《Chronicles of the Tiger Immortal》


 Book 1: Chapter 1- A Second Life

    (Author: It''s that time again: another side project. If you are a writer, you want to test new ideas and see how people react, but you don''t want to risk ruining the story you actually want to write. Hence, you make a side project like this one. Hope you enjoy.)


    ---------Chapter 1: A Second Life--------------


    The place where souls of the dead gather is unknown. People believe in reincarnation and hope to be reborn in a new, better life. Some souls have such deep ambitions and regrets, they retain some memories of their past life. These souls always bring great change, bad and good in a direct or indirect manner. Their actions are like a rock skimming on a lake, each small wave hitting another and forming new ones.


    However, some souls choose to linger in the Mortal Realm and choose their own body. The Keepers of the Dead search for those rebellious souls so that the Heavens choose their next life as is Heaven''s Decree. One such soul has ventured from a planet Earth and has ventured into the unknown in search of an interesting world. Its memories slowly fade and only small fragments remain as it slowly forgets its purpose.


    Countless millennia pass and it finds a planet similar to Earth. Earth. What was it? It had forgotten long ago in all but name. The spirit''s orange soul flame remains undetectable to the living as it descends the planet. It searches for days and there is still no body. It does not want to possess the body of one of the living or the Keepers of the Dead will destroy its soul completely. It needs a body, freshly dead.


    It wants to live a life of luxury. Why did it want that life? Was its previous self someone who wished for it? Did it used to live such a life? Too little faded fragments of its life remained. It found an empire much like ancient China on television and the world was like a xianxia novel. China? Television? Xianxia? So many names but no memories to connect to them. It didn''t have much time. Its memories were fading.


    At last, it saw a little boy in a princely garb being bullied by other children. It wondered why the boy did not fight back. He looked like a prince. His clothes seemed to be made of silk. Ah, it was jealousy. The people of this world was just like Earth. The boy didn''t cry out when he was kicked and pushed onto the wooden bridge over the lake. No. It was more like he couldn''t. The boy was a mute.


    Oh the boy saw something green shine in the lake and leaned over the bridge. It saw the other children grab the boy''s legs and hoist him over the bridge. They watched as the boy flailed his arms and mocked when they couldn''t hear him scream for help. They paled as the boy sank, realizing he couldn''t swim. This was it. The boy would die and it would gain a new body. Black hair, lightning blue eyes, and ten years old maybe?


    The spirit watched as the boy flailed and kicked his arms to no avail as he slowly sank. The boy covered his mouth as his feet touched the ground and tried to push up to the surface. The effort was futile and cost him some bubbles of air. The other children start to run away from the scene in fear as the boy does not come up.


    If the spirit had a face, it would be licking its lips and smiling. It was not evil. It just needed a body and there it was. The boy slowly walks on the bottom of the lake to the source of the green shine. No, it wasn''t green at all. It was a little, golden little pearl with an image of a white tiger inside. The boy stared at it in wonder before choking and popped the pearl into his mouth as he died.


    The spirit rejoiced as the body grew still and saw a similar orange flame rise and disappear in a pillar of light, invisible to the living. It quickly entered the lake and into the body of the boy. Its flame body expands and burns with life inside the boy. The boy''s veins, arteries, bones, and organs expands and become tougher. The spirit opens the boy''s eyes like its own, the lightning blue eyes vibrant with life once more.


    The spirit frowned as it swallowed the golden pearl. Its body burned. Was it going to die? It just got a new body! Unable to accept its reality, the spirit willed its new body to endure the pain as he swam to the surface. He gasped for breathe as he breathed fresh air and his body trembled under the foreign energy of the pearl as he swam to shore and lost consciousness on the sands.


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


    The spirit groaned as it began to hear voices. It was alive! It had succeeded. Against all odds, it had succeeded. Its body ached from all the bruises the former host endured before he died. The spirit relaxed as it felt a warm, relaxing energy spread over its body. Its body! The spirit couldn''t believe it. It had gained a new life. It would have to play the role of an amnesiac as it did not possess a living body and had no access to the body''s memories.


    "My boy! Who did this to my boy?" a woman yelled, her scream causing the spirit''s ears to ache.


    "Please be calm Your Highness. The second prince needs his rest," an elderly voice said.


    "Royal Physician, will my little brother be okay?" a younger male asked.


    "He still gets bullied and he''s already passed ten years!" a young female voice said as the spirit''s vision turned from pitch black to hazy.


    "Don''t worry about those brats who tried to kill your brother. I sentenced them and their clan to death. They''ll be killed by my soldiers before the day''s end," a mature voice said. "No one harms my son, Lu Shu, and lives! I, Emperor Lu Yi of the Yan Dynasty, will not allow it!"


    "He''s awake!" the empress cried as she saw Shu''s eyes open and look around in wonder. "Shu! Do you recognize me? Do you know what happened?"


    "He''s mute mother," a teenage boy answered.


    "Where am I? Who are you and who...am I?" the spirit asked, laughing inside even though he knew it was wrong. He was just so happy to have a body.


    "Y, you! You can speak! Shu can speak!" an older girl cried as she pointed at him.


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    "Mei and Xing, take your mother and leave," the emperor said as he stroked his black beard in wonder. "My dear Empress Rong, please leave for a moment and handle the nobles for me. I need to assess Shu now."


    "I, I''ll be back Shu," the empress cried as she hugged her dazed son and led her two other children outside, crying.


    The spirit, now Lu Shu, looked around as he leaned up. His lightning blue eyes darted around the red wooden room before looking at his father. He had a family now. This was good. He just hoped his life would be more fortunate than the body''s former host. Emperor Lu Yi was over six feet tall and wore a shining golden robe with a black dragon embroidered across the front and back with small lotus flowers here and there.


    "Lu Shu, do you really not remember?" his father asked.


    Shu tilted his head and said, "I don''t remember much. I can only remember being pushed and drowning. I remember holding my breath and screaming, but no one could hear me. How can I speak?"


    "I don''t know," his father said sadly and smiled and said, "It is a fortune in disguise. While you may have forgotten us, you have gained the ability to speak! Your bullies will all be dead soon. I need to go now, but I need to know one thing: how do you have a spiritual pulse in your body?"


    "Spiritual pulse? You mean spirit energy? I, I don''t know." Shu asked while he guessed it might have been the pearl.


    "So you don''t know. When a child turns ten, their body has a chance to awaken with spirit energy through an outside source. It is very risky and many don''t survive. Most who do become Mages while those who focus more on physical applications are known as Practitioners."


    "So I am a Practitioner now?" Shu asked.


    "Yes. You are a Spirit Shaman, the lowest of four tiers. Think of each tier as a higher life form. Each tier has nine stages of cultivation. Each tier is known as Spirit Shaman, Spirit Knight, Spirit Master, and Spirit Sage. In our Yan Dynasty, the most powerful Practitioner  would be a Spirit Master of the first stage. Our empire is rather small and peaceful compared to the larger empires of the world, but we are still bigger than kingdoms with out seven provinces," Emperor Yi nodded. "I don''t know what stage of cultivation you are, but this is a good thing. When you become thirteen, I will send you away to one of the sects."


    "Why? Did I do something wrong?" Shu asked.


    "No my son. I have to send you away because you are the second son. Your presence in the palace, as you get older, might spur people who dislike your brother to create a faction under you and claim you as the rightful heir. A civil war is inevitable if I do not send you away. I am sorry, but your circumstance is greater than before as you would have been exiled," the emperor sighed as he sat next to Shu. "The throne is a heavy burden that other people just don''t understand. They just see the power, but not the responsibility to the people that it is owed. In the imperial library, there are few books that our ancestors used when they were Practitioners. Perhaps your memory will never return, but it is a good thing. I have read the reports that you suffered much before they tried to kill you. Whatever money or items their clan had will be given to you in a spatial ring. I must go now. I''m glad you''re alright my son."


    Shu stared back in wonder as he saw his father leave. So much for a new family. He would be on his own soon enough. A fragment of his past came to mind and he sat, cross-legged, on his bed with his hands on his knees. He was going to do what was called cultivation. Perhaps that was what his new father had spoken about.


    As he firmly shut his eyes, he could feel the golden energy swirl inside his body. A faint, golden glow emanated from his body as he continued to meditate. His body grew warm from his chest and spread outward to his limbs. It was an amazing feeling and Shu was lost in it as he continued to cultivate and gather spirit energy into his body from his surroundings.


    His father  returned late at night with a Practitioner who was a general of his army. The genera; was surprised to see Lu Shu meditating calmly as rumors of the weak second prince were well known. He was described as a timid mute who was too afraid to pull a punch. Here he was, gathering spirit energy.


    "What do you think, General Meng Ce?" the emperor asked.


    "Your son is indeed a Practitioner. He must be given a Practitioner weapon and begin to train if he is to join a sect, Your Majesty," the general bowed. "I can teach him what I know, but I don''t dare cultivate anymore to become a Spirit Knight. The Heavens punish higher life forms for dealing with matters of the Mortal Realm and I like being a general. Your Majesty, I can teach him the basics while you provide him with a Practitioner weapon and two or three techniques from your Imperial Vault. We have much to do. Most of the top sects only agree to accept those of the middle of the third stage of cultivation. I know very little sects who have elders who are Spirit Knights. I suggest Your Majesty research about them before the three years is up."


    "Will three years be enough?" the emperor asked.


    "Yes, Your Imperial Majesty," the general bowed deeply. "The first two stages of cultivation are the fastest as they lay the foundations for his future. By the third stage, his spirit pulse should be great enough that we can see his spirit form. It is the personification of his spirit. Usually its between a weapon or a beast of some sort. With his background and Your Majesty''s resources, it shouldn''t be a problem for him to get that strong in time."


    "Very well. I leave my son in your hands," The emperor said. "Tomorrow we will do as you suggested. Pick the best Practitioner weapon and assist him as much as you can general. This is my only way to repay my son for sending him away and denying him his birthright as a candidate for the throne."


    "Yes, Your Majesty," he bowed and followed the emperor out.

 Book 1: Chapter 2- Changed Society

    (Author: Hello! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. As this is a side project, I could upload it frequently or randomly. It all depends on how hard it is to write the current chapter of my main story. You just can''t rush your writing and have to let it flow. If an idea pops up, write it down with as much detail as you can. You can use it later or on another story to see how people react (like this one.) I hope you all enjoy the story. Feel free to give comments or suggestions you want me to use. It just might me write a chapter faster. By the way, this story will develop more slowly than my other stories as I don''t have to rush my writing and take my time writing it. This is more of an informative chapter depicting the changes in the kingdom upon news of Shu''s miraculous recovery. Well, here it is.)


    ------------Chapter 2: Changed Society--------------


    Before the dawn of the next morning, news of execution of three clans and the discovery of Spirit Pulse in the second prince had spread all over the Yan Empire. People died everyday so the deaths of three clans did not matter much, but the discovery of the second prince did. What were princes? They were candidates for the throne! Everyone had known about the weak-willed, mute second prince and thought of him as a cripple. What good of a prince was he if he couldn''t speak?


    Many in the palace and among the nobility were scared. Each of the three clans were very powerful people in the empire. It would make sense to kill the bullies and their immediate relatives, but the entire clan? No one wanted to wrong the second prince of Yan anymore. Many people in the capital, at some point, would sneer and throw things at the worthless prince. He was just a mute, but they already considered him a handicap. Now he had become a Practitioner. To be a mage was every man''s dream as it automatically made you as an equal to a lower noble. To be a Practitioner? Even armies would stop in the middle of combat to let you through if you were a Spirit Knight.


