where the sun never touches. He is said to be above even Saints, although clan leaders would tell you otherwise.


    Audun let these thoughts collect themselves in his head. The past week, from talking to Avari and reading some books he found on the corpse of the dead man, he had learned a whole lot. He figured that sense he was going to be adventuring, and even joining the Joka Clan for a bit, he should learn about the world. It all interested him greatly, but there was still so much he was going to have to discover for himself. Even the valley they were in now was riddled with legends and remained vastly unexplored due to the high level of demon beasts above even the Earth realm throughout the forest. The one that excited Audun most was the place they were going to pass by soon.


    ¡°Avari, we are about the pass by where you said the lakes of throne lay, I want to do a quick check.¡±


    ¡°For the one millionth time, no! It is dangerous, and I will not have you eaten by some random demon beast.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on! I can handle myself, and plus I cultivate with wind, so I can make sure I feel out the area. If I sense any danger, I can run right away.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you are hard headed idiot! Fine, but I¡¯m accompanying you. I¡¯ll make sure if we encounter danger, we escape.¡± Audun let out a huge smile. It had taken a few days, but he had gotten her tongue to loosen. She was no longer so much of a stiff, and he even got out some of that inherent Joka playfulness once. It made her much more attractive. Her being only fourteen as well got his hopes to skyrocket.


    ¡°But! I want us to make camp first. The sun is almost down and I will not allow you to go into there while it''s dark.¡± A part of her questioned why she was so firm with him. He may be a great asset for the clan, but she was going farther for him than any would ever ask. She thought maybe it was because he reminded her of her brother.


    Audun opened his mouth to begin complaining, but after seeing the complicated look on her face, he closed it. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    She gave a sad smile. ¡°Just a time long before this one, one that is long gone.¡± She stopped and brought out a wooden home from her interspatial ring. It was how they had been sleeping, and it was safe due to the various defensive inscriptions.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.¡°Is there any way that we could sleep under the stars. I can tell it is going to be a pleasant night.¡±


    ¡°Heh, I suppose I can lay down a formation.¡± It was dangerous, but a Joka would naturally prefer to be in the spacious outdoors than a cramped camping house. Besides, demon beasts rarely wondered onto the path. She put the house back, and brought out several pillars infused with spiritual energy. Placing them around the site, an invisible barrier came up.


    Minutes later, the rest of the camp was ready, and the sun was low in the sky. They sat around the campfire, eating silently and politely. When they were finished, it was dark. The only light was that being provided by the fire, and the forest looked absolutely haunting. Audun felt a chill rack through his spine.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to forget where I came from in all of this, you know. Ever since I left home and started training, no, even before that. At some point, I just stopped looking back.¡± Whatever it was about this moment right now, Audun felt the need to open up. So much had happened since he left, and in all that time he never let it hit him. He was never not busy enough to let it hit him.


    ¡°I understand, Audun. Leaving home is hard, although your leaving was a bit more permanent.¡±


    Audun¡¯s eyes widened and he stood up. ¡°Why did you call me that name?¡±


    ¡°You talk in your sleep. I apologize for listening in, but I had a hard time falling asleep. I have not been without luxury for quite some time.¡±


    It appeared she didn¡¯t know what it meant that his name was Audun, or maybe she did. It makes sense, she is just bringing him back to give him to the church. That¡¯s why she is so insistent. Audun prepared a method to flee.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened between you and the Baste Clan, I have been away from home for quite some time on my mission. What I do know is you have a good heart, and you are strong. I¡¯m going to be honest with you Audun, my clan is in serious danger. Someone is plotting to overthrow my family, and has been launching a series of attacks on key schools and military bases. I had hoped that bringing in a strong outsider like you, one with whom I could forge a connection too, would allow me to use you to discover who plots against us. I¡¯m sorry for thinking of using you like this, but¡­ I was out of options. Audun Baste, please help me.¡± Tears were streaming down her face, causing a pang of empathy in his heart. Even though it had been a short time, she had saved his life, and they had instantly clicked. In his heart, he believed she could be trusted.


    He moved towards her, instinctively hugging her. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not executed for this, but I thought maybe it would help.¡± Wiping away her tears, he spoke softly, ¡°I will help you, and your clan. I may have been without family for a while, but I still know the feeling. And I still can recognize when one is close enough to be called family. I have your back as you would have mine, in any and all endeavors.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you so much.¡± She closed her eyes and laid down. A million thoughts ran through her mind as she did, and she was glad the poor lighting could conceal the blush she felt on her cheeks. Neither of them said anything, but they did not sleep apart that night.

 Chapter 6: Memories

    Audun awoke just before the sun began to touch the night sky. He was eager to explore, but he didn¡¯t want to wake up Avari. He gave a quick glance to her next to him, and felt his cheeks flush a bit. What had happened here was probably best to be kept a secret, and he can¡¯t help but wonder what others would of thought if they could have seen them. It was a very lucky thing that the specific path they were on was a lesser known one.


    After attempting to meditate and train for a few minutes, he found he couldn¡¯t help but be curious. The sun was starting to rise anyway, it couldn¡¯t hurt too much if he just went to the edges. Walking over, he cast his sense out. Just on the edge of his domain, about 100 meters, he could sense something. It felt¡­ Ancient almost.


    He pressed forward into the trees, at first trying to stay on the edge, but eventually, curiosity fully took over. It was not long before he was firmly within the forest. Everything around him felt surreal and strange. He opened his eyes, retracting his sense and letting himself look at where he was. Everything was the same, yet it was different. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on it, but the whole world around him had grown bleak. It was as if his screams could never be heard.


    Audun shook his head, and decided to return to the roadside. He turned, and casted out his divine sense. A shock filled his body, there was nothing but this forest in front of him. The road was gone, Avari was gone, the life he had felt around him was gone.


    ¡°No, no. I must be mistaken. I¡¯m shaken up, if I just head back the way I came, then I¡¯ll eventually meet up with Avari and we can go to her clan.¡± Dashing forward, he ran. Minutes past, and sweat trickled down his back. It was not from exertion.


    ¡°Damn this place! How could I have lost my bearings?! Why won¡¯t my damn divine sense work here?!¡± He slammed his fist into a tree with rage, splintering it. The sound reverberated through the forest, more and more twisting into the sound of a scream. The scream turned into screams, and the screams turned into howl.


    Audun began panting, quickly weaving away from the tree he had struck. His divine sense swathed the area, keeping everything within 100 meters in check. It was only now he noticed there was no wind. Nothing at all moved in this world, not a thing but him. Head spinning, he sat down on top of a branch, hiding himself from what he could. The howls still hadn¡¯t died down.


    An hour had passed with him frozen there, before the howling stopped, and the haunting silence took over. The sky was still stuck in the permanent twilight, the sun unable to completely overcome the darkness. Audun cleared his eyes, and stood up on the branch. He needed to find a way out, he needed to find out where he was. He needed to think.


    It hit him, he was in an expert¡¯s dimension. He had heard stories that people of old could create pocket dimensions, to silence the world around them and train. The art had been lost for millennia, however, and this tidbit brought Audun no comfort or idea of how to get out. It only made him more desperate, for if an expert¡¯s dimension was an extension of themselves, and he did not want to meet the expert who lived here.


    Deciding that sitting around would get him nowhere, he pushed back towards where he came. It was possible that¡­ The realm was looping itself, and if he could find exactly where he had entered, he could break his way out. He threw out his sense once more, only to sense pure, indescribable fear. A being that radiated darkness and evil intent flushed over him. Moreover, it noticed him.


    The most primal instinct a human can have shoved itself into his brain. Live. Just live. Run as fast as you can. He immediately turned his heel and dashed away. The being just stood there, waiting. Audun couldn¡¯t help but stop when it was at the edge of his sense. What would this creature do to him if he didn¡¯t keep track of it. Looking to his right and finding a decent bit of shrubbery, he hid. The creature continued to stay at the edge of his sense.


    Audun attempted to make out what the creature was, maybe knowing that would subside his fear, but to his horror, it stayed formless. Eternities passed every second, and Audun couldn¡¯t help but feel his cheeks moisten. The beast was taunting him. Just like those bandits¡­


    ¡°What are you staring at little boy¡­¡± Terror. Audun¡¯s body was frozen, unable to move. That voice, that horrible voice. It was grating, it was numerous. The voice was every voice that had ever haunted him. His mother, his father, his patriarch, that damned bandit. His entire life came crashing down on him.


    ¡°Oh little child, why do you fear me, I only want to take the pain away¡­¡± The voice redoubled with memories of the past. He forced himself to stare at the beast, and at that moment had every desire to take his own life. Before him was his mother and father, as one, flickering between that stern face and that caring smile. Yet, they were burned, with only his mother''s bright, green, loving eyes escaping the scorched tar.