    Mages were considered the priority in the Yan Empire and it was a nation famous for its armies of mages. However, Practitioners numbered too few, but were often more deadly than any mage. Why? It was because Practitioners lived a dangerous life. They would do anything to increase their cultivation. They even became numbed to death once they realize how much easier it is to become stronger by taking someone else''s items. Mages? They lived in a luxurious, heavily guarded sanctuary or academy where they practiced their magic without fear of death.


    Mages who knew healing magic were the most guarded and coveted in any nation. They were walking infirmaries.  Not only that, magic itself had no limits. All kinds of schools of magic existed. Even raising the dead was possible. This was what caused many people to learn magic instead of awakening their spirit energy. Why risk death when you could live a life of luxury and peace? However, mages bowed down to Practitioners in the end. That was an absolute fact that no mage dared to deny. Although the emperor was a little sad that he was not able to send his son to a mgae academy to heal his inability to speak and become a mage; he was glad that his son became a Practitioner.


    Prince Xing was also glad Shu was no longer mute. People would no longer bully Shu and Shu would be sent to a martial sect. This meant that any would be assassins who would come after him would not dare take the risk. Princess Mei was also glad. Even though she disliked her brother, she loved him and was only envious that he could pick his own path. As a princess, it was a given that she would be married off to strengthen their imperial family''s ties to another powerful force. No one knew how Shu had suddenly had a Spirit Pulse, or why he had lost some of his memories. Lu Shu had changed and so had people''s views of him.


    As the Spirit Pulse fully stabilizes in the body and forms upon the third stage of cultivation, there was no way to tell what affinities Shu had. After he awoke and ate breakfast, he was immediately summoned to the throne room and learned more about the world of Practitioners from his new father and General Meng Ce. As far as Practitioners were concerned, there were various paths one walked to immortality. Those paths were determined by three things: their combat style, their inner spirit, and the elemental spirit energy flowing in their bodies.


    Needless to say, a Practitioner had to know how to fight bare-handed. It was the necessity and basic form of all combat while weapons were merely an extension and alteration of their combat style. Some people focused on strengthening the power of their body. Some focused purely on increasing their agility and speed while others focused on increasing their defenses. The weapon they choose afterwards should reflect their barehanded style. A body emphasizing on strength using a weapon dependent on speed, such as a dagger, was tantamount to asking for suicide.


    The second aspect was what their Spirit Pulse turned into once the Practitioner reached the third stage of cultivation. During the first two stages, the Practitioner learns to detect spirit energy and absorb it into his body. As the spirit energy condenses within the body, it will naturally form a shape upon breaking through to the third stage. There are category types of spirits. They are known as beast, weapon, and armor spirits. The most rare and powerful type of spirit was an armor spirit.


    The larger the spirit, the more powerful the armor spirit was. Upon reaching Spirit Knight stage, their true power would be realized as they could materialize the spirit on their body. Those who had armor type spirits boasted the best physical and spiritual defense. Very few people are born with the innate talent to form a complete armor spirit when they reach the third stage. Practitioners who had armor type spirits would be coveted by armies and sects across the globe. Not only that, they had one advantage no other spirit user had: the ability to use any spirit technique regardless of the elemental energy.


    What was elemental energy? It was the spiritual form of an element. It is a known fact that those who practiced fire techniques could not practice water or ice techniques. Why? They were conflicting elements. The elemental energy within the Practitioner''s Spirit Pulse would attack each other and the Practitioner would die. One could not use the elemental techniques of a conflicting element. If nature could not have them coexist, how could a Practitioner hope to have them exist in his own body. This was why those with armor type spirits were coveted. However, they were the most likely to die as they would be hunted by enemy sects or jealous peers.


    The second type of spirit was a weapon type. Like the armor type spirit, Practitioners could materialize their weapon spirits. However, Practitioners who had weapon spirits were the most offensive. As they progressed through the stages, they could summon many copies of their weapon spirit. They were literally a walking army of flying weapons as they grew stronger. The type of spirit depicted their fighting style and they were most vulnerable of all Practitioners. They were the most numerous and the most diverse among Practitioners as their spirits were more flexible and capable of absorbing spirit energy more easily, allowing them to break through to the next stage the fastest. Practitioners who had weapon spirits may not be able to learn all of the techniques of the world, but they could choose what elements they wanted to learn. The only problem was that their spirits rarely evolved and those Practitioners had the least potential.


    Finally, the last type of spirit was the beast spirit. Although not as rare as the beast spirit, they were the most tyrannical. The elemental spirit techniques they could learn were predetermined by what spirit they had. The more powerful and magical the spirit, the more powerful it was. Their spirits took the longest to cultivate to the next stage as those Practitioners had the most spirit energy in their body. They had the strongest and fastest bodies. Their agility and reflexes were also vastly superior. Although he didn''t know it, Shu had a white tiger beast spirit because of the golden pearl he swallowed. It was also a variant, but that is something to be explained at another time. Beast spirits had the one ability envied or mocked by all: the ability to create their own techniques based on their spirit.


    After Shu learned all of the information about Practitioners, he was allowed to roam the capital until night fall when he would enter the vault with General Meng and begin his new life as a Practitioner. The emperor wanted people to know that his son was no longer a mute. He wanted them to know he would become a Practitioner and to watch themselves in the future.


    Once his son became a powerful Practitioner, it would be obvious he would ally himself and defend the Yan Empire from rogue mages and Practitioners. Even enemy nations would not mess with a powerful country backed by a Practitioner. Mages were next to nothing next to an expert Practitioner. While they could not kill the ruling house or army if they were a Spirit Knight or above, killing everyone else was fair game in the eyes of the Heavens. People flocked to powerful nations because it was more secure and easier to live peaceful lives.


    Currently, Shu was touring the capital and browsing through the stalls. Four Spirit Shamans at the sixth stage of cultivation escorted him with ten others hiding in the shadows. People immediately smiled and politely bowed as they saw the second prince. They did not want to suffer the same fate as the tragic clans. Shu smirked a little as he could see the terror in their eyes despite the polite manners they displayed. He wondered how many of them wronged the former host of his body and saw a young girl the same age as him walk up to him with her arms folded.


    She was pretty cute with long, black hair tied into a pony tail. It rested on her right shoulder and she stared at him with her big, brown eyes and seemed to give off a cold demeanor. She was tapping her foot repeatedly as if she had been waiting for him for too long.


    "Uh, were you waiting for me?" Shu asked as he held a hand back to have the guards move behind him. As he had been a former wandering soul. he was exceptionally sensitive to spirit energy and sensed a very powerful Practitioner nearby. It seemed to be watching him and the girl.


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    "You don''t remember me?" the girl asked, her arms still folded.


    "I have lost some of my memories," Shu said. "I don''t remember anyone really."


    "Well, I am Ivy Shao and you agreed to let me give you a makeover," the girl smiled triumphantly. "You were bullied because you looked weak. I''m gonna make you look like a prince."


    "I am a prince and I don''t want a makeover. Sorry," Shu said as he tried to walk around her.


    "Hey! I said I am going to give you a makeover. Ugh, just let me give you one," Ivy said as she barred his path.


    "You must come from a powerful martial art sect," Shu said as he gazed past her and looked at the direction of a hidden figure. "I don''t know what I was like in the past, but I feel as if I was reborn. I will not allow others to bully me like the past me did. You want to give me a makeover as you are bored. You''re empty inside and need some sort of entertainment. I am not that entertainment. You''re beautiful and come from a powerful family. I''m sure they would not like to see you like this.


    The hidden figure was disturbed at being detected while the girl said, "Fine, but I will see you change with my own two eyes! Where you go, I will follow. You''ll see how wrong you are. You''re training to join a sect in three years right? When it is time for you to select a sect, I will join that sect too! I won''t allow a friend of mine to be looked down on by others!"


    Shu stared at her silently and asked, "What do you know of this world? Why is it that some people do not look the same?"


    They both looked around and saw some people with blonde skin. Some had black skin while others dark brown and light brown skin. Some had sand colored skin while others were as pale as the moon. Some of them had names that did not sound Chinese. Whatever Shu thought China was. It seemed that the ethnicities of his home world existed here. It even carried some of their names. One boy''s name was Jafar while another''s name was Alexander.


    "I, I don''t know," Ivy said. "They just travel from across the world like I did. I am not from the Yan Empire so my clan name comes second. You will not let me give you a makeover?"


    "Heh. You still insist on that. I suppose I should allow you. The former me would have.," Shu said as he stared at the sky. "This world is truly dangerous. Practitioners and mages exist and I assume magical beasts and demonic cores do as well. I need to change my mindset if I want to survive. It is different now. I am no longer on the run. Nor can I escape into the sea of stars."


    "What? What are you talking about?" Ivy asked while the hidden figure looked at him, startled. This was not the boy the hidden figure remembered Ivy meeting. His change was too sudden, too different.


    "It''s nothing. I will see you later. I have to being my training soon if I want to survive," Shu said and nodded at her before leaving with his guards, leaving Ivy confused and mystified while the hidden figure revealed himself.


    "Lady Ivy, that boy is not the same one you met," an elderly man in black and gold robes said as he appeared behind her. "He was even able to detect me. Not even a Spirit Knight is able to do so. Moreover, how could he have such a strong Spirit Pulse? Something happened when he drowned."


    "Was it a hidden expert grand uncle?" Ivy asked as she looked at the elderly man.


    "I don''t know. In any event, I do not sense any demons or intelligent magical beasts here. This empire is one not ruled by another being in the shadows. It is truly ruled by a human, but the blood of the royal family....I can detect traces of a bloodline I do not comprehend. They''re descended from something. Something not human. How else can they rule their own kingdom and have such powerful mages among their bloodlines?" the man asked. "This is only my conjecture, but I believe this empire was founded by a demon ancestor, not an immortal ancestor as their records state."


    "If the descendants of such a being are all so powerful, why were his family members all born as mages and not him?" Ivy asked. "He was born ordinary and had no talent in mana. Yet, he is no longer a mute and can became a Practitioner."


    "Mana and spirit energy are two different things. Mana is uncommon and slowly builds as a baby matures. At the age of ten, the child can choose to be a mage or a Practitioner. They are two different things. The talent to be a mage is inborn. The talent to be a Practitioner is made. Spirit energy appears in the body through an outside source, such as an expert or very powerful artifact," the elderly man said as he shook his head. "Why do you insist on his company? Tired of playing with the other girls here?"


    "He is interesting," Ivy said while her uncle discovered her true feelings.


    "He does not remember you or your past friendship," the man said. "Come. My business is done in this empire. We must return to the clan. Are you really going to join the same sect as he?"


    "Yes. If he is what you claim to be, then his future will be very interesting," Ivy said and they disappeared into the crowd.


    Deep below the palace was a hidden sanctuary. In there lived the few ancestors who became Practitioners. They cultivated in secret and were the secret pillars of the empire. They cared little for the Mortal Realm but would protect it should their assistance be necessary. The emperor entered a white stone tower. Inside, statues upon statues were placed on a circular formation all the way to the top of the tower. In the center of the base floor were fourteen ancestors in pure white robes with a hood over their faces. One man was meditating in pure black clothes on a throne at the end of the floor. They sat in a pyramid formation facing the door. The weakest five were closest to the emperor with a row of four behind them, a row of three behind them, and a row of two behind them. The man in black was the most powerful and gave off a baleful aura as if he were not human.