    ¡°Oh Audun, our little prodigy...how could you have forgotten us? Left us? Abandoned us?Why couldn¡¯t you have died with us, Audun? Did you not want to be with your mom and dad?¡±


    Through his sobs, he managed to spit out, ¡°No, no. I wanted to live for you guys. I¡­ I wanted to make you guys proud, and get revenge!¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, stupid, Audun. We want nothing more than for our perfect child who has forgotten us to come back. We want him to never forget us again. We want to punish our perfect child.¡±


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    He had so many things he wanted to say, to apologize. He had forgotten them because it was easier. If he stayed focused on the future, if he forgot¡­ Maybe it would be easier. And his mistakes were here, eating him up. He thought of giving up, just letting it happen, when something strange happened inside. A fire lit, a fire stronger than any before. This fire was fueled by three words.


    ¡°I¡­ Will¡­ Live¡­¡± Moving infuriatingly slow, he turned and tried to run. It felt like he was moving through liquid wax, each movement requiring enormous effort. Audun was acutely aware of every muscle that twitched. Even his sense was groggy. Not long after, breathing became difficult. And then his eyes flung open.


    He awoke in a cold sweat, looking around. He saw that Avari was still next to him, and he calmed down. It was just a bad dream. He thought about just trying to wait for her to wake up, but he needed to talk to her.


    ¡°Avari, wake up.¡± He tapped her lightly, but to his shock, she didn¡¯t budge. It wasn¡¯t until now he realized how nothing around him moved. His eyes wide, he stepped back, moving away in horror. He had a sneaking suspicion that that was not Avari. His mind was thrown all around, his thoughts refusing to collect into a coherent stream.


    ¡°Okay, calm, think. The scenery has changed, and I¡¯m still alive. That means that the beast, at the very least, isn¡¯t done with me yet. That also means that this place can move. But, no other life was here before, why is Avari here?¡± A horrible thought flashed. ¡°What if¡­ She¡¯s going to turn into another horrid apparition?!¡± He jumped back, but this time, he hit hard against a wall. Turning around, there was nothing but trees. Reaching his hand out, he felt that there was an invisible barrier in front of trees. Moving as a blur, he saw that the area was like a box, thirty meters across.


    ¡°Damn it! How is my luck so rotten. I just want to get out!¡±


    ¡°And what makes you think you may leave my domain?¡± That voice was back, but this time it was¡­ Different. It still held remnants of his family''s voices¡¯, yet now it also held an ancientness, and it held power. It was as if the beings very voice could shatter Audun to pieces.


    ¡°What have I done to be held here? I deserve to leave because I didn¡¯t want to be here in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Ah the folly of a child¡¯s mind. Alas, fate is not what one deserves, but what fate is. You came here not because of some reason, not because your karmic deeds merited it. This merely is.¡± The voice now only sounded as if it was an ancient senior, scolding a child.


    ¡°But fate is also in the hands of people, senior. You could decide very easily to let me leave.¡±


    The voice began to emit a horrid sound, blasting against Audun¡¯s very soul. It was loud and full of base, yet with a feminine touch. ¡°It is true I could easily let you leave. Yet how am I assured you won¡¯t reveal my existence to that vile church?¡±


    ¡°I too have animosity with the church, senior. If you were to look into my soul, you would see there is no dantian. I am an abomination in there eyes, and I would be slaughtered should I ever be found.¡±


    He felt a sweeping sense throughout his soul. ¡°It would indeed seem this is true. I shall let you go, however, there are two things you must do. First, you must swear to me that you will live your life in opposition to the church. Second, you must then pass my trial, and if you do, you shall be rewarded. Fail, and you will perish.¡±


    Audun frowned inwardly, but let out a sigh of relief on the outside. Swearing this will cause him to be bound by the heavens, and irking them anymore would result in complete annihilation. It means that he will eventually have to betray Avari. But he would need to do this eventually, the truth could not be contained forever. Yes, this will help him, and he will have seniors guidance. He could also convince Avari, she was not stubborn.


    ¡°I swear to you, that I, Junior, will destroy the vile Church of Heavens. And I will face your task with head held high. I only wish to as-¡±


    ¡°Silence, you will now take the trial. Pass, and you will earn the right to ask me questions.¡±


    The tree¡¯s splintered apart, and from the broken trees rose a huge building, made of a black material. It felt vaguely familiar, and Audun could sense strands of world Qi in it. He suspected it was made from elemental ki, with world Qi used to stabilize it. Taking a breath and collecting himself, letting those horrible events feelings flow out of him, he walked into the building. Down he went, deeper into the senior¡¯s trial, with no way of knowing if he was truly going to get back.

 Chapter 7: Memories, pt 2

    Audun awoke, his eyes blurry and crusted from a deep sleep. Rubbing his eyes clean, and then blinking away the blurriness, he got a good look of the room around him. Confusion filled him, it was his own room. The last he recalled¡­ Something to do with a trial.


    ¡°I must have had a crazy dream.¡± Stretching, he got up. It was only now it hit him, his parents had died in the dream. Running out in his night clothes, he jumped down the narrow wooden stairwell of the house, not paying mind to the small kitchen or the tiny living room. He dashed straight out the front door, and looked left. He gasped. Right there was his beautiful mother, with her raven hair and dark eyes. Her face radiated with an attentiveness as she knitted, but her face was still calm and sweet. Everything about her was warm and gentle.


    ¡°Audun, you lazy child you, you were asleep for so long. It¡¯s okay anyway, your father just went with some local friends to sell of our excess harvest. But tell me honey, why do you look so distressed? Like I said, we let you sleep in, you earned it, our hardworking boy.¡± Tears welled up in his eyes the more she spoke. His mother was here, and she was being more kind and caring than ever. He ran into her arms and held her there, making sure with his own two hands that she was real.


    ¡°Oh, little Aladdin, did you have a nightmare? Tell me about it.¡± Little Aladdin, the nickname his mother gave him, because of his love for the story of that immortal cultivator. He smiled for the first time that day, and told his mother of the horrible dream he had.


    ¡°Well shh my child, mother is here, well and okay. And even if I were to go, I would just want you to know how proud I am to have you, and how much I love you.¡± That¡¯s when her voice cracked too, as if she was holding an unbearable amount of sorrow. He looked up, and she was crying too.


    ¡°Why are you crying? There¡¯s no need for you to cry, everything''s okay now, mother.¡± She wiped away her tears and smiled at her precious son, nodding in agreement.


    ¡°I hate to send you away after this, but we still do need you to prepare the land for next spring. The spirit water that will renourish the fields is already at the side of the house, our strong boy just needs to get them.¡± Almost out of instinct, Audun tried to reach out with his divine sense, but to his horror, he discovered only that knotted dantian. He truly could not cultivate. It stung, knowing that he never was able to overcome tribulation, and become stronger, but having his life back was enough.


    And so went Audun¡¯s life, moving week by week working to fields with his father, learning from him. His father was a stern man, and a man who had great expectations to meet. He was also kind and loving, and he knew how his son felt because of his disabilities. He did everything in his power to help his son overcome them, but to no avail. So instead, the caring father helped the boy train his body.


    When Audun¡¯s 18th birthday came around, he enlisted in the Baste Clan army, as the Joka and Baste¡¯s were at war, and it would bring honor if he could help push the war effort. Trying out, and pushing his body to the max, he was put on as a mere infantry man. His mother was ecstatic, and his father, as usual, was silent yet supportive. It felt wrong to Audun.


    But to battle he went, serving three years of service, and working his way up to captain, before having his arm removed in a vicious battle, but one that pushed the Baste clan into the borders of the Joka¡¯s. He was quietly honored for his services, and he went back home to care for his aging parents.


    On a seemingly normal trip to the town, he bumped into a beautiful maiden. They both apologized tens of times, and both ended up walking away blushing like fools. This was not the last they saw of each other, as he frequently made trips back to the market. The two talked more and more, and he eventually had the courage to try and court her.


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    She ran away at the request however, and he was devastated. His trips to the town were nonexistent, and he sulked for hours. After months of rest, he allowed himself to return to the town. He saw her with another man, and his heart fell. To his surprise, she came over to talk!


    ¡°Audun, I¡¯m sorry for running that day. I was unsure of how to respond, how to act. I¡¯m sorry Audun, but my parents want more for me than to be stuck in life with a cripple. I hope you understand that I did love you, but fate was against us.¡± She then snuck Audun a kiss before running off.


    He was angry, angry at his arm, and angry at his weakness. Once again, things in his life were taken from him. His mind went back to that dream, and he found the hatred burning harder. Yet, as life does, time flowed ever on, and unrequited love was relegated to a sour memory.


    His father was the first to take ill. They were out on the fields, as usual, although now they only did light work, as an example for the servants the army sent. His sickly father, with his gray hair but strong frame, threw up twice and passed out. Audun carried him home, and held his hand through his final words.