    "Lu Yi, ninety third emperor of the Yan Dynasty, greets the ancestors," the emperor said as he bowed on both knees and dipped his head low. "I bring news about my youngest child and second prince, Lu Shu. He is no longer a mute and has obtained a Spirit Pulse."


    "He is truly not a mage? The first in twenty two generations?" one of the white robed ancestors asked.


    "How is that possible? His blood is too diluted with human blood. He could not even be a mage as I did not detect any mana in him when he was born," another said.


    "It was true, until yesterday. I know not how it happened, but the Great Ancestor''s Blood stirs inside him," Lu Yi said respectively. "I fear for his life. Great Ancestor has many enemies and escaped here, to the Mortal Realm, but they have many followers. Should they discover his lineage...."


    "Lu Yi," an ancient voice rasped, silencing the room as the black and gold robed man spoke. "His Spirit Pulse, is it golden or red?"


    "G, Great Ancestor! It is truly an honor to hear your voice. It is red. His Spirit Pulse is red. I made sure no one, not even my royal physician, inspected it. One of the Great Ancestors distant descendants, General Meng Ce, will be training him under my orders."


    "Yes. I believe he came here once. Not a member of my direct bloodline, but a Practitioner all the same," the Great Ancestor said. "Has he been given a Practitioner weapon and spirit techniques?"


    "He is to select them, tonight, from the imperial vault," Lu Yi answered.


    "Good. Be sure to give him this ring and warn him to never take it off. It will cloud the perceptions of all people of this Mortal Realm like the fourteen here. No one will know of his demon lineage. They will believe that his Spirit Pulse is golden like a human," the Great Ancestor said as he threw a red ring, three eyes in a triangular formation on the top, toward Lu Yi. "When he reaches the third stage of cultivation, bring him to me before he leaves to join a martial sect. He must know, these have, about his true lineage. Many of my descendants chose to ascend to the Mortal Realm. I...will leave in a few years time to return to the Immortal Realms. My wife should be finishing her closed door training soon. She is a human, so her cultivation is much slower than her children and our many, many descendants. I am afraid to admit that she has the worst talent in cultivation I have ever seen. How many centuries have passed and she is still on the ninth stage of Spirit Sage cultivation?"


    "I will do as you command," Lu Yi replied and was stopped before he left.


    "Our Yan Empire is small, but matters of the Mortal Realm do not matter. Once your son, Lu Xing, ascends the throne; you will stay at the palace and resume cultivating at your Spirit Master stage. Once you breakthrough and become a Spirit Sage, you will come here and tell your son about us. However, he is never to know about Lu Shu. The less people who know, the better it is to maintain its secrecy. To have a Practitioner of my blood line with my blood stirring within him, it is truly rare indeed."


    "It will be done. I thank you for the privilege," Lu Yi bowed and left the tower, sighing with relief once he left the hidden sanctuary and sat on his throne. He was always intimidated as he sat among the most powerful people on the planet, even if it was his own ancestors. The world may have forgotten them or believed them dead, but he always met them when it came to the safety of the Lu clan. So what if their empire had shrunken and no longer one of the most powerful empires in the world? True power lied in the Immortal Realms. The more powerful the descendants, the more likely it is that the Lu clan will rule in the Immortal Realm.


    "For now, I must give the ring to Lu Shu and take him to the imperial vault," Lu Yi muttered as a messenger told him Lu Shu arrived an hour later. "But what should he learn? What category will his inner spirit be?"


    "Summon Lu Shu and General Meng Ce! They are to meet me in front of the imperial vault!" Lu Yi ordered while several servants and guards knelt and obeyed his command. The emperor sighed and left for the imperial vault. As he left, he wondered just what happened and how the Great Ancestor''s Blood was influenced to awaken in Lu Shu''s body.

 Book 1: Chapter 3- The Imperial Vault

    (Author: Hello! It turns out that the Lu clan''s background is more profound than the world believes. Lu Shu has returned to the palace and heads to the imperial vault. How much of his background will his father reveal? What techniques is he going to learn? Which weapon will he choose to master? First of three chapter spam release. Enjoy.)


    -------Chapter 3: The Imperial Vault--------------


    "Father," Shu said as he clasped a hand over a left fist and bowed lightly.


    "Imperial Emperor," General Meng Ce said doing the exact same thing as well as kneeling on one knee.


    "Good. You two are here. Behind me lies the imperial vault. Shu, you will pick out three techniques and a Practitioner Weapon. As for a breathing technique to help you cultivate, we will speak of this when we enter," the emperor said as he looked at the royal guards. "No one is to disturb us. Kill any who approach the vault."


    "We hear and obey," the knights chanted in unison.


    The emperor headed in first, followed by the general and Prince Shu. It was the first time the two entered the vault and they were naturally surprised. Gold coins in twenty foot high piles in a hallway as far as the eye could see. Only General Meng Ce knew why the hall would be so large as the hidden sanctuary of the ancestors was hidden many yards below. Still, he never expected the royal family to have so much gold. There were also several weapons and armor scattered on the floor with many precious metals and jewelry. It was as if they were just tossed there like trash.


    "Oh, come now. Don''t tell me you are all surprised?" the emperor asked as he saw their expressions. "The Yan Empire is the oldest empire in existence. Naturally, we would have more money than any other nation in the world. Land? Power? Money? None of them matter if you pursue the path of immortality, like myself, or fighting, like General Meng Ce. I dare say, the Lu clan has more money than all the dragon hoards in the world combined. That means nothing because our family only cares about magical weapons, magical armor, and magical items and artifacts. It is a pity most mages do not pursue immortality and realize how little they settled for. True power lies in the heavens."


    "For a vault, this is beyond messy. It''s like the whole vault is the inside of a mountain," Shu noted as he looked around. The vault was like a hollow cave with large hills of gold in the distance. He could even see stone roads that led further in. "How exactly can I choose what I want?"


    "That, my son, is your problem," the emperor laughed. "You and General Meng Ce must search for them yourselves. You can both feel free to take as much gold and jewelry in this room as you desire. This is but the smallest mountain hollow. There are many more. Think about it. I Lu Yi, am the ninety third emperor. Once you reach Spirit Master stage, you stop aging and can manipulate your appearance up to ten years old from the appearance you had before. I lost count how many decades I lived as emperor before your mother and I decided to have kids. Let''s just say that alchemy has its uses to prevent an unexpected surprise from late night activities. HAHAHA! Money does not matter much, but it does in the Mortal Realm. Be sure to collect enough to bribe yourself out of trouble. I''m sure there''s a storage bag somewhere under those hills of gold coins."


    "Thank you father," Shu said.


    "Oh, almost forgot something of the utmost importance. General Meng Ce, you met the Great Ancestor. His blood stirs inside him," Lu Yi said as he gave Shu the crimson ring with three eyes while the general looked at Shu, astonished. "Never take the ring off Shu. During the first two stages, people will have suspicions but it is not certain until you are of the third stage. Never take it off. Furthermore, take this scroll. It contains a demonic breathing technique called the Eclipse Indestructible Body technique, the technique of the Practitioners of the Lu clan. HAHAHA! Only those with high levels of pure demon blood can use this technique. It is what made our Great Ancestor so famous and forced him to escape here, to the Mortal Realm."


    "Eclipse Indestructible Body technique?" Shu repeated as he took a large, ancient scroll from his father. "Demonic breathing technique? Aren''t I human?"


    "Yes, you are. It just so happens that your many dozens of great grandfather just so happens to be a Golden Earth Fiend," Lu Yi laughed while General Meng Ce nodded, his face turning pale for a moment. "The purity of your blood just so happens to be so unnaturally high that your Spirit Pulse is actually a demonic red instead of a human gold. The ring will make your Spirit Pulse look gold to everyone but you. Only someone in the mid-stage of Spirit Sage or higher can tell the difference. The ring also holds another ability which you might discover later on. The breathing technique will greatly assist in your cultivation and make your body indestructible. Of course, this only depends on the power of your opponent. Inside the vault there are demonic weapon techniques. No one but a demon can use them so be sure to pick that."


    Lu Shu stared at his father leaving and said to the general, "So the Great Ancestor is a demon?"


    "A Golden Earth Fiend to be exact, but yes. I am also a descendant. When a descendent of the Great Ancestor is a Practitioner who reached the third stage, he is granted an audience with the Great Ancestor. All I can say is that all your questions will be answered then. For now, let''s look for a blood demon weapon technique once you pick a Practitioner weapon. Most mage staffs and other trinkets are replaceable and destructible, but Practitioner weapons are chosen for life and break upon the owner''s death. The weapons you pick here might have belonged to our ancestors or Practitioners they killed," the general said sadly.


    "Blood demon weapon techniques?" Lu Shu asked.


    "Techniques like those are only given that fancy name as it requires the user of the technique to have demon blood," the general shrugged. "Just to clarify, demons are stronger than humans of the same rank. Magical beasts are also stronger and dragons are the most powerful, yet consider themselves a fourth category of Practitioner life forms. Humans are the weakest, but they are the most numerous and cultivate the fastest. Don''t be surprised if someone reaches the next stage faster than you. It is because you have more potential than they do. The more talented, the harder the work one must make to break through to the next stage. Your breathing technique could be considered an innate defensive skill so we just need you to learn a weapon technique and a bare-handed technique. Your weapon technique should be your trump card. We''ll collect some gold and jewelry while we are at it. We might be lucky enough to find demonic cores and some magical artifacts."


    "Like a treasure hunt. Cool," Shu grinned as he put on the crimson ring. "I should try to find a storage bag. In the Mortal Realm, money and power determine your future. Plus, having that around will obviously help me carry so much money and items that even a caravan would hesitate to carry. The only problem is...I don''t know what it should look like."


    "Ah, storage bags? Good choice. A spatial ring would get in the way," the general laughed.


    Shu laughed as he found a storage bag after searching through eight piles of treasure. General Meng Ce nodded as Shu began putting large amounts of gold and jewelry into his storage bag. Then, he and Shu left the area and followed the roads deeper in the vault. General Meng Ce cried out in alarm as they encountered small mounds of demonic cores.


    "Those are demonic cores! You''re in luck Shu. Quickly, eat them," General Meng Ce said.


    "Uh, isn''t eating them a bad thing?" Shu asked. "Won''t my cultivation increase too quickly?"


    "Ah, right. You only became a Practitioner yesterday and lost some memories," the general laughed as he slapped his forehead. "Okay, while it is true that it does increase your cultivation, that only applies once you are of the third rank when your spirit condenses and reveals its true form. Until then, demonic cores are used to increase your foundations. In other words, it increases the amount of spirit energy you possess. Not only that, there are lion wine barrels here!"


    Shu looked at scattered barrels around the demonic core as the general continued, "You''re a minor so I would normally prevent you from drinking wine, but that is lion wine! Countless magical treasures are used to create a barrel of that wine. Gods. I never knew the Lu clan was so rich. See how many barrels there are and they are just laying around like discarded treasure. Well, as your father is the only one who is a Practitioner and the fact that the wine is useless except for the taste at Spirit Master stage, the barrels would be forgotten. Your father, His Majesty, said that there are other rooms right? You should keep these barrels. Drink a cup of this wine a day. It should help enhance your cultivation quite a bit. Don''t worry, there is no addictive effects from this wine as it isn''t regular wine."


    "Uh, okay?" Shu said as he began storing the barrels of lion wine into his storage bag before walking to the demonic cores.


    "Before you start eating the cores, you should know that all you are doing is adding the amount of spirit energy you can use. This no longer applies once you reach the third rank as almost all of it will enhance your cultivation and allow you to make many breakthroughs relatively quickly. You should not rely on eating demonic cores to do so as it limits your potential. Breaking through on your own will allow you to better understand how to do so in the future. Only this time, should you eat them. If you get some in the future, trade them for something more useful," the general warned. "Keep eating the demonic cores until you see cracks of red spirit energy on your body. I will see it as gold, but stop when you see the cracks. This means that your body has reached the threshold of containing spirit energy. You will be in immense pain, but that is the best time to perform your breathing technique and begin cultivating that spirit energy."


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    "So you want me to stop eating cores when I am on the verge of blowing up just to perform the breathing technique my father gave me?" Shu asked incredulously.


    "Yes, Prince Shu. The longer you perform your breathing technique, the better," Meng Ce answered. "Having so much spirit energy in your body will damage you a bit, but it will also increase the amount of spirit energy your body can hold. You see, the Eclipse Indestructible Body technique is an ancient demonic breathing technique. Every Practitioner descended from the Great Ancestor knows it, but not everyone can use it. When your body is on the verge of breaking, that is the requirement to first use this breathing technique. It will ensure that your spirit energy is within your blood vessels, veins, and arteries. Your Spirit Pulse will become much more powerful. Your body will truly become indestructible to almost any assault. When someone tries to pierce or cut your skin, a white energy will appear over the area of contact like a third layer of skin."


    Shu stared silently and picked up one of the demonic cores. It seemed like a crystal orb with the image of the body it came from inside. Curious, Shu opened his mouth and swallowed it. His eyes opened wide in shock as he felt a rush of adrenaline pump in his body. Spirit energy seemed to gush out from his stomach and spread into every fiber of his body. It felt so warm and good. Very good. Smacking his lips, Shu swallowed core after core to maintain the pleasant feeling.


    As he was eating the demonic cores and letting the spirit energy spread in his body, the general quickly took off one of the lids from a barrel of lion wine Shu missed and quickly moved it next to Shu. Shu coughed a little as he kept swallowing the demonic cores like a ravenous wolf. He could see small cracks of red spirit energy form all over his body. Every time a crack appeared or expanded, Shu howled in pain as it felt like he was being run through by a sword and having it slightly twist in his body.


    "Quick, jump into the barrel and read the scroll!" General Meng Ce roared and Shu quickly jumped into the barrel.


    The general opened the scroll of the breathing technique. Shu''s eyes opened in surprise as the words slowly became wisps of white energy. Once he finished reading the scroll, the white energy entered his body While he read the scroll, the wine in the barrel was slowly being drained by the cracks on his body. His wounds healed and Shu found that it was low enough that he could sit down and meditate. The general nodded as Shu began practicing the technique. The scroll was merely a vessel for the energy. The information to practice it was embedded in Shu''s memory the moment the energy entered his body.


    Shu felt as if his eyes were burning as he continued to practice the technique. Slowly, the white energy began to expand outwards once it penetrated his organs and bones. It settled on top of his body like an extra layer of skin before disappearing as it never existed. However, Shu knew it would appear to protect him as it had become a part of him. The spirit energy within his body began to condense. Shu could see red spirit energy flow within his body, settling within the center of his chest. He began to faintly glow a red aura around his body. General Meng Ce saw that it was a success as he saw Shu''s sky blue iris become a faint, glowing gold before they closed again. As expected of the breathing technique created by the Great Ancestor, a Golden Earth Fiend.


    Shu opened trembled in shock as he felt the familiar golden energy he felt before. It wasn''t his own spirit energy. It was from the golden pearl he had swallowed before. The pearl inside his body seemed to be as if it were absorbing the red spirit energy in his body. The more he practiced the Eclipse Indestructible Body technique, the more spirit energy he absorbed into his body with some of it being absorbed by the pearl. It seemed to crack as he kept absorbing more and more. Shu was curious and wanted it to open. To General Meng Ce, it seemed as if Shu glowed a faint gold aura and was temporarily lost in wonder while cultivating spirit energy.


    After an hour, General Meng Ce said, "The second prince is so dedicated. He has been practicing the technique for well over an hour now, but why does some of the spirit energy vanish?"


    Shu was lost in wonder as he kept pouring spirit energy into the pearl. It cracked and cracked as spirit energy poured into it like the bottom of a waterfall. It was no demonic core so Shu kept wondering what it was. The pearl awakened his Spirit Pulse and cured the mute disability of the body. It had to be something special. It was probably a magical artifact of sorts. Shu finally saw the pearl burst and an unknown energy burst from the pearl and permeated through his entire body.


    General Meng Ce fall on his butt in alarm as the barrel burst as Shu roared like a tiger with his arms stretched out. The image of a white tiger appeared behind him and the pure power and vibration from the roar shook the entire vault. General Meng Ce could not believe his eyes as he saw the fifteen foot tiger, water circling around it, appear for a few seconds while Shu roared. As soon as he saw the tiger, he knew what Shu''s spirit would become. There was no doubt now. Whatever caused the tiger to appear must have to do with whatever awakened his Spirit Pulse.


    What General Meng Ce was a White Ocean Tiger, one of the highest tiers of beast type spirits below the magical beast spirits. Shu would be able to learn elemental spirit techniques of darkness, lightning, and water. Shu did not have an armor type spirit so he could not learn light, earth, or fire spirit techniques. It was an interesting combination. Water and lightning did work well. When the clouds got dark, it signified a storm. Lightning storms always brought rain.


    Shu laid back on the ground while the general was preoccupied with his thoughts. Shu was very tired but was excited. He was brimming with spirit energy. Shu wrinkled his nose as he smelled something unpleasant. He looked down and saw his lower body covered in impurities, black liquid that was expelled from his body. Shu left the general in the vault as he washed off the impurities and returned with fresh clothes.


    "Is something wrong?" Shu asked.


    "You have affinity for darkness, lightning, and water. There is no mistake that your spirit will be a White Ocean Tiger as it has the water affinity. I don''t know what happened to stimulate your Spirit Pulse, but it must have been a very powerful magical artifact. White tiger spirits with affinity to water are rarely seen," the general said. "We''ll find you a bare-handed dark spirit technique first. Preferably, a speed-oriented offensive skill. Then, we''ll find a water spirit technique using whatever Practitioner weapon you find, if such a technique could be found here. I must warn you, water spirit techniques that are offense-oriented are rare and most people don''t use them."


    "What about lightning?" Shu asked.


    "Lightning? Don''t even think about trying to control that element. It is much too powerful for someone below the fourth stage of cultivation to begin training in. It consumes too much spirit energy and your Spirit Pulse has not stabilized yet," the general shook his head. "If you truly wish to learn it, you can find a technique here. However, you must promise me that you will not practice the skill until you reach the fourth stage. There are just some elements too powerful to practice early on. Truthfully, darkness is also dangerous but you are not completely human. Your Spirit Pulse is demonic and is harmonious with the element of darkness. Just as demons can practice dark spirit techniques at the first stage, so too, do humans practice the light element. That is, of course, if their spirit had the affinity and they discovered it early on. Do you swear not to practice it?"


    Shu nodded and said, "I swear. Is it normal to have three elemental affinities?"


    "Yes. The most one could have is six, but that is too many and most settle for only four. The more elements one decides to practice in, the less proficient he will be. It is different than a mage. Mages study spells, but Practitioners study the very elements," the general answered. "Should you decide to train in the element of lightning, practice it in secrecy. It is an element as rare as light and darkness. Best to keep it as a trump card. Convince people that you do not pursue learning the element of lightning by never using it."


    "I understand. There is much to learn," Shu said silently.


    "Indeed. However, a Practitioner should not depend on elemental spirit techniques in order to win. Learning fighting techniques must take priority. While one has the affinity, it does not mean they should always use it. One should understand his body and learn martial arts first. Otherwise, what is the difference between you and a mage?" the general warned. "Come. Let''s get you those techniques and a Practitioner weapon."


    "Okay general," Shu grinned and followed the general deeper into the vault.

 Book 1: Chapter 4- A Cursed Sword

    (Author: Hello! Now that Lu Shu has begun cultivating spirit energy, he learns what his spirit will become. He and the general continue to head further into the vault, searching for spirit techniques. A Practitioner weapon is for life. Just what weapon will Lu Shu pick? They had found all kinds of items. Just what else had been discarded in the vault? Enjoy.)


    ---------Chapter 4: A Cursed Sword-------------


    "Can a Practitioner only use one Practitioner weapon?" Shu asked as they continued their search.


    "Yes. However, the Heavens are kind. Just like how mages can choose to keep using their staff or switch to a new weapon, so too, can Practitioners change theirs. It is different for us though," the general said silently.


    "How is it different?" Shu asked.


    "We can combine Practitioner weapons into each other. The true form remains the same, but there is one crucial thing to note," the general said and paused to stare at the prince in the eye. "Your Practitioner weapon can develop a unique ability. The more Practitioner weapons you absorb into the one you own, the higher the chance it will evolve and gain a special ability. It is another reason Practitioners kill each other. They do so, not just for the items in the spatial ring or storage bag; but for the chance to evolve their weapon. The world of Practitioners is nothing but one of training and death. It is worthless to absorb any Practitioner weapon. It must have belonged to someone you killed personally."


    "That''s cruel," Shu remarked, his face pale.


    "That is life. If being able to cultivate spirit energy is a gift from the divine beings of the Realms, then the ability to evolve the Practitioner weapon is a gift from Death," the general agreed. "No one knows how Practitioner weapons are made. They just randomly appear on the planet from rips in space. People say that they are weapons forged and dropped into the Mortal Realm. We are meant to pick them up and kill each other for the amusement of the weapons'' makers in the Realms beyond the Mortal Realm. Whether it is true, no one knows."


    "Does it end after your weapon gains an ability?" Shu asked.


    "No. The Practitioner weapons are insatiable. No matter how many you absorb into it, it will still hunger for more It is said that strips of the soul you killed will remain inside the Practitioner weapon as it absorbs it after your kill. What is known, for sure, is that a Practitioner weapon develops two types of auras after a while," the general said.


    "An aura? How does it do that?" Shu asked.


    "It depends if anyone owned it before. If someone did and an aura had formed,  it will remain but will not have the abilities it had with its former owner. This does not include any special characteristics the weapon has when it is wielded. There are two auras. One is a celestial white aura and the other is a baleful black aura. Celestial white aura is formed after healing over ten thousand other people. A baleful black aura is formed after killing ten thousand people, innocent or otherwise. Pretty much: good is celestial and evil is baleful. People call weapons with celestial auras as holy artifacts while the other is considered a cursed artifact. Of course, there is a reason why," the general said.


    "Holy and cursed weapons? How interesting. What''s the real reason? Does something happens when one wields it?" Shu asked.