    His father laid in bed, exhausted, but with a light in his strong face. ¡°Son, all I wished for in this life, and all I will in the next, is for you to live the life you wanted. I had hoped that everything I had done, allowed for you to be the man you wanted to be. But I always saw it in your eyes. You wanted more, so much more. Son, I would have given my life had it meant you could have what it is you desired so. I¡¯ve always been proud of you, Audun.¡±


    Audun and his mother cried and cried, weeks had passed before the tears had dried. Audun and his mother then lived quietly for a few more years, and she too, had taken ill. Audun¡¯s heart felt as if it couldn¡¯t take it, as she slowly lay there, dying.


    ¡°Audun, my sweet, only child. After I gave birth to you, I could never again nurture a child. You were everything I could have wanted, we could have wanted, however. We never once felt regret for not being able to bear another child. Audun, we always wanted you to be happy, no matter what. All I and your father ask, is you stop trying to forget, Audun. Live your life, free of regret and worry, and never let us leave your thoughts for good. I love you sweetie.¡± Her tears slid past her wrinkly smile. Even with her gray hair and old physique, she still gave off a motherly charm, her warmth that let him know she was genuine.


    Audun closed his eyes. The world he was in slipt away, replaced by a void that stretched endlessly. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t move.  Opening his eyes, two scenes appeared. One was of his parents, watching with sad smiles as he lived his life, full of regret and sorrow. In the other, it was just him, struggling, unsure of reality and life. Thousands of possibilities all manifested at once, but all throughout, there was only one difference. He had no family.


    Audun realized, deep in his heart, that his parents had truly loved him. Their love was so true and deep, that even if they were to pass, it would be okay if it meant he could fulfill his dreams. In another world, in another time, he could have both, but in the world he was in, they would make him choose the one where his dreams would come true. Where he could be strong and protect others, and where he could love and marry. One where he was no longer bound to anything.


    Audun smiled, and paid his parents one last bow. One last I love you. This was a journey that required him to be strong, and resilient. To be caring and kind. To be accepting and open. Yet one that require he be stern in his way. He would be the hero he always dreamt of being, but he would take vengeance on those who harmed his family. He would be strong enough to beat back the heavens. His dao-heart was firm, and he was finally able to move. Slowly, he made his way towards the image that showed him on the immortal''s path.

 Chapter 8: Memories pt 3

    Audun was now back into the real world. At least, the seemingly real world that was frozen in time. This time, however, he was greeted by a smiling maiden. She had deep, violet hair, that ran down her back, stopping above her waist. She was tall, and had a dark complexion, with dark brown eyes to match.


    ¡°Welcome back, Audun. You have passed the test, choosing the world of cultivation, over one of false comfort. You may now ask any questions that come to mind.¡± Her overbearing aura hit him hard while she spoke, making him slightly dizzy. Luckily, his will was strong, so he shook it off.


    ¡°Who are you? The aura you emanate is even more oppressive and overbearing than the Patriarch¡¯s, and he ranks among the top three experts in the world!¡±


    She let out a light laugh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to shatter your dreams, little one, but your Patriarch is no where close to the strongest expert in this world. I am Natalia, and I suppose I am one of the top ten experts in this world. Or rather, I was.¡±


    Audun¡¯s eyes widened, it seemed that the sayings were true, saint rank was not the peak. ¡°What happened to you? Surely an expert so strong doesn¡¯t need to hide in a backwater forest?¡±


    ¡°While it is true that I could easily fend off most experts of this continent, if I were to reveal myself, the church¡¯s backers would come for me, and them I cannot handle.¡±


    ¡°Who are the churcher¡¯s backers?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, little one, I cannot tell you for many reasons. But what I can tell you is what you need to know. I can tell you more about yourself and your condition.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean I¡¯m not alone?¡± An excitement swept through him, if there were others like him...


    ¡°No, you are truly unique in this world. However, I can tell you the ways of the heavens, which truly affect you, more than any others. Tell me child, what is luck?¡±


    A sense of sadness washed over him, he was alone after all. ¡°It is random chance, just something that happens if it happens.¡±


    ¡°It would seem that way, especially if that''s what you were told. Yet no, luck is much, much more. Luck is bestowed by the heavens, bestowed onto a person for karmic merit. It is given to those who earn heaven''s favor in one fashion or another.


    So this means that for you, you cannot receive heaven¡¯s luck. For most cultivators, this is a death sentence. There are too many unforeseen events for a luckless person to be able to survive as long as we do. Yet you are different, you can siphon heaven¡¯s luck. You can wrench away another''s destiny and claim it for your own. Look to yourself, and you will see it too be true.¡±


    Audun thought back to his short life, the one that began after the incident. He struggled every second for survival, nearly dying numerous times. He thought back to when lucky things would happen to him, and when he thought back, it only happened when beings who could earn luck were around. Every near death experience was salvaged, due to there being a sentient being around.


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    ¡°I can tell by your face you know it to be true. And you can go even farther.¡± Natalia waved her hand, and Avari appeared before them, asleep but standing. ¡°You can kill them, and siphon all the karmic luck they¡¯ve built up. This would go so far as to even allow you to break through, as I see you¡¯ve had difficulty doing.¡±


    She was right, he had been unable to move to the next level. Most cultivators absorbed qi until their dantian¡¯s experienced a qualitative changed, and the qi condensed, becoming purer and denser.  They would then move to the next level. Audun became stronger as his qi pathways opened more, but he could sense they¡¯d reached their limit. Ever since this happened, he has stagnated in power. But this luck could help him move past this, and become stronger.


    ¡°And her most of all, even someone of your level can sense heaven¡¯s favor on her. She would assuredly be able to supply you with the amount of luck necessary to find a breakthrough.¡± Audun hesitated, wondering whether or not he should. His whole reason for existing was vengance. to get back at those who wronged him. It should be easy, to sacrifice someone who would assuredly betray him if she found out the truth. Yet he couldn¡¯t help but reminisce back to their short time, and the comfort she brought him. And to the time where she had helped save his life.


    ¡°No, I would never betray a friend like that, even for all the power in the world.¡± He felt terrible for the thought to even have crossed his mind. He would never, and he knew she would do the same for him.


    ¡°Even if her death would lead to those whom you seek vengeance against?¡±


    ¡°Even then, I would find another way.¡±


    ¡°Oh the innocence of a child.¡± She waved her hand, and Avari was gone. ¡°Yet, this innocence allowed you to pass my true, final test. You must keep those you love in you heart, because this world is too harsh to exist all alone.¡± He thought he could see a tear in her eyes, but it was gone in an instant, so he thought he must have imagined it.


    ¡°I cannot offer as much as I was once able, but I can give you access to this.¡± A vial of a violet liquid appeared in his hands. ¡°I know you practice the martial arts of the Baste clan, and that liquid will reform your body to have the strength of an early sky expert. And this,¡± she produced a scroll, ¡°is the next level of your training. Your new body given to you by the drink should allow you to practice this level all the way through. But you must find a way to break through, little one. There are no more crutches any can offer you from here. Now leave, and don¡¯t forget our agreement.¡±


    She gently cut a hole next to her, which revealed a world of motion and life. A world that Audun deeply missed. A place that would fill in the silence of his divine sense. He turned to Natalia and bowed a deep bow, one that spoke more than his words ever could. She had helped him so much, and he still had little idea why, but he knew he shouldn¡¯t ask.


    Smiling, he stepped out. As he left, he heard a faint whisper, one that was probably just wind blowing by.


    ¡°I miss the world so much, Michelle¡­¡±

 Chapter 9: Vengeance pt 1

    The world was moving again, and Audun smiled as he saw Avari still sleeping. It appeared that although hours had passed in the realm he was in, almost no time had passed in the real world. Audun was still in shock from how much power the senior showed over the world. There were rumors that cultivation techniques existed that allowed one to cultivate time, but they were long since outlawed by the church.


    He looked down at the vial and scroll in his hands, and decided that now would be the best time to use it. It would be better if Avari didn¡¯t know what happened, he didn¡¯t want her to be mad at him. He sat down cross legged, and allowed his mind to calm.


    There was no doubt that a qualitative transformation, like what was about to be bestowed on him, would hurt. Yet, he felt it shouldn¡¯t be too bad, ever since that night, pain has merely been a shadow of what it once was.


    When he felt he was ready, he chugged it in one go. It took only a moment before the discomfort hit. Every single cell in his body twitched and itched, making him feel exceedingly uncomfortable. He could feel the dirt and grime of his old body being expelled, and a new, stronger one taking its place. It was almost as if he was shedding his skin, to be reborn anew. He imagined anyone else would pass out from the pain.


    The sun was above the horizon before the tingling finally wore off, and Audun was able to move. He quickly retrieved some water and removed the grime from his exterior. He then changed into some new clothes, ones that Avari apparently just kept with her. His usual outfit unfortunately needed a heavy washing after what just happened, so he couldn¡¯t look as cool as usual.


    ¡°You¡¯ve probably been awake since before the sun rose in anticipation to leave, huh Audun.¡± Her messy hair was struck by the sunlight in such a way as to make her look like a newly awakened goddess, causing Audun¡¯s heart to be moved.


    He gave her a smile. ¡°I have been awake for a while, but being awake for so long has made me just want to push forward and see your hometown even more.¡±


    ¡°Audun. Baste. You went into the forest without me, didn¡¯t you.¡± Before she had even finished talking, Audun was already back on the road.


    ¡°I would never, I just can¡¯t wait to see the next town is all.¡± He laughed as he got a head start on her.


    ¡°If you think you can outrun a Joka¡¯s wrath, you have another thing coming.¡± Even as she said that, she picked up her sealing poles with a smile. Then, activating her wind ki, she sped after Audun.


    The day wore on, and the two friends ran after each other. Avari was surprised by the speed that Audun was able to achieve, making her all the more suspicious. She should be the fastest person in the whole True realm, given her heritage and cultivation technique, yet he was always just a few steps ahead. When she got faster, so did he, showing all the more that he was just holding back. And it infuriated her.


    The sun hung low in the sky when they both stopped, seeing huge towers in the distance. Audun stood there with his mouth hung open, in awe of the sight. Avari stood there and felt a warm feeling hit her.


    ¡°That is Yusen, the last city in the southern areas. To leave through to the other side, you have to pass a Joka checkpoint, and then it''s a two day journey on a flying construct to the capital.¡±


    ¡°We are going to ride in a flying construct!¡± Audun was jumping up and down in excitement, it was every cultivators goal to fly through the heavens. While a construct wasn¡¯t the cultivator doing it of their own power, it was still an amazing experience.


    ¡°Yes, little Audun. Since I am a main branch member, my returning home will give me the utmost priority.¡± Audun frowned at her contented expression. Her mentioning the main branch brought his burning question back to his mind.


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    ¡°We cannot reveal to them who I am, to anyone in your clan Avari. I must ask, what will be my alias.¡±


    Avari felt a hint of sadness towards his words, he only spoke like that when he distrusted someone. ¡°We can keep your first name, and say that you forsook your clan name. People would be suspicious, but if I vouch for you, nothing will come of it.¡±


    He was still slightly suspicious, but he knew that she had no reason to betray him. The main thing was the fact that he was possibly getting himself involved in a clan civil war. It would be a serious distraction to his revenge, and could even get him killed. But he knew he wouldn¡¯t leave Avari to deal with this alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I seem so on edge, there is just a lot to worry about. Especially with a possible civil war.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m sorry that I dragged you into this Audun. You may still back out now, I would understand.¡± She looked anxious and sad, causing sympathy and sorrow to sweep through Audun. He shouldn¡¯t have mentioned the civil war.


    ¡°Avari, I will stick by your side, through everything. You are a dear friend. Now, let''s set up camp and sleep, we will arrive tomorrow morning by the looks of it.¡±


    She set up camp similarly to last time, it seemed she was not going to sleep in the little house ever again. This time, however, they wordlessly ate and then went to sleep. The night was calm for a time, until galloping horses converged to their location.


    Audun was the first to wake, with them entering in the range of his passive divine sense before they smashed into the barrier. Audun stood in snake stance, ready to lash out against multiple opponents. Avari was also up by this point, with her holding two daggers emanating a fearsome aura.


    ¡°Oh look what we have here, the Joka¡¯s clan prodigy b**ch. What a catch boys.¡± Audun¡¯s head went numb when he heard the voice, that familiar voice. He was one of the bandits that was there during the night he lost everything in his old life.


    ¡°If you know who I am, then you should know better than to attack me. Even if you win, my clan will find and exterminate you.¡±


    ¡°Oh sweetheart, I¡¯m afraid that with the position your clan is in now, there will be no rescue party.¡± Avari lost her focus at the comment, causing the bandits to be able to smash through the barrier. In seconds, multiple peak true realm combatants surrounded them.


    While Avari was left off guard by the comment, Audun¡¯s icy rage built. It was a matter of fortune to meet these people here, and he was going to take full advantage. He dove forward, his body loose as he rolled forward. The bandit was just preparing his defenses when Audun drove his palm forward at full force. It slammed into the bandit¡¯s neck, causing him to instantly crumble.


    The other bandits were all focused on Audun, with his shocking display of ferocity. This lapse of judgement allowed Avari to collect herself and instantly take down two bandits who were near her. The remaining four were now angry, and completely on guard.


    ¡°Oh you idiots, you always feel the need to hold back. These catches won¡¯t prove as easy dumb a**es, they are both obvious prodigies.¡± The main bandit swaggered forward, with his cultivation rotating. He was at the second level of the Earth realm, and he had no handicaps like the other bandit.


    Audun showed no fear in his eyes however, only a killing intent. This man would not leave the battlefield alive, no matter what. He began to rotate world qi around himself and the bandit.


    ¡°Prepare to die by my hand.¡±

 Chapter 10: Vengeance pt 2

    Exciting news! A close friend of mine is making cover art for me, which is just downright awesome. It should be done within the next few days, so expect an extra chapter just cause I''m in a good mood.


    Audun was ready to fight, but Avari still had reservations about him taking on an Earth realm expert on his own. She couldn¡¯t do anything about it however, she was too busy fighting off the multiple attack of the surrounding cultivators. She wrote off her worry by reminding herself she still had that treasure, and it could stop any expert under the Saint level.


    As Avari fought off her combatants, Audun launched his strike. He momentarily cut off his opponents battle sense, an ability he discovered he had back when he had done so to a demon wolf in the forest months ago. By blocking world qi from entering the body, the cultivator was essentially cut off from the world. It would only last a moment, it wasn¡¯t strong enough to stop an expert who was actively trying to keep their connection, but the moment was deadly in battle.


    He launched a knife hand directly at his opponents neck, but his opponent reacted like a snake, deflecting him hand and punching him full force. Audun flew back ten meters before he was able to regain his footing. His opponents was on him just as he stabilized, but he was luckily able to fall under his fist, and retaliate with a wind ki infused knife hand. This time he cut through his opponents abdomen, although only slightly. His opponent was gone in the next moment, smiling devilishly.


    ¡°You are pretty good for a true realm runt, you are definitely worth activating my elemental ki.¡± The wind began to swirl, and became visible in a tornado of dust all round the bandit. ¡°Hear my name, and let it be the last thing you remember child. I am Varen, expert of the wind and vice lieutenant of Heaven¡¯s bandits.¡± Even before all the words had traveled to Audun, Varen was before him, launching a tornado from his fist right at him.


    Audun was only barely able to move out of the way because he could feel Varen¡¯s movements with his sense. Since he was surrounded by so much ki, he was like a beacon to him.


    ¡°I have to end this soon.¡± Audun knew that even with his body being so strong, if the fight was prolonged, it would not be long before he fell to the bandit. ¡°Bandit,¡± he bellowed, ¡°you will hear my name, and let it be the last thing you ever hear. I am Audun Baste, risen from the grave.¡±


    Varen¡¯s eyes flickered with shock, but quickly narrowed to rage. ¡°You refuse to recognize my name, you brat. I don¡¯t care what treasures you think you have, the gap between us is uncrossable!¡± Once again, Varen was upon Audun, but this time, Audun did not move. The tornado was launched as before, but this time, Audun got it in his palm. The ki started swirling around his palm, forming almost a ring, that began sucking the ki from Varen¡¯s body. He quickly realized what was going on, and jumped back.


    Audun quickly pursued, using the raw power of his body to overtake his opponent, and launched the swirling ki at him him in a fist. It lashed forward, as a sword would lash at his opponent. Varen assumed that he simply repel the ki, any wind ki below his own should just be absorbed. Shockingly, however, he was pierced by it. This was because Audun had infused world qi into it. While world qi was usually harmless, when compacted together and used at an accelerated velocity, it was deadly.


    Varen didn¡¯t just allow himself to be injured without retaliation, and launched a kick towards Audun¡¯s face. It connected, and a sonic boom bounced off of the bottom of his foot. He was launched all the way across the road, and smashed into a tree before he finally stopped. Varen just stood there, killing intent swirling around him.


    While this was occurring, Avari was having a decidedly easier time. None of her opponents had the ability to touch her, and she moved gracefully through the wind. Despite this, she wasn¡¯t able to kill any of them. This worried her greatly, because it seemed that they knew her clan¡¯s special training techniques. This felt more and more planned, which only increased her worry for Audun.


    ¡°I have had enough of dealing with little ants like you people. None of you are qualified to fight with me.¡± Reaching into her spatial bag, she pulled out a case that contained three pills. Two were yellow, while one seemingly held the sky itself. She quickly took a yellow one, and the clouds around them congealed. Lifting her dual daggers up, lightning struck them, causing electricity to swirl around both of them. This took time to describe, but in actuality it was but a moment.


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    Her opponents attempted to flee, terrified of what they had just witnessed, but she was in front of the nearest one before he could even turn away. Her dagger cut through the air and world qi itself, ending the life of the man before her. Electricity bounced across her eyes as she calculated her next three targets, and they were dead in the next instant. With her opponents all fallen, she set her sights on the leader. Shockingly, however, the magic she was using had already dissipated.