    "Holy weapons emit a feeling of hope to people within a certain range while cursed weapons emit a feeling of fear. If you choose a Practitioner weapon with an aura, you see fragments of scenes when the weapon was used. Nothing too big really," the general shrugged. "However, if you do find one here, chances are, no one can recognize it. No one knows when the Great Ancestor returned to the Mortal Realm and made the vault. There is no problem if you pick a cursed Practitioner weapon. Keep looking. You might get lucky. However, I was told by my mother, a distant descendant of the Great Ancestor, that some areas are blocked off. Inside are very powerful but dangerous magical items."


    "Oooh! Forbidden. Sounds fun," Shu grinned. "I might have no choice if I want a water spirit technique. Let''s find one! Maybe I''ll see a very powerful weapon there."


    "I wonder if it''s a children''s curiosity and innocence or reckless stupidity," the general thought as he followed the eager prince. "At least we don''t have to dig in those mountains of gold. I can''t believe I''m getting sick of seeing so much gold."


    After passing four hills of gold, they saw a door with chains on the front with a large circle at the center of two doors with a large rune in the center. Shu was about to approach it, but the general stopped him, saying that the rune meant fire. Disappointed, Shu kept searching. They found similar doors, but they were not meant for water. Shu skipped the doors of darkness and lightning as they were not his goal. Finally, they found a door, but this one did not contain forbidden skills of elemental spirit techniques. The rune said simply: Blades. Shu was excited as whatever chamber was inside had to do with Practitioner weapons.


    "Beware, my descendant, who wishes for the treasures past this door. Inside are Practitioner weapons I stole from the bodies of my enemies in the Immortal Realm. The only reason they are sealed inside is simple: each of them were wielded by people I recognized as strong," the general recited from a pillar next to the door. "I also glean scrolls containing their techniques as I scoured their soul before I killed them. Some even have items used by the owner. Should you choose to take a weapon from within, know that there is a minimal, but possible, chance that someone will recognize the weapon. Heed my words- the Golden Earth Fiend. Note: You are not worthy of knowing my name. You''ll know when you ascend."


    "Oh. So these weapons were wielded by someone recognized by our Great Ancestor? There''s also a skill. Sweet! Two birds with one stone," Shu smiled and put his hand on the rune. The chains fell and the doors opened.


    "Uh, that was easy," Shu muttered.


    "These are just simple enchantments meant to look fanciful. Besides, the Great Ancestor said that the Practitioner weapons were just weapons someone might recognize. There was no point to seal them. He just separated them from ones we might find later on," Meng Ce said. "Go on in and choose. Once you leave, the doors will close and the chains will be repaired as they were. What weapon are you aiming to use?"


    "A sword," Shu said as fragments of his past life showed a blurry child waving a wooden sword.


    "Sword huh? Okay. Good choice. While you are choosing a weapon, I will try to find you a dark spirit technique. This will lessen the time we are here. Honestly, I''m getting sick of searching through hills of gold. Creating hills of corpses is more appealing. At least they don''t look the same all the time," the general said and left Shu at the doorway.


    Shu walked in and saw a completely white hallway as far as he could see. Against the walls, there were shelves with two rows each. On the top row was the actual weapon with a brief description of who previously owned it. Below, a single scroll contained one of the spirit techniques the previous owner of the weapon used. However, most of the techniques did not use the weapon itself. Very few of the second row of shelves had an additional item with a description of how they were used.


    Shu paled with respect and fear. Seeing so many weapons, his ancestor must have killed countless experts. If Practitioner weapons could be absorbed, these Practitioner weapons must have been deemed worthless to his ancestor. Who knew how powerful his ancestor''s Practitioner weapon was? Shu regained his composure after a while and continued browsing the shelves. He finally stopped in front of a long sword with a black and cerulean blade. It was cool to the touch and had a simple cross-guard and hilt. The cross-guard was silver and had swirling lines from the center to the ends of the guard on both sides. The hilt was completely black.


    "This sword is called Rain Slayer. This sword was found in the belly of a thousand meter Rain Dragon Ape. Its scales are the same color as the blade. Perhaps whoever made the Practitioner weapon made it out of the body of a Rain Dragon Ape? Anyway, the last wielder of the sword was a dumb brat who dared to buy all the tea from a place I liked. Finding out I had to wait a whole year for their new stock as it was their most expensive product, I searched for the brat and cut off his head after scouring his soul for a technique. Let it be said that I, a Golden Earth Fiend, was wise enough to steal a technique instead of killing the brat on the spot," a silver plate described below the sword. "He had an interesting lightning technique and bizarre trinket. I destroyed his body, but left the head on the ground. I consider it an act of gratitude for buying all the tea. He must have belonged to some powerful family as even I was not allowed to buy it all. Rain Slayer has a baleful aura. Should you bind yourself to it, you will catch glimpses of the lightning technique. Should help in mastering it."


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    Shu stared silently at the sword before reading the silver plate next to the scroll below. It stated, "Hello junior. If you''re reading this, then you have decided to bind Rain Slayer and make it your Practitioner weapon. Not bad. I would have liked to learn the technique, but I have earth affinity. You should note that lightning and wind are conflicting elements of earth. Pity a descendant of mine does not have earth. This technique is called Black Cloud Desolation. It had a dumb name and I have it this one. This is a better name junior. The technique itself begins by creating a small, black cloud next to you. Then, it expands while other black clouds appear and connect to each other. You literally become lightning as you enter the cloud and can appear from any part of the clouds. You can also throw lightning at your foes. The cloud increases the power of your lightning. The only way to beat the technique is to destroy all traces of the cloud to force you out of hiding. Of course, that is only the first stage of this technique. Like any technique, you can develop it and make it your own or choose to learn it all. Choosing to learn the whole technique will narrow your vision, but allow you to attain higher levels of the technique faster. Choosing to alter it and make it your own will allow you to develop it further to a one-of-a-kind technique. I suggest you choose the latter. Why go traditional when you can revolutionize and stand out? Choose wisely junior. It''s your life."


    "I should follow the Great Ancestor''s advice. Spirit energy-generated lightning. Cool. Now let''s look at the trinket. Hope it''s good," Shu sighed with awe and looked at the plate underneath a black and cerulean bracelet.


    "This bracelet is simply called: Dragon Monkey Bracelet. It is a magical artifact that everyone should possess: an item that converts your spirit energy into an element. If you don''t know how to convert your spirit energy into an element, this bracelet will do it for you as you pour your spirit energy into it. If you already know how to convert spirit energy into the elements, the bracelet magnifies its power. This bracelet is not uncommon and most low to high noble families have one with similar effects," the plate below said. "The bracelet has a special feature I added to it. I made the Dragon Monkey Bracelet, as someone above a Spirit Master can easily make such magical treasures with the exception of Practitioner weapons, out of the scales of a Rain Dragon Monkey and a piece of its skull. Activate the special feature if you feel your life is in danger. Junior, your arm, up to the shoulder, will turn into a limb of a Rain Dragon Monkey. If you don''t know what a Dragon Ape of any kind looks like, imagine a giant monkey a hundred and fifty feet tall with dragon scales and teeth. Its tail is also covered in scales but has no wings. It ears look like a dragon, but its pupils are not slit like a dragons. Thank me junior. HAHAHAHA!"


    "Amazing. What a cool bracelet. It is ordinary, save for the feature, so I don''t have to hide it from others as even low nobles could get one," Shu chuckled as he stopped reading to admire the bracelet.


    "I honestly think you should find a different weapon. Junior, there are better weapons with better techniques and trinkets in the hall. If you are satisfied, then take it. Just know that while the trinket can be bound by blood and a technique can be learned or not; Practitioner weapons are for life. Don''t be tempted by the descriptions and browse around more before picking it," the slate warned as Shu finished reading the rest.


    "There are others better than this?" Shu cried, shocked upon reading the words. "That''s insane. However, I now understand how my ancestor could get so many weapons. With such arrogant attitude with more than enough power to back it up, it''s no wonder he could nonchalantly kill someone. I really picked the right corpse to inhabit. The former Lu Shu, wherever you are, thank you. I will live the life you should have lived. Just watch me! Ignore the not being a mage bit. I''m a Practitioner."


    Lu Shu grabbed the sword and was stunned as he saw fragments of memories belonging to past wielders. He saw them slay men and beasts. He also saw a black cloud near the last wielder of the sword. The last owner of the sword was a noble of some country and launched spears of blue lightning from the black cloud as it expanded while new ones formed. After a moment, the memories stopped. Lu Shu smiled as he felt he made the right decision. So what if there were better swords? He found what he needed to find. He was satisfied. He opened the scroll and the scroll burst to flames while the writing became as light and engraved itself in his mind, just as the Eclipse Indestructible Body technique had done.


    He dropped blood on both the sword and the bracelet and put the bracelet on while he carried the sword in his hand. He admired the wisps of black energy that emerged from the sword as he held it in his hand. He left the hallway, satisfied and saw the general smiling at him as he told the general what happened. The general would have told the prince that he should have picked a different Practitioner weapon, but Rain Slayer was already bound to Prince Shu. They quickly searched for a sheath and sword strap and Shu slid Rain Slayer in its new sheath on his back. Shu could barely feel the Dragon Monkey Bracelet on his left hand. Shu and the general drank a cup of lion wine to celebrate.


    "Take this," the general smiled as he handed Shu a black scroll. "This is a movement technique known as the Phantasmal Sky technique. You wrap yourself in dark spirit energy and a trail of shadows follows you as you move at an extreme speed. At higher levels of mastery, you can even fly, something only at Spirit Master stage and after can do. If you find yourself in trouble, you can easily escape with this technique. Most of all, you can still perform basic martial arts techniques and sword strikes with it as it uses almost zero spirit energy. Most movement skills are like that, but few are as useful as this one. You don''t need a movement skill that uses more than this or it will consume more spirit energy."


    "Thanks," Shu said and opened the scroll, the information going into his head. "By the way, why do all the scrolls burst into flames after reading it once?"


    "Ah, that''s to protect it from being misused. The more people who know or use the technique, the less formidable it is," the general answered as Shu put the wine barrel away. "That''s why martial arts sects and powerful families rank their skills and only allow their disciples learn up to a certain rank based on their position in the sect. Just imagine the catastrophe a child your age could do if he attempted to perform a skill only someone at Spirit Master or Spirit Sage could. Even mages have restrictions because they are the prime examples of why rankings are needed in the first place. Many empires and nations disappeared from the map due to negligence of a young mage as he attempted to use a spell beyond his capability."


    "I understand," Shu nodded. "Let''s find that forbidden skill. I can''t wait to learn it and leave to begin my training, master."


    "Heh, you brat. You finally said something great," the general laughed as he shuffled the prince''s head. "Let''s go my young disciple. I''m also eager to see how much you will grow. You chose a cursed sword and have a demonic Spirit Pulse. Your future will definitely be as far from normal as any Practitioner could be.

 Book 1: Chapter 5- Adventure Begins

    (Author: Hello! This is the final chapter of introductory phase of my story. This chapter will also signify the beginning of Lu Shu''s training. After I don''t know how many chapters, he will meet the Great Ancestor and head towards a martial arts sect. Just a head''s up on how the story is gonna flow. Note: this is a side project so enjoy the 3 chapter spam release of chapters 3 to 5! Writer''s block for main story: The Necromancer King, made me do this spam release. Enjoy.)