    ¡°Wha¡­ What? That was a pill forged from pure luck, supposed to last ten minutes, yet it barely was able to last ten seconds. What it going on?¡± The pills were precious treasures, and she was unwilling to waste another one, but she held it at the ready in case the fight should get out of hand.


    Meanwhile, Audun felt a warm feeling well up inside of him, empowering him. The kick had only injured him slightly, but this new feeling instantly swept it away. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but he could vaguely feel lightning ki around him. Even though he has never touched it himself before, he naturally grew up ar?p? experts who have used it. He felt it swirling chaotically, and he knew almost instinctively he could control where this power was directed. The thought of his right leg flashed across his mind, and all of the sudden, the feeling converged into his leg.


    Electricity sparked throughout his leg, and a new type of power made itself available to him. He didn¡¯t have a good control of his leg power, but he was able to have some control due to world qi¡¯s universalness. Planting his right foot behind him, he located the bandit.


    ¡°I¡¯ll end this in one attack.¡± Expelling lightning ki through his foot, his speed was now another level. Varen had a shield in front of him, strengthened by weakening the one behind him. He had thought there was no way the kid would be able to get behind him. This miscalculation was what decided the fight, as Audun¡¯s knife hand pierced the bandits chest.


    The wind that had been swirling stopped, and everything was quiet. The only sound was that of dripping blood. Audun knew the fight was his, an attack like that was deadly. He removed his hand, and took a step back. Yet still, the bandit did not fall.


    ¡°Hmph, it seems as if you are more troublesome that I could have predicted.¡± Blood sprayed as Varen finished talking. ¡°I have never before had to resort to this, feel proud that I must use my family¡¯s legacy on you.¡± A sense of overwhelming danger flooded both Avari and Audun as he pulled out a scroll covered in formations. The air itself tingled and vibrated around the scroll.


    Sensing that he most likely would die should the scrolls power be unleashed, Audun quickly rushed towards him and brought down his leg on the bandit¡¯s head. A shock went through Varen¡¯s body, before he crumbled.


    Staring at the scroll, he breathed heavily. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was yet, but he could sense the power emanating from it. Whatever it was, the treasure had the power of a mid sky expert. He retrieved it and put it away in his bag. He then looked over to see Avari blushing.


    ¡°Why are you blushing?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Um¡­ You seem your leg¡­ Well that can only happen, luck transfer I mean, with¡­ Two people who are dao bonded¡­¡± She was completely red by this point, obviously embarrassed by it. Audun couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He knew it was no dao bonding, it was his passive luck stealing, but he was more than content to let her think that they were dao bonded.


    ¡°Well, we can do nothing to change it then. The real thing we should focus on is my new power.¡± Lightning still coiling around his leg. ¡°Whatever happened, I feel a step closer towards the Earth realm.¡± He now had a better grasp of what he had to do to move on to the Earth realm. It seemed that each of his limbs had a place to fill with a conduit for elemental ki, and this pushed him. At this point, he was stronger than almost anyone else in the True realm.


    Avari shook off the remnants of blush on her cheeks. ¡°We might as well head into town, at a leisurely pace, the gates will be open and the sun high when we arrive.¡± She packed up camp, and the two made their way for town.

 Chapter 11: An Arena

    ¡°Sir, Varen was killed.¡± An imposing man sat there, meditating under a tree that filtered the moonlight straight to where the man was seated.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised, the fool probably overestimated himself again and paid the price this time. Still, it¡¯s worrying, wasn¡¯t he on a mission for the patron?¡±


    ¡°He was sir, and last report said he¡¯d found the girl traveling with a youth who was startlingly strong.¡± The meditating man shifted.


    ¡°How strong and how young?¡±


    ¡°He was estimated around 14, with a cultivation of the peak True level.¡±


    ¡°Experts like that¡­ Only four every ten thousand years are born. There¡¯s no way that child could have survived, right?¡± The man shook his head. ¡°I want a full team prepared, we must complete the mission ourselves. If that child is who I suspect, then he must be eliminated with haste. Not to mention the girl.¡±


    ¡°Sir, if you would let me lead them. I have the power of the mid Earth realm, that should be more than enough to take them on if I surprise them, regardless of her treasures. Besides sir, you are on the verge of breaking through.¡±


    He frowned a moment, before waving him off. He would allow his subordinate to lead a party, but he would himself be prepared. The kid shouldn¡¯t be alive, so the Heaven¡¯s had to of favored him, there¡¯s no other way he could have made it. At least, that¡¯s what the bandit thought.


    -----


    The town Audun was in was the biggest one he had ever seen. Not even the capital of the Baste Clan was as large. Every building was large and made of a type of stone that seemed to shine, and the streets full of people. Along the buildings were shopping carts, where merchants would shout out assorted deals and products in a hope to sell someone something. All of this left him wide eyed, and his childlike desire to explore kicked in, but he held it back, he could tell Avari was anxious to leave.


    Even restraining himself, he couldn¡¯t help but look around and wander. Perhaps the most shocking thing was the cultivation of the people around him. The average person doesn¡¯t leave the Nascent realm, yet everyone that was in the town seemed to be at least the early True realm.


    ¡°Why is everyone here so strong?¡± Avari took a moment before she realized what Audun said.


    ¡°This is a border town, and would be the first place to be affected by war, so everyone here tends to be at least the True realm. Once we move to a richer area, we will see more people of the Earth Realm and above.¡±


    Even though Audun grew up in the capital of the Baste clan, surrounded by countless experts, Sky experts usually were out training armies or slaying those few demon beasts who were able to reach that level of power. Even Earth experts only stayed around the Noble¡¯s. Audun¡¯s own teacher was just an Earth expert, although higher experts were scheduled to speak with him before his disability was discovered.


    ¡°So when will we have that ride arranged for us?¡±


    ¡°All I have to do is speak with the town leader, and a ship will be immediately prepared. Speaking of, we should be arriving soon.¡± Audun could tell something was wrong with Avari, but he felt uncomfortable with the thought of bringing it up, so he let it die there.


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    Time passed, and they had stopped for lunch at this point. It was true that the further you go on in cultivation, the less you need to eat, but it wasn''t a noticeable effect until the late Earth realm. Avari ordered a dish that was apparently made from some rare demon beast that was of the Earth realm, and Audun ordered the same. She paid with a currency that was made with a special type of metal found only in the Joka territories. It was a new type of currency, but the power of the Joka¡¯s made everyone accept it.


    The food looked absolutely delectable, and Audun was finished almost before the waiter was even all the way gone. He offered a sheepish grin to Avari, in apology for the bit of a mess he made. She only shook her head and offered a small laugh. She still seemed very distant.


    That was, until she saw a poster on the wall.


    ¡°What? There¡¯s no way that they could have¡­¡± Audun looked over at the poster, seeing what was on it. It said ¡®Come participate in the Arena! Slaughter your way through weaklings to reach the top! And receive our grand prize, a mystical set of gloves from the ruins of an ancient site! Only True realm cultivators may enter.¡¯ Accompanied with a picture of two gloves, with an aura you could feel through just an image. Not the best written or most persuasive piece, but on the way here, he heard lots of people talk about The Arena. It¡¯s reputation alone must bring hundreds.


    ¡°What are the weapons, Avari.¡±


    She took a moment to throw up a sign that prevented others from hearing their conversation, before speaking. ¡°Those gloves, they are weapons made by the sacred ancients, old Saint rank experts far more powerful than today''s While their own power isn¡¯t too great on their own, they are said to be a piece of a suit that, when put together, can put one with no cultivation above a saint rank expert.¡±


    ¡°That sounds a bit far fetched, don¡¯t you think? Even the most powerful of weapons require a powerful wielder.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just it, it can make a normal person rise above the Saint realm. The more powerful you are, the more powerful the suit. The only person to wear the suit was the son of one of the ancients, who had no ability to cultivate. The suit wasn¡¯t able to make him immortal, however, so before his death, he hid its pieces and scattered them. But the gloves are now found, and if they are procured by someone who knows their origins, they can be used to find the other pieces. We can¡¯t let this happen¡­ But the tournament is set for tomorrow, there¡¯s no way to alert the elders, nor can we alert anyone to the gloves origins.¡±


    ¡°So let¡¯s enter it tomorrow. I¡¯m sure that between us, no one in the True realm can beat us.¡±


    Avari looked away, dejected and a bit sad. ¡°I suppose we have no choice.¡±


    Audun lightly touched Avari¡¯s arm, and offered a look of comfort. ¡°I could do it alone, you know. If you want to go, I can meet up with you when I win.¡±


    Avari¡¯s face lit up, and even though the sadness was not completely gone, she looked better. ¡°Thank you for offering, but how could I let you try this all on your own. You¡¯d probably screw it all up by trying to show off. Besides, the tournament is only three days, not much will happen in that time. I can wait. But we can¡¯t anymore, let¡¯s go get signed up and find a nice hotel to rest in.¡±

 Chapter 12: The Arena(Special daily chapter)

    Since there has been a minor boom in growth here, along with me receiving a cover, I will be doing a chapter a day this whole week. Enjoy everyone.