    -------Chapter 5:Adventure Begins-------------


    Lu Shu and General Meng Ce were glad that they were nearing the end of their visit. Every now and then, they would store some gold into their storage bag out of boredom as they tried to find a chained door containing forbidden water techniques. They found a few more doors, but they contained magical items or forbidden techniques to other elements. Finally, they found a door with the rune, water, on the front connected to four chains that kept the doors shut.


    "Beware those who seek the power beyond this door. This is different than the other forbidden chambers, not because you could die, but because you will change. Inside is a technology used in another world. The chamber contains a tank that houses a god. It''s not really a god, but it is an entity not found on our world. I brought it with me to the mortal world with five others. Four of them were stolen due to inadequate emperor of my bloodline. He was killed and his name was forever forgotten. The fifth other entity was taken by one of my descendants and he has already ascended from the Mortal Realm," Shu read from a structure next to the door.


    Shu continued to recite the words aloud. It read, "These gods are living spirit techniques. Who knows what the scholars of the planet did with so many Practitioners to create these living spirit techniques. If you wish to obtain it, all you need to do is jump inside the tank. The tank is big enough to fit twenty tigers so you should be able to fit in, whoever you are. Once you go in the tank, the technique will embed itself in your mind like any other scroll containing spirit techniques."


    "Part of your body will change," the general continued. "It is because the water spirit will fuse into you just as Practitioner weapons absorb other weapons. Your physical capabilities, such as speed, strength, and reflexes; will enhance so much as you absorb a piece of that god''s power. Just so you know, many such entities exist in different shapes and forms. There will be others like you. Don''t get a swell head now. Think of it as a symbiotic parasite. It gets to live outside the specially made tank while you gain access to a new abilities beyond what you should have. The exact changes, even I don''t know. The choice is yours to accept this forbidden technique. You should only do so if your main elemental affinity is water. Good luck and hopefully you stay alive. I don''t know if the descendant who took the fifth living spirit technique still lives in the Immortal Realms. I also don''t know if the thieves who stole the other four remaining living spirit techniques still live, or if they are still in this world. If they still live on this planet, they will try to get their hands on you if they discover your power. Like any great power, it is best to keep it hidden. Only a fool trying to suicide would reveal all that he is capable of. There is a time to show off your power and a time to keep it hidden. For your sake, I hope you know when to do so."


    "I''m not exactly human aren''t I? I got nothing left to lose and water is my main elemental affinity based on what you said," Shu sighed.


    "Are you really sure you want to do this?" the general asked. "Not even the Great Ancestor knows the extent of the change or what the technique actually is as it did not state anything. Even though it is tedious, we should find a different forbidden water spirit technique. We don''t even know if the spirit technique would be worth it."


    "We came this far. Best to see it through to the end. Who knows how long it will be until we find another door, or even if another forbidden technique exists? Besides, I''m curious. Just what is a living spirit technique? The power of a god? Part of my body won''t be mine anymore? I''m just dying to find out if it''s true and to what extent," Shu said, trembling with excitement. "Water is more of a defense-oriented element. Only people with high enough spirit energy are able to use ice spirit techniques as they make their water cooler and convert it into a solid shape. However, I have the bracelet. It can do that for me."


    "All the reason not to learn it," the general warned. "You can just learn a water spirit technique that already utilizes ice.


    "No. This is why I must learn it," Shu disagreed as he put a hand on the rune, causing it to shine and unlock the chains as the doors opened. "There is no risk without a reward. The Great Ancestor kept the water spirit technique and the five others because they were useful. I don''t know about the thieves, but one of my ancestors who got the fifth living spirit technique managed to reach ascension. I''m going to obtain this technique and shake the world."


    Shu''s faint, glowing gold eyes shined as he entered a dark chamber. The only thing in sight was the giant tank in middle of the chamber with stairs leading to the top. Something swirled inside the tank, twisting and convulsing as if to avoid his gaze while he tried to understand what it was. This was a god? No, it was more like a piece of it. Whoever made this thing must have killed many Practitioners to bring it to life as a living spirit technique. This thing was going to be inside of him. Shu did not waver and walked up the stairs to the top of the tank. He saw a plate next to a mask which stated that it would allow him to breathe underwater. He put on the breathing mask and jumped into the tank.


    Shu felt an extremely cold water rush up from his feet as he fell, deeper, into the tank. The hairs on his head and body stood on its ends and Shu saw a bright cerulean light. Shu''s vision went dark as he lost consciousness. His body floated under a mysterious force as it remained in the center of the tank. Whatever was in the tank was disappearing into him, the water levels dropping while the glass began to crack. The general rushed in when he heard a large explosion and saw glass and water everywhere. He saw the broken tank with Lu Shu, unconscious, on the bottom.


    Lu Shu''s body had become slightly taller with lean muscles. Streaks of dark cerulean hair appeared among Lu Shu''s black hair. The general closes his eyes and began to search for Lu Shu''s Spirit Pulse. He cried in alarm as he sensed some cerulean creature encompassing Lu Shu''s skeletal structure. As if protecting him, black clouds appeared all around Lu Shu''s body. The general dodged several lightning bolts as he fled outside the chamber. Whatever it was, it used the Black Cloud Desolation technique to protect Lu Shu. It was as if it were a defensive machination of his subconscious mind.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    The general did not want to accidentally harm Shu and decided to wait for Shu to wake up. After an hour, Shu opened his eyes and felt drained of spirit energy. He groaned as he moved, sluggishly, to his feet. He took out the open barrel of lin wine and a cup and drank three cups before sitting down and meditating to recover his spirit energy. Seeing Shu conscious, the general returned inside, relieved he was alright. After a moment, Shu sighed as his spirit energy returned to normal. It was then, that Shu noticed his body had changed.


    "Are you alright? Do you feel anything different?" the general asked.


    "I feel taller and more muscular. My body feels strange, but it is not a bad feeling. I also learned the water spirit technique. I''m in luck as it requires a blade. The name of the technique is Radiant Howl. It requires spirit energy to form on the blade and sends a crescent moon blade of chilling water that could even cut through steel. The first stage has up to nine moon blades. At the second stage, you combine the moon blades into a spiral wave, allowing you to attack in all directions around you. I''m unable to comprehend the next stages after that. Maybe there is no specific form and I have to make it up on my own," Shu said silently. "I can feel something inside my mind. It''s me but it''s not me. It''s like it has become one with me. Over time, I''ll probably discover the extent of the changes."


    "At least it is not trying to take you over," the general sighed, deciding not to talk about it much further. "Let''s head on back and prepare for your journey."


    "Journey? What journey?" Shu asked as they left the vault, the time taking around four hours from the door of the forbidden water technique.


    "Did you think you were just going to stay and train here? The palace is no place for training. You must train in the real world and gain experience. You and I will be traveling all over the country. You need to experience the world and discover how it truly is before entering a sect. I don''t even know if your father, His Imperial Majesty, is sending you a sect that is inside the empire or not. Most likely, it won''t be. That means there are all sorts of people who will try to take advantage, manipulate, or even try to kill you. That is the world of Practitioners. Most of the time, it is jealousy and envy of others'' luck, prestige, and power that causes them to kill each other. We have almost three years to train you before we visit the Great Ancestor and go our separate ways. You''re young and innocent. You wild be eaten alive if I just train you here, in this sheltered environment."


    "On an adventure? Awesome!" Shu said. "This is great. I can also see different fighting styles and learn and incorporate them and invent and improve my own fighting style."


    "That''s right," the general smiled. "Remember, spirit energy is only meant to assist you in fighting. Techniques are also just powerful cards to use. Choosing to rely on your own skill and using spirit energy as an assisting tool is the right way to develop and become truly strong. We only have one problem. Your brother, sister, and the Imperial Emperor will definitely approve. The only problem would be Her Highness."


    "Because she would try to stop me?" Shu asked.


    "Oh. No, that isn''t the case," the general shook his head. "Her Highness would approve. However, she would try to have some of the royal guards escort us on your journey. We don''t need hindrances. You need to be in danger in order to grow. I''ll leave her to you, Shu. Aunt Lu Rong never liked my mom or me. Said our dangerous lives were too much of a bad influence. My mom was a general too. She died a long time ago, but took fifty men with her."


    As the general predicted, every member of his family acted just as Shu was told. Lu Xing was happy for him and gave him some maps and bought him extra clothes for the journey. His sister was envious that he went to the vault, but taught him how to cook for a couple of days. His father, Emperor Lu Yi, was quite proud as Shu told him what transpired in the vault and about his journey. The emperor told Shu some areas where bandits were hiding, saying that he should slay them for practice. Shu would have to kill people in the future, an unavoidable act by all Practitioners, and that it would be best to get used to it now and become numb to the guilt later.


    Empress Lu Rong was the biggest obstacle. She and Shu argued for hours about the royal guards. She said she didn''t mind him going into danger, but the general was only one man. If he was too preoccupied, Shu would have to fend for himself during a fight. It took Shu many soothing words and a few lies that everything would be fine. She gave in and gave Shu her approval. Shu hugged his mother with a smile on his face and left the palace to where the general was waiting.


    They did not leave the capital at once. The general wanted to teach Shu some military arts. Shu might be outnumbered in a fight so he had Shu spar with some of the men. Occasionally, they would give Shu pointers and discuss tactics on how to ambush or escape certain situations. Shu would write down their advice in a journal and they left after two months of studying from the soldiers.


    Because of drinking lion wine, meditating every day, and the events in the vault; Shu was progressing very quickly and had reached the second stage. The first stage was the quickest and easiest stage and there was really no bottleneck to consider. Shu and the general no longer wore the imperial robes and armor of the empire and changed into white robes with cerulean seams.


    "The time has come Lu Shu," the general declared. "It is a little later than the emperor and I planned, but it was a good decision to have you learn along with the soldiers. Are you prepared? We won''t be coming back for almost three years. If you have any unfinished business, now''s the time to do so."


    "I have none," Shu answered. "Let''s go. I''m eager to start our adventure. Who knows how many dangers and wondrous sights we''ll see? I can''t wait."


    The general laughed and the duo left the capital to begin Shu''s training in the real world.


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


    (Author: Hope you enjoy the spam release. This is my new main project so expect chapters to appear if I have time to write them. Again, thanks for reading.)

 Book 1: Chapter 6- Wightwood Town

    (Author: Hello! The introductory phase is over and now the almost three years of training will begin. I felt that the best way, and most fun way to write, for Lu Shu to become strong was to introduce this near three years of training and mentioned that in the second chapter. How long many chapters will it be? I don''t know. When I feel that he has experienced enough, I''ll have him return to meet the Great Ancestor. Then, I will start writing about his days in a martial sect. Well, enjoy the chapter.)


    -----------Chapter 6: Wightwood Town------------


    "Ah, how refreshing!" Shu cried as he and the general rode on white tigers with single golden horns on their foreheads.


    "Are you that glad to be on the road Shu?" the general laughed.


    "Yes. Riding tiger magical beasts and roaming the world, how awesome is this?" Shu sighed with awe. "Where''d you get these tigers anyway?"


    "Ah, the emperor gave them to us. When I reported what happened, as well as your future spirit form being the beast spirit White Ocean Tiger; His Imperial Majesty felt that riding these were expected. Besides, Shu, you are his son," the general answered. "Make no mistake, these tigers are not our magical beasts. You see those black and silver collars on their necks? Those are special magical items. Putting them on a magical beast, no matter the strength, makes them absolutely obedient to their master and disallows them from harming you in any way. We have been declared as their masters, so the rule pertains to us. A Practitioner can have up to three magical beasts, but it is too early for you young master. I am also ordered to prevent you from having one."


    "Eh? Why?" Shu asked, startled.


    "Every member of the main, imperial bloodline is a direct descendant of the Great Ancestor. He will bestow, upon you, your first magical beast. It is a known fact that the very first magical beast will be the one closest to you and the one most people will associate you with. Don''t worry. While the tiger you ride dies, it does not die permanently because of the collar. t is not your magical beast and can be brought to life, by your command, after two days. So long as you live, the tiger beast magical beast cannot die a permanent death. That is its payment for wearing the collar," the general said.


    "That''s great. If my Spirit Pulse is that of a White Ocean Tiger, I should have a magical beast tiger," Shu laughed as he patted the tiger''s side as the tigers walked down the road. "So where are we headed?"


    "This path takes us to Wightwood Forest. Inside the forest, there are many magical beasts of low spirit energy levels. They will be good practice for you. Life-or-death battles will naturally increase one''s strength exponentially. It is a known fact that a person is capable of doing superhuman feats when their life is at stake and at Death''s door. You can train your Phantasmal Sky technique as you chase the magical beasts. The forest is also rich in spirit energy at its heart. There is a ample-sized lake there. It is the perfect place to practice your Eclipse Indestructible Body technique and cultivate. We will stay there for a month before moving on. Every place we find suitable, we will stay for a month before moving on," the general answered.


    "Cool. We can explore cool places with just passing them by," Shu grinned.


    "Remember Shu, you are the descendant of the Great Ancestor and your Spirit Pulse is a demonic red. That means your body is pure. You should have the innate ability which makes our demon ancestor. The reason why the Golden Earth Fiend is a feared race is because they have the innate ability to steal the spirit energy of another Practitioner. No matter where one runs or hides, they cannot cloak their Spirit Pulse from a Golden Earth Fiend," the general said. "If someone threatens to kill you, take the spirit energy from their body. Even normal humans and life forms have spirit energy. It is just so faint that they can''t even detect or use it. If you take their spirit energy away, they end up worse than a cripple. Remember to use your ability. All you need to do is think and a purple energy will cover your hand and drain their spirit energy. You must be as close as five feet for it to work. My mother''s great, great grandfather also had the ability. It should serve you well as the ultimate punishment and trump card."


    "Whoa. A little excessive, but taking it means I get stronger too right? Sweet," Shu said. "So do we head straight to the forest?"


    "No. There is a town in front of the forest. We''ll stop by there first. Then, we''ll head to the forest. We don''t need to head to the town, but you should see the town. There''s always something fun going on," the general said. "Besides, it will be our last chance eating normal food before spending a month in the forest. Like the forest, the name of the town is Wightwood Town. You get to see what a town in your empire is like without them stopping to bow to you as you walk by."


    After nearly five hours on the road, the town was in sight. Thanks to the collars'' effects, the two tigers could be shrunk to the size of kittens. The general just stored his tiger in his storage bag while Shu put the now kitten sized magical beast on his head. The tiger seemed happy not to be stored in the storage bag and purred as it rested on his head. The horn was barely visible and was barely an inch long.


    LU Shu and the general walked through the market area of the town. Shu happily bought a large bowl full of dumplings and was eating them as they walked through the market. No one bothered them too much as the general looked too intimidating. The two looked like scholars so people respected them and gave them way. The general decided that they should eat at the local restaurant and Lu Shu agreed, still feeling hungry as he fed the last dumpling to the tiger.


    As they entered the restaurant, many people took a glance at them. It was rare to see two scholars in such a town close to a forest of magical beasts. The host smiled and warmly welcomed them and allowed them to sit at a table on the second floor balcony overlooking the first floor. The general could sense some Practitioners and mages in the restaurant. They all occupied a table that also overlooked the first floor and seemed to be at the first stage and the mage equivalent. Only one of the Practitioners was above the first stage, a middle-aged man at the seventh stage of Spirit Shaman. That man clearly had no talent at his age to continue further. He doubted the man stopped cultivating like the general. Only a fool would stop cultivating if he had the talent and was not a member of an army.


    Five Practitioners with three mages. What could cause so many people to travel together. At his eighth stage of Spirit Shaman, they were no threat so he decided to ignore them. They must be passing through. He had received no reports of anything unusual in the Wightwood Forest besides the high spirit energy. All of them, save for the man at the seventh stage, were undoubtedly below the age of thirteen. Meng Ce suspected that they had just awakened their Spirit Pulse and had been scouted by an academy due to a noble background. It was the only deduction that would make sense.


    "Prince Shu," the general whispered. "There are five Practitioners and three mages sitting around a table nearby. If trouble occurs in the restaurant, let them handle it. Don''t reveal your clan name. Just call yourself my junior scholar."


    "Alright. Hopefully something does happen. I''m eager to see how they would fight," Shu wondered.


    "Only one of them is not a newly awakened Practitioner like you. It is the man chaperoning them. I believe they will know basic spirit techniques, but no elemental techniques. As for the three mages, the spells they could use now would be as strong as a fist, at best," the general sighed as he shook his head.


    "Aw. That''s too bad. Oh well. I''ll have to settle it then," Shu grinned as another host came and gave them the restaurant menu and a two bowls of sliced egg soup. The general noticed Shu put the crimson ring on his left hand while he wore the bracelet on his right arm.


    "What are you doing? Should you need to use the Dragon Monkey Bracelet, it would not suite your sword arm," the general whispered as they made their order.


    "Let''s just say that I am ambidextrous," Shu said silently. Lu Shu''s body might have some instincts to use the right hand, but the spirit''s memories was that of a left handed person. Rain Slayer was adjusted on his back as he placed the white tiger on the empty chair to his left. Rain Slayer''s blade was black and cerulean and resembled that of a katana. It was a good thing that the cross-guard was not that long and barely two inches longer than the blade. There was an irregular pattern on the blade, if one looked closely.


    "You''re ambidextrous? Still, you should keep using your right hand. Most people fight with their fighting style primarily using right-handed stances," the general said.


    "I''ll be fine," Shu said as he stared at the first floor. "It seems that I''ll be showing that to you soon. It seems this restaurant will become quite rowdy."


    The general''s eyes widened and turned to face the door. He could hear a girl screaming while several men appeared to be cursing at her and following her to the restaurant. He didn''t know how Shu could detect them before him, but secretly praised Shu. That meant Shu was sensitive to spirit energy and will serve him well to detect and avoid dangers.


    Meanwhile, the right people at the other people also heard the screams. The middle-aged man and the seven kids who accompanied him all wore the same azure robes with white seams. He was a recruiter who had gone to pick up talented prospects, with four of the seven being people from common backgrounds but with enormous talent. He noticed the two scholars also looking toward the direction of the screams and observed them.


    One was a young boy around the age of ten, like the seven kids, with shining golden eyes and black hair with some strands of cerulean. He sensed a Spirit Pulse in the young scholar and realized he was a Practitioner. The older man was even more powerful than him and the children. The scholar also had black hair but with brown eyes. Both had a lean, muscular build. He saw the white tiger magical beast and saw a collar and a shining gold horn just a little longer than the fur on its forehead. These were no ordinary scholars. Just who were they and why would they come to this town?


    "Master Gillian, the screams and curses are getting closer," the only female mage of the group whispered.


    "Those pigs. What do they think they are doing? Are the town''s guards not doing anything at all?" the only other female asked. She was the cousin of the other girl and they were both nobles from out of the country on the way back to the academy.


    "You see these things all the time. Most likely, the people chasing her are Practitioners. What can the guards do? Most guards are not Practitioners. If you are a Practitioner without a background, you either join a sect, get kidnapped and forcibly join an evil sect, or join the army of a nation. Practitioners can''t afford to do what they want. They aren''t mages," one of the two mage boys, obviously a noble, remarked. "It''s not their fault. They would just add to the number of meaningless deaths people see every day."


    "We need to see the strength of her pursuers first," Gillian said as he saw the little scholar take out a scroll and read leisurely, as if waiting for them to arrive. "You are all people who will join the preparatory academy of my school before becoming of age, thirteen, and joining the academy as an official student. I can''t allow you to be harmed and ruin your potential. If they come here, we will observe their strength, and make our move if the scholars don''t."


    "What? Scholars?" they asked and looked back to see the two scholars in white robes.


    "Are they Practitioners?" the noble boy asked.


    "Yes. The older scholar is even more powerful than I am. I don''t know their true identities, but the young scholar must also be a noble like you. If you look closely, that is no ordinary tiger cub next to him on that chair. It is wearing a special magical collar and has a tiny golden horn on its forehead. It must have been shrunk to avoid making it look out of the ordinary," Gillian said as the seven looked at the boy.


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    "What are you doing, Shu?" Meng Ce asked as Shu was reading a scroll.


    "I''m waiting for them to arrive. I like reading so I might as well read one of the volumes I took with me from the imperial vault. So many cool books were there. Some scrolls also had stories inside them. I just had to take some," Shu smiled as he unrolled more of the scroll to continue his reading. "It seems I have caught the attention of the people you talked about. They already figured out we aren''t ordinary scholars. It seems I should have put my magical beast in my storage bag. Too late now."


    "Get over here! Stop running!" many men cried as a girl burst into the restaurant. She was about Shu''s age and was wearing a pink robe with white seams. Tears streamed down her face as she fell onto the floor and looked back in terror. Fifteen men chuckled menacingly as they walked into the room. They each wore black robes with an image of a white dragon on their backs. They bore identical, curved swords and completely barred the entrance of the restaurant.


    "Finally! We cornered you, little girl," the leader with a scar down his neck growled. "Your daddy is a long ways away. I don''t have the skill to kill him and he left me a little present on my neck as he spared my life. The fool! Did he think I would not want revenge? He''s just a man."


    "G, get away from me!" the girl cried.


    "Oh no. I''m not. You see, I''m gonna have a little fun with you first. When me and my boys are down, we''re gonna cut that pretty little neck and stick it on a pike in front of your house. Then, that bastard will know who did it and regret he ever crossed me."


    "The leader seems to be at the beginning stage of the second stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation," the general murmured. "A bandit group pretending to act as a sect. His men have no Spirit Pulse."


    "So I can kill them?" Shu asked as he stared up from his scroll.


    "Yes. He seems more of the physical type of fighter. I doubt he has soul targeting spirit techniques. Bandits usually don''t know any spirit techniques as most don''t come from powerful clans. Don''t use your sword or any of your spirit techniques. Just use pure spirit energy to augment your body," the general advised. "It would be prudent to steal his Spirit Pulse with your innate, demonic ability, but there are witnesses here. You can''t do it from as far as five feet. You must block people''s vision with his body when you use it. Your power cannot break his defenses and neither can his, but you have the advantage. Kill him before he uses any techniques if he has one."


    "Alright," Shu said as he jumped down and landed on the first floor while the people of the other group were about to assist the girl.


    "Master Gillian, the young scholar jumped down," one of them said.


    "Don''t join him. This is an opportunity to discern his identity," Master Gillian ordered.


    "And the winds calmed under the light of the goddess. Her smile made the demons weep and ended the sorrows of the men of humanity''s armies," Shu said aloud as he read his scroll. "The demons scurried away in fear and the goddess became humanity''s salvation. They looked upon her face and were at peace. ---The Legend of the Flower Goddess."