    The Arena was a bustling place, with hundreds going in and out. All around, you could tell that the surrounding 25,000 meters was carved out for the Arena. Even past that, there were no buildings for meters. The Arena itself was huge and circular, with thousands of inscriptions written on it, strengthening it. The background of The Arena was so legendary that even Sky rank experts sometimes have competitions here, but most frequent were the competitions such as the one today. They would offer up prizes for the winner, and depending on the quality, the more people would show up.


    There were eight main entrances to The Arena, with two competitor entrances, all dotted around the place. They were ornately made, with restriction inscriptions planted so only those with tickets or the appropriate status could enter. It was the way of the world, while any True or Earth cultivator would have to pay, a Sky expert would naturally not have too. The competitor entrances were much more vigorous, however. Only those of the specified rank were allowed to enter, although that was the only requirement.


    In the competitor waiting room, Audun and Avari found themselves carefully absorbing every detail. It was huge, and was able to fit hundreds of contestants. Along the walls were paintings of legendary contestants, and the founders of The Arena. They were still alive today, although they had locked themselves in reclusive training years ago. What was of real interest to the two, however, were the competitors.


    Almost every seat in this competitor room was full, and they could both imagine it was the same for the other one too. While most of the people in the room didn¡¯t warrant heavy attention, two in particular did. One was a female who was fairly tall, and had hair so short that one could make out her scalp, and with deep grey eyes. The most defining thing on her though, were tattoos that adorned her completely, whose images swirled and shifted. Staring at them for too long made Audun grow dizzy, but he was curious. He had heard that one could use inscriptions on oneself to allow them not only to cultivate at a higher rate, but also use power beyond one¡¯s limits. They were almost nonexistent outside of the islands, however, so seeing one in the center of the continent like this was shocking.


    The other one was a small child, who appeared to be merely ten years old. He had long, flowing gold hair, with eyes of the same color to match. He was adorned in extravagant clothes, with white frills adorning the red dress coats sleeves and neck. Equally expensive were the pants and shoes, both black. And the youth threw out an oppressive aura of peak True stage, almost ready to break through. The strange thing was, neither Avari nor Audun knew him. Every ten thousand years, in this world, four children would be porn at the peak of the Nascent realm. This was how the bandit had a guess as to who it was that killed Varen. Of the other three, two were born to the Joka¡¯s, while one was currently the leader of a small rogue tribe. The child who was here with them, however, was not one of the four super geniuses, since the others were accounted for.


    ¡°It looks like we are going to be in different sections, Audun, so I don¡¯t have to take you out round one at least.¡± Avari gave him a playful smile. Ever since yesterday, she had been more upbeat.


    ¡°That¡¯s good for you, you mean. I wouldn¡¯t want to show everyone how I can upstage the princess. That could get me executed.¡± Audun gave a laugh, before a voice that prevailed through the whole arena interrupted him.


    ¡°Would the contestants in block one please make their way to the Stage.¡± The stage was what they called the platform that they would all be fighting on. It could change dynamically to force those who would try to stay back to enter the fray, and prevent someone from entering the top two who doesn''t deserve it.


    Audun happened to be in the first round, so he gave Avari a hug, before running off to the stage. Avari was blushing, but she had become used to the closeness of being with Audun. She was worried for him, however. People are known to die in the Arena, and the kid gives her the creeps. At least the tattooed lady stayed behind, who knows what tricks she has.


    The stage, at the moment, was very plain. It was just rock all throughout, with walls of steel raising up the seats around so everyone had a good view. In the middle section of the seats, the whole circumference was taken up by aristocratic seating, while the top row was for their servants. Yet every level boomed with excitement.


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    Audun took in everyone around him, they were all near the peak of the True realm. Each one had a calm assurance, reminding himself that he was probably one of the few newbies. It was slightly intimidating, made even more so by the cloudy sky, so he had to remind himself that he had the body of a Sky expert. Only a very select few would be able to harm him.


    The other entranceway was filled with more similar characters, but none of the other side could compare with the child at least. Audun knew that as soon as the announcer called time to fight, he needed to distance himself. If he was caught off guard, he could lose his life.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for the fight of a century. Today, these combatants throw down for a treasure the like of which our humble Arena sees once every thousand years. And as a special guest, in block one, we have the child of one of our founders. Only recently has he had his first child, and he certainly will not disappoint fans tonight.¡± The crowd roared, while the blood drained from Audun¡¯s face. Even though one was only allowed to bring one weapon into the arena, as to not allow the rich to completely dominate, the child of a peak Saint expert who has existed for so long¡­ He is a forced to be reckoned with.


    ¡°Now, let the fighting begin!¡± The second the announcer¡¯s voice stopped, the restrive spells loosened, and Audun was already on the other side of the Arena. As he slowed his acceleration, a giant wall erected itself between the two side, and fighting ensued. It was utter chaos, and Audun had no time to breathe before he was ducking and dodging around tens of abilities.


    There were about fifty people on each side, so the real test was one of restraint. While everyone on the other side had seemed seasoned, only a few over here did not go all out. Within minutes, half were already incapacitated. When you were knocked out, or ran out of energy, you would be instantly teleported out. This made it so death was rare here, and many used this as a safe way to train.


    Audun himself didn¡¯t waste any energy fighting yet, merely dodging around. These quick, instinctual movements eventually put him in front of a lean woman, who lashed out with tiny water coils from her arm. Audun was able to ignore their penetrating power due to his body, and took her out with a kick from his right leg. Electricity circled around her, and Audun was gone with a boom before she was even down.


    All of this happened in merely three minutes, but in that time, the wall had dispersed. The only person left standing on the other side was the child, who had blood stain his already red shirt. He looked bored, and began walking over.


    Audun felt a sense of urgency overtake him, there were still twelve people left, and all of them were at the peak true stage. He needed to take them all out before the kid arrived, and then they would both get to advance. He didn¡¯t feel confident about his ability to take him out unless it was one on one, and he could focus every ounce of his power on the task.


    With only a moment''s hesitation, he sank into the sixth stance of Martial Asura¡¯s Requiem. He had been reluctant to use the ability up to now mainly because it showed just how deep his ties with the Baste clan were. He also hadn¡¯t yet found a circumstance where it was absolutely necessary to reveal his full power, until now. World qi, wind ki, and lightning qi all congealed around him, creating a fierce aura. Everyone looked at him in shock, with even the kid beginning to get a sinister smile.


    Audun felt fear overtake him again, and he put all his speed in power into advancing into the twelve, they were all close together, so it allowed Audun to take everyone out with four kicks and two punches. Everyone around him was down, and they were teleported out. Instantly, the restrictive spells were back in place, but Audun felt a breath on his back.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty good, you get to know my name. Finis Eran.¡± The kid had been directly behind Audun, not only matching but utterly surpassing his max speed. If the kid had been any closer, Audun knew he may still not be alive.


    ¡°And the fight is over! Our great founders son obviously made it, and our mysterious newcomer, Arimasen, did too! How was this stranger able to prevail even though he is clanless, why was he exiled, who exactly is he! Find out all this and more, next time!¡±

 Chapter 13: Avaris Turn(Special Daily Chap)

    Avari was nervous for him, since she wasn¡¯t allowed to spectate. Anyone who hasn¡¯t made it past the first round isn¡¯t permitted to view the fights, so all she could do was sit and worry. It probably wasn¡¯t necessary, but she felt that whoever that child was, he posed a real threat. She knew that worrying wouldn¡¯t help anything, so she calmed herself down and began meditation. She was close to the peak of the True realm, it would just take a bit more spiritual energy.


    In the Joka clan, they had a method to quantify the amount of soul force one had. For example, each stage of the Nascent realm was separated by a soul force of 10. The peak of the Nascent realm was thus 100, in most cases. In other clans, many only used this system for the Nascent commoners, but in the Joka clan, they continued the scaling. Once you broke through, the difference between levels was 10 times greater. This meant 1,000 was the peak of the True realm. This held true for every rank up to peak Saint.


    Right now, Avari was around 995, and was exceedingly close to breaking through. It was unknown why, but once one breaks through to the next level within their rank, their power increases much greater than one would expect. This is the reason many other clans forgo the use of the numerical system, but the Joka clan has many methods to quickly increase power, but only at very specific power levels. This was why Avari, who would usually be considered a merely above average genius, has been able to keep up with all but the most frightening super geniuses.


    She sat there, her mind calm and absorbing the qi around her. Her concentration was soon broken by the arrival of the child, however. He had a satisfied look on his face, along with the stench of blood. Once again, her chest closed, but she felt relief upon seeing Audun arrive. She ran over to him and hugged him.


    ¡°Well, you managed to make it past round one. Maybe you aren¡¯t the absolute worst.¡± Audun gave her a smile for her compliment, but worry was all over his face. ¡°What happened out there, what did the child do?¡±


    He gave her a grim look. ¡°That kid was able to take down every single combatant that came out from our side in less than a minute. He was also able to keep up with my fastest speed. I was just barely able to take out everyone before he arrived.¡±


    Avari looked over at the child again. How utterly monstrous, to take everyone out that fast¡­ She needed to break through, and soon.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I almost forgot. He is also the son of one of the founders here.¡±


    ¡°What?! A founder?¡± Which one, however? They were all saints, but one of them ranked amongst the top 5 strongest in the whole land. ¡°That makes him infinitely more dangerous. Audun, it may be best for you to drop out when it comes to fighting him.¡±


    Audun gave her a laugh. ¡°¡±I¡¯m just a bit surprised that there is another brat out there who is so powerful. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d lose to him, so don¡¯t worry about me. You just need to worry about yourself, you have to face the foreigner. Don¡¯t get knocked out round one, mkay?¡±


    Avari found she very much liked this side of Audun, his caring and optimism. Even if it was a bit sarcastic, it was comforting. But she didn¡¯t have long to dwell on these thoughts, as her block was called out.


    Stepping out onto the stage, she gasped. It was craigy, and a seemingly huge sea lay below them, and separated them from the other side, only connected by a series of unstable looking land bridges. Mist covered the edges of the Stage, and the crowd was impossible to see. She looked over at the woman with the tattoos, and figured this was done as a spectacle because of her.


    ¡°The first match gave us the founders son, and now this match we have a mysterious girl, who finds herself wandering adrift. And it seems that a great current has dropped her off here at our Arena. Seeing that we are the most hospitable of folks, we decided to dedicate this blocks stage to her!¡± Faintly, if one strained their ears, they could hear the roar of a cloud. It was quickly lost in the smashing of waves against the craigs, however.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin a most exciting match!¡± As soon as the voice disappeared, every contestant felt restrive spells fall away. Avari quickly set to taking out her lesser competition, twirling like a deadly storm through tens of people. She wasn¡¯t like Audun, who had little control over his spiritual energy. She could use every single ounce individually, enabling her to use very little energy in taking out those who were only of the mid True stage. In minutes, only six combatants were left, with all of them minus Avari being at the peak True stage. She and the girl with tattoos eyes met, and they almost came to an instant understanding.


    They both then lashed out at their nearest foes. Avari called the mist to follow her, then used her overwhelming speed to quickly knock out the two close to her. She was light and nimble, very much unlike the girl with tattoos. Her attacks were strange, and exceedingly heavy. Most techniques in the land of Amrestria were light, and depended more on finesse than strength. This foreigner, however, smashed down on her foes, with her tattoos responding and reacting to every strike. They even lept off her skin to attack as well, resulting in the person being attacked on multiple fronts. Her opponents never stood a chance, and soon, everyone was down.


    They both then looked over to the other side. The other side was down to twenty or so fighters, and looked like it would be some more time before they stopped.


    ¡°I will take care of this.¡± Her accent was exceedingly thick, rolling her r¡¯s and being barely able to pronounce w, but it added to her charm. Avari blushed a bit, taken slightly aback by how alluring she found this girl.


    The girl then jumped down below, stopping herself just before the water by grabbing onto the side of the cliff. She then proceeded to place one arm in the water, and two inky water dragons slithered off into the ocean. They seemed small, but their cultivation base emanated late Earth realm, at least 8th rank. Avari knew that this woman was going to be trouble when it came to fighting her. Even though the dragons were powerful, it seemed to control them required all of her focus. In a real fight, she would probably be able to only control late True Realm tattoos without complete focus.


    The combatants on the other side immediately ceased fighting when a sense of danger crashed into them. They all put their guards up towards the sea, and waited. All of them were sweating, and none of them knew what was going on. Seconds ticked by. Then, two massive dragons, made of a rainbow colored ink leapt out of the water. They swirled around each other, as if in dance, and shredded through the cultivators. Every one of them died.


    The dragons quickly ran back to their home on the girl¡¯s arm, and she jumped back up to Avari. She was damp with dew, and her tattoos sheened with a layer of water. She looked like an ocean goddess.


    ¡°I cannot wait to see you in the semi-finals dear. Remember my name; Renn.¡± She stroked Avari¡¯s face, and began walking back.


    ¡°It looks like our foreign friend has not only come on top, but found herself smitten with another lovely contestant! Let¡¯s give it up for The Foreigner, and her new companion, Royalty!¡± Once again, one could hear the crowd roar. ¡°Let¡¯s see where this love story goes, next time when we have the semi-finals.¡±


    The announcer leaned back from the voice enhancing stone, and stared out towards seemingly nothing. ¡°We still do have two more rounds to go, don¡¯t we readers. Well, they won¡¯t matter too much. The winners are going to be a guy with black angel wings, a guy who is a dual sword master, a boy who wins by a fluke, and a man who breaks through and forfeits his right to participate. Besides, we really care about what our little Audun is gonna do about his competition.¡± The announcer laughed, before disappearing from the room he was in.

 Chapter 14: Finis

    Sorry about not being able to continue with my chapter a day shenanigance, but real life threw itself in front of my writing.


    Also, in response to opcrystal''s review, yes, the reason the Heaven didn''t just outright destroy Audun will be answered in the future. I would also like to thank you for your feedback, I would say that I have neglected the characters a bit. After this little mini arc, I will try to rectify and improve upon it. And thank you for your review, titanxtitan, although I must disagree with you on the slow story part? I feel I move too fast really. Anyway, enjoy all.


    ----------


    Audun and Avari were relaxing in a hotel she had purchased. The room itself was fairly plain, with it really just being a room that was a bit larger than average, that held in it a bed and two adjacent chairs. A bathroom was also there, across from the bed. Audun and Avari themselves sat on a chair, which was large enough to comfortably hold them both.


    ¡°Tomorrow is the semi-finals Audun, and you have a huge fight ahead of you. While that angel winged guy doesn¡¯t look threatening, the boy is of course the worry. If it gets too dangerous, I want you to promise me you are going to teleport straight out of there. ¡°


    ¡°Avari, listen, I¡¯m going to be fine. He may have caught me a bit off guard, but I can handle it.¡± ¡®With a body as strong as mine, there should be no way he can kill me right away, at least.¡¯


    ¡°Please, for my own comfort.¡±


    ¡°Fine, as long as you do the same if Renn is too much for you. From what you¡¯ve told me, those tattoos are exceedingly dangerous. Neither of us can die here, especially so close to your home.¡± At the mention of her home, she began to look slightly dejected. Audun, feeling numerous complicated feeling, reached over to her and hugged her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bringing it up, but like you said, only two more days. Plus, with those gloves, we stand to make your family more powerful.¡±


    Avari looked up at Audun, trying his best to calm her. To be honest, the feeling of feeling bad was merely a fleeting feeling, but having him hold her felt really comforting. She could tell for a long while now that feelings had been growing. Even though he was three years younger than her, he definitely was mature, and he did not look the part of a thirteen year old.


    He looked down, and they met each other¡¯s gazes. Both saw a care in the eyes of the other, and both felt their stomachs flutter. They then adjusted themselves to be closer, never losing that eye contact. The seconds passed by like eternities, and Audun finally moved his own face forward, and kissed Avari. Avari of course reciprocated, and the two felt their connection and relationship deepen. They were now closer than ever before, and found no trouble falling asleep together.


    -----


    Audun and Avari were both full of energy and nervous while they were waiting for him to be called out to the stage. His semi-final match would be against the angel winged guy that was over to his right, speaking with Renn. He looked to be about twenty, and also had long, black hair, while he didn¡¯t wear a shirt. His pants were a dark purple, and his wings were of two different colors, one white and one black. RIght now, they were tucked into his back.


    Also in Audun¡¯s semi final match was Finis. He was sitting down and meditating, calm as a sea directly before a storm. Even though you couldn¡¯t see a ripple, you could feel that it was about to explode. Audun knew that Finis was excited for their match, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel similar. This is the first person who had truly made Audun sweat, who was of the True level. There was another boy in the room, but he looked panicked, and was probably going to drop as soon as he entered with Avari and Renn.


    ¡°Will the contestants for the first semi-final match please step outside.¡± Audun and Avari hugged each other tight, while they hadn¡¯t spoken much since last night, it was because they hadn¡¯t the time nor privacy to truly say what they wanted too. That being said, they were still exceedingly close, and it was obvious.


    Which made it all the more infuriating when the angel winged guy walked over and gave Avari a white and black rose. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the finals, oh beautiful goddess. Keep that flower to help remember what it is my soul is, as you will be connected to it soon.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want your stupid flower!¡± Audun growled angrily. Avari gave him a touch on the arm. He looked back to give her a smile, but even while smiling at her, he was plotting how to take down that Angel freak, who was already on stage by now.