    "Who the fuck are you? Get away brat. Get him men!" the leader of the bandits shouted.


    "And so it begins," Shu said softly as he rolled up the scroll, tied it, and covered it with his spirit energy.


    The people at the restaurant couldn''t bear to look and averted their eyes. They heard a scream, but were surprised at the deepness of the voice. They looked back and saw that it was one of the bandits. There was a deep impression on his chest. His bones were caved in and he was dead. Two of the bandits shouted and slashed at Shu with their swords. Shu merely glanced at them and deflected their blades with his scroll. As their swords were deflected toward the ground, their balance was disrupted as they leaned to far forward. Shu spun around and hit the left side of one bandit''s head with the scroll, killing him with the spirit energy enforced scroll.


    "Is that the best you can do. I expected more from Practitioner pretenders," Shu said as he snapped the neck of the second bandit and stared at the right hand that did the deed. "It seems that Practitioners really do reign supreme against ordinary people. It was too easy. I killed someone. I, I should feel something, but they wanted to rape a girl. Could it be that my disgust for their intentions numbed the guilt. Interesting."


    "All of you, get him!" the leader shouted at the remaining eleven henchmen while he stayed back. "We''ll mount both their heads on pikes. He''s just a scholar!"


    "Come. Attack me and know despair," Shu said softly as he stretched his arms.


    The people stared at him incredulously as he did not defend himself or run away as the bandits charged at him. Their eyes widened in shock as they heard a loud clang as one of the bandit swords struck Shu''s body. A white energy pulsed around the point of impact. The man''s strike did not even blow Shu back. The bandits struck and slashed, but Shu just stayed there, his arms stretched with the right palm facing the sky while his grip on the scroll in his left hand was loose and relaxed.


    "A spirit technique!" the leader spat. "That scholar is a Practitioner!"


    "And the goddess stared back at the eyes of humanity and held out her hand over them. They knelt as they thought they were receiving her blessing. How could they know that she was about to slay them? For she was not a goddess at all, but a queen of a demon lord. They cried out in despair as they were slain. The demons looked back and rejoiced as they realized who she was. They had won and their race did not die for humans blindly tried to wipe them out for being what they are. They were fools. All fools---The Legend of the Flower Goddess," Shu said as he opened the scroll and continued reading as he continued to be assaulted by the bandits. "They are just like you. All fools."


    Shu put the scroll in his storage bag and began attacking the bandits. When outnumbered, find the weakest one and defeat him as fast as possible. The others will overestimate your strength and falter. Shu attacked the weakest to the strongest, always kicking with his legs while grabbing with his hands. No matter how desperate their strikes, the bandits could not hurt him. They could only cry in pain when it was their turn to die.


    The general nodded as these were excellent training partners to numb the guilt from killing. It is natural that one would forget the guilt if they saw someone being attacked or killed. They would see the attacker as a monster and sometimes go too far in stopping them. Did it matter? No because after the deed was done, they would ask the victim if he or she was alright and try to find help; leaving the criminal for dead or letting his body rot as all thought of the criminal left their minds. After all, who would feel guilty for hurting and killing a rapist if the victim was crying and needed help after the deed was done. In the end, they would feel that the rapist deserved what he got and assume a scenario that would avoid making them feel guilt.


    "You! You!" the bandit leader roared as Shu stared at him. "You killed my men! You cocky little cunt! I''ll kill you! I''ll dismember your body and only your head will be the only way people will recognize you!"


    "Obviously. Most people recognize others by their faces. How stupid are you?" Shu sighed as he shrugged and shook his head in disappointment. "I was going to let whoever came here live, but then I heard the situation and decided to kill you all. Your men are dead. It''s time you join them."


    "You can''t beat me! I am at the second stage!" the bandit leader roared and drew his Practitioner weapon. "You wanna be a hero! Dream on runt! I''ll kill you!"


    "Come and try," Shu said as spirit energy flowed all over his body.


    As the bandit leader drew his arm back to swing his sword down, Shu leapt forward. The sudden movement startled the bandit as he could block it and rashly covered his chest with his free arm. Shu had trained with soldiers and had picked up several basic techniques. He also had fragments of his past life. Shu did not punch the man in the chest but grabbed the wrist instead and twisted it. The bandit cried and involuntarily cried out as Shu twisted the man''s wrist and held the arm behind the bandit''s back. With the bandit''s body shielding Shu from the view of the people on the second floor, Shu''s right hand was wrapped with a purple energy as it went into the bandit''s body and absorbed the Spirit Pulse. His hand left the body and there was no blood or mark on the bandit''s back. Shu had successfully taken the man''s spirit energy and augmented his own.


    "You..." the bandit cried in fear as his face grew gaunt. "How...?"


    "Thanks for the meal," Shu said silently as he let go of the wrist and grabbed the top part of the man''s head with his left hand while he held the chin with the right hand. The people in the restaurant closed their eyes, or averted their gaze, as Shu pulled his arms back as he held the head, breaking the neck and killing the bandit.  Shu spat on the floor in disgust and patted his robes to straighten the wrinkles. No one in the restaurant dared to make a noise as he lazily checked the storage bag of the bandit leader and looted it accordingly. Then he smiled at the girl who had fallen and helped her to her feet. He collected all the storage bags of the bandits and gave them all to her, including the leader''s storage bag.


    "I apologize for the excessive display. I am only a young scholar with an interesting background. You should go home now. Be sure to stay in the company of people you trust and not travel alone anymore. You''ve seen the ugly side of men, but remember this: your father and most other men are not as ignorant and perverted as these fools. Do not let this incident traumatize you. You were not violated yet, so there is no excuse for you to brood on this further," Shu said, trying to act like a wise scholar just like how the actors did in some wuxia shows he watched. Wuxia? Another term he did not remember well. He had read xianxia novels too. Xia meant hero right? Shu sighed as he wished he had found a body sooner and retained more of his memories.


    "Thank you," the girl cried as she shook his hand, tremendously, over and over again. " Thank you. Thank you."


    Shu sighed as he watched her go and gave some gold coins to the owner of the restaurant and apologized for the mess and interruption of his business. The owner quickly thanked him as most people don''t even pay for the damages or disposal of the bodies. Gillian and his recruits stared at Shu as he joined Meng Ce. Meng Ce had already eaten his food as he ate while Shu fought as if it were the main attraction of the restaurant. Shu sighed and waited for his food to be sent again as Meng Ce had given his share to his tiger. He patted the kitten tiger and took out his scroll to read once more.


    Gillian decided it was safe now to talk to the two scholars. He knew they were dangerous, but he and his recruits were not their targets. He wanted to converse with them to discern their identities and discover more about where they were going and the intentions they had. He looked at the noble boy mage from earlier and the boy nodded and walked over to Shu and Meng Ce.


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


    (Author: Writer''s block sucked, but there is no such thing for new stories. Besides, it''s not like I have to release a story every day. Some only release one a week or with an even larger interval. I''m just glad The Necromancer King got to chapter 29. I was shocked to see how many people like it. I hope you all enjoy this story too. Hope you liked the battle scene. It isn''t much because they were just minor bandits to begin with. I didn''t want low ranking people to have an epic fight. Thanks for reading.)

 Book 1: Chapter 7- The Hyperion

    (Author: Hello! Hope you all enjoyed that last chapter. I tried to make Shu more scholarly in that chapter to fit with his fa?ade. Gillian and his recruits become interested and invite Shu and the general to sit with them. Just who are they and what will happen? Enjoy.)


    -----------Chapter 7: The Hyperion----------------


    "Greetings. I am a recruit of Sky Angel Academy. On behalf of a recruiter of the academy, I would like to extend an invitation for you to join us at our table," the noble mage boy bowed. "My name is Reginald of House Tanner. Will you join us at our table?"


    "We would be delighted to join you," Meng Ce said as Shu stared at him. "Tell Mister Gillian that we will join him soon."


    "How do you know his name?" Reginald asked.


    "My boy, we scholars are more than we seem. You saw my young junior defeat a man at a higher stage of cultivation and let himself be struck by dozens of swords and come out unscathed. Further more, I am much more powerful than Mister Gillian. I believe he told you that. One thing you should know, my young mage friend, is that Practitioners have higher senses than the average human," Meng Ce said.


    "Ah, yes. I will take heed of your words. We will await you shortly," Reginald bowed and hurriedly left to join his companions.


    "I thought you did not want to interact with them," Shu asked.


    "You put on so good a show, they had to make the first move," Meng Ce replied. "You should also know something. While it is good to kill your enemy, you should not do so in front of witnesses. Survivors will report to their allies and you will meet enemies you never even met before. Many clans died innocent deaths because one clan member killed the wrong person. Those bandits are nothing. Bandits are less than trash. No one cares if such scum die. If you want to survive, you must not stand out until you are sure you have the strength to fight your enemies and conquer them utterly. Your father is a Spirit Master. No empire or nation dares to anger the Yan Empire. Not to mention, there are very few people, most of which are hidden experts, who know that our ancestors still live. They might not know about the Great Ancestor, but they should know the other fourteen ancestors."


    "Can that Gillian hear what we are saying? Like you can?" Shu asked.


    "No. Unlike him, I always carry a magical treasure that covers my body up to twenty feet. Even if I yelled in his ear, he would not hear me unless I allow it. This magical item was made by your father. Worry not. Our conversations will always be without prying ears," the general assured.


    "What do we have to gain with making connections with them? Sky Angel Academy? I don''t like it already," Shu said.


    "You don''t have much of a choice. Your food is being set at their table right now," Meng Ce said as the host arrived with Shu''s food and told to place it among the people of Sky Angel Academy. "Besides, it would be good for you to make connections with them now. You might see ach other again in the future. This is just an investment. You have nothing to lose. We will still head inside Wightwood Forest. That is, unless, they tell us a more intriguing destination for your training."


    Shu said no more as they walked over to the others. His body was assimilating the spirit energy he had absorbed from the leader. Shu sighed inwardly as he only felt a slight increase in power. He didn''t realize it before, but his subconscious wanted him to take enough spirit energy to absorb the very life force of the bandit leader.


    He didn''t know if it was the influence of the living spirit technique, the memories of the baleful aura from Rain Slayer, or his demonic genes. He just knew that it felt good. Too good. More than that, he felt that he would never be satisfied. It scared him. It was a different kind of hunger. A very dangerous hunger. He didn''t dare tell the general.


    "Hello. Welcome. Thank you for accepting my invitation," Gillian smiled as he and the recruits stood as Shu and Meng Ce joined them. "Young scholar. I am very impressed. To defeat someone with a higher stage of cultivation. Only someone who knows his capabilities can do such a feat. Most depend on their spirit techniques or spells."


    "Thank you," Shu said. "I learned how to fight from my senior. I cannot reveal my identity, as I''m sure you know. I am simply known as Agemo (Ah-geh-mo).


    This was the name the spirit had in his former life. It was the name he remembered the most intimately and did not want others to know that he was Lu Shu. In the event that he made enemies, they would look for someone known as Johannes and not Lu Shu. Not that they were a danger to his family, but Meng Ce was right. Life is very difficult with making enemies along with their unknown allies. He was not Agemo Miura anymore. Whoever Agemo Miura was, only fragments of his memories remained.


    "Agemo