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    Audun also left, and went onto the stage. This time, the stage was made up of various platforms, with the spaced in between leading to a bottomless cavern. It seemed they were basing the stage off the winged bastard this time. For the semifinals, since everyone exited the same door, they all had to spread out to different corners, so a sneak attack wouldn¡¯t instantly end the fight, like for round one.


    ¡°Well now crowd, do we have an exciting match here. We have the mysterious Arimasen, the adored Angel, and the powerful Jr. Founder, all together to duke it out for the right to compete in the finals. Let¡¯s not waste anymore time with introductions however, and let the fight, begin!¡±


    Audun cast out his divine sense, and to his surprise, he found that Finis had one also. It seemed that there were more ways to achieving one before the sky realm than shattering one¡¯s dantian. He decided to use this as a chance to ask the kid a favor.


    ¡®Let me take care of that Angel b*tch, I owe him a one.¡¯ He heard Finis snort. ¡®Do as you please, you¡¯re the only one I care about fighting here.¡¯


    With that, Finis sat down, causing Angel to be enraged. How dare someone sit themselves before him in the middle of a fight. He had suffered hundred of hardships, with parents who fought him on every step of his journey. In this cultivation world, he was alone, and he alone was going to conquer it.


    These were the thoughts running through Angel¡¯s head as Audun seemingly teleported next to him. The look that was on Audun¡¯s face terrified him, and he turned to flee. Alas, Audun was too fast, and used his wind ki to smash directly into Angel¡¯s right wing. It snapped, and Angel felt pain rack his entire body.


    ¡°AHHH! YOU BASTARD! DO YOU KNOW WHAT I HAD TO SACRIFICE FOR THAT BLACK WING! MY VERY SOUL!¡± Extending his left wing, the one that was white as the clouds above, he prepared to shoot out feathers with wind ki. Unfortunately, Audun was too much of a monster, and his next kick had landed directly onto his chest. His heart stopped momentarily, and then he fell down the gap between platforms.


    Audun felt a little bad for how Angel had been dealt with, but also a bit of pride. He knew that this time, Avari was watching. He had hoped his display of strength had renewed her hope in him.


    ¡®Now that that is settled, I shall begin the real fight.¡¯ Finis said to him through divine sense. He began to stand up, and Audun immediately activated Martial Asura¡¯s Requiem. There was a difference between using it and activating it. When merely using it, you would use whatever ki you cultivated to enhance a specific set of moves. When activating it instead, you open your mind¡¯s eye, and enable your body to use world qi along with your chosen elemental ki.


    World qi, on its own, was used as a psychic power, enabling the use of a rudimentary telekinesis and a sixth sense. While upon reaching the Sky Realm, you begin to have a slight control, very few had any true control of qi. The Bast clan arts were one of the few techniques that used the secondary property of qi, which was to enhance the destructive power of ki. It was much harder to control, and activating was an ability that only Sky experts were able to command. Until Audun.


    All around Audun was a cocoon of wind and lightning ki. He stood his ground, knowing that he needed to probe Finis before taking the initiative. The kid was making his way towards him, seemingly slowly, but in less than a second, Audun felt a fist smash through his cocoon. He was a bit taken aback, but the cocoon enabled him to knock the fist away from his face. Using the forward momentum of the kid, he punched out.


    ¡°Domain.¡± Finis said that one word, and he could feel the energy in his fist depleting. He was confused for a split second, but was able to detect that both qi and ki were rapidly ejecting away from his attack, causing it to not only lose that power, but raw strength as well. Focusing on his arm, he forcefully called back his qi, and his punch regained some strength.


    Finis had a look of surprise on his face when the punch landed, and was knocked to the edge of the platform they were currently on. The shock lasted for a good ten seconds, and the tension in the air could be felt. All of the sudden, Finis start laughing. ¡®It looks as if I don¡¯t need to hold back on you.¡¯

 Chapter 15

    So, seeing as school and getting internships is really affecting my chapter releases, I''m going to go on a short hiatus to build up chapters so I don''t keep missing release days.


    Audun let his entire being relax, and his divine sense to condense. The fight was about to amp up, and he couldn¡¯t make a single mistake. He was still unfamiliar with his powers as a whole, and the child in front of him was possibly the strongest being that resided within the True realm.


    He decided to take initiative this time, he knew if he could catch Finis off guard, he could end the fight quickly. He launched a kick straight towards where Finis was, but just when it seemed like he connected, the kid was right behind him. Using qi to shift his movement, he spun out of the way and launched a knife hand right down the kid¡¯s arm. He responded, however, by launching a punch straight at the knife hand, and dispersed all the qi that had surrounded it. Finis quickly followed with three punched to Audun¡¯s abdomen, knocking him to the edge of a nearby platform.


    Every fiber of Audun¡¯s being was in pain, and his pride was even hurt. Finis had yet to even use a technique, yet he was pushed back and put in such a state. It was almost assured at this point that he couldn¡¯t win, except if he used that technique¡­


    There was a forbidden section of the Martial Asura¡¯s Requiem, a section that contained a technique which converted life qi into muscle energy and push you five levels up! The downside was, of course, decreased longevity. It wouldn¡¯t matter should he reach the Saint Realm, but the more the technique is used, the less likely it was he would reach that level. Even now, him reaching the Saint level was only very likely, not an absolute.


    While he had resolved to only use it in a life or death scenario, his blood was raging and flowing. He didn¡¯t want to lose, no matter what. Focusing on his heart, he began to extract life qi from it. The life qi then flowed from his heart into every part of his body. This all took time to explain, but it happened within the span of three seconds.


    Finis was standing there, watching Audun closely, but he was astonished when Audun was all of the sudden next to him. Audun launched a kick with so much force that the very platform itself cracked. He knew he saw Finis fly away, but somehow he had appeared behind Audun, and attacked with a kick surrounded by light ki.


    Blocking the kick, he prepared to strike back, but found himself thrown across the stage. Again, the attack came from somewhere other than where he had saw Finis. Thinking quickly, he realized that the kid must focus on illusions, done by bending light waves. Not only that, he had to be able to manipulate world qi on a level above even Audun himself. Every other illusion expert was of the Saint level, specifically because of how precise one¡¯s control of world qi must be. Not only that, most were peak level experts. It has to be so high because world qi was where the other sense received their information from. More and more, Audun realized his only advantage was speed.


    A flash of inspiration descended, and Audun began to swirl world qi all around the edges of his body, with merely a layer three inches thick. He refused to believe that the kids control was precise enough to reach that far. He also injected his body with more life qi, keeping him at his absolute peak. The fight was going to end soon.


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    The two combatants then threw themselves at each other, while the Audience around them went wild. Avari herself was witnessing the fight, having earned the privilege since she moved on. She was shocked that Finis was actually able to control world qi to the extent that he was. She was also equally as shocked at just how strong Audun was. It made her all the more impatient to break through, the current her had no chance of defeating either of them, but if she made it to the peak level, she knew she would undoubtedly could beat the kid. The Joka clan had truly spared nothing in training her.


    Back on the battlefield, Audun was more able to get hits off. Even so, he was still losing. His body could no longer support the amount of energy that was coursing through it, tearing him apart. However, Finis was also slowing down. Audun could think of no more tricks to gain an edge, so he couldn¡¯t help but have his frustration rise. He only needed just a bit more, just an ounce more strength, and he could win.


    Lashing out in his frustration, Audun lost the fight. Finis saw his opening, and launched his ultimate attack. Gathering light ki, he allowed its rays to orbit around his arm. This created a vortex which had a gravitation pull that moved Audun closer to the fist. Striking forward, the air itself shattered when the punch connected with him. The whole world started to grow dark, and when he hit the shield that protected the audience, the shield cracked too, and the illusion of the stage fell apart.


    Audun laid there, broken and barely conscious. No sounds were made at all, as everyone was shocked by the fight that just happened.


    ¡®I cannot lose here.¡¯ This was the only thought that swirled through his head, as he used all of his will to try and stand. ¡®I cannot lose here.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even sense world qi, he was so exhausted, but yet he still found the strength to stand. ¡®I cannot lose again.¡¯ Rain started dropping from the sky, yet came from inside the shield that blocked the arena from the outside world. Finis was shocked to find that he could no longer control world qi.


    Audun stood up, eyes half open, body covered in blood, and stared down Finis with a look that would win him the fight, should it be one of determination. A shocked look flashed through his face, before it was covered with a smile.


    ¡°Arimasen, you were truly an opponent worthy of me. I shall now grant you death by my hand!¡± Using the fraction of his speed he still could, Finis quickly made his way over to Audun, intending to kill his with a final attack. Unexpectedly, however, Audun was teleported away, even though he was still conscious. The announcer quickly stated that Finis was the winner, and for the first time in Arena history, a contestant was escorted off the stage by Sky Realm experts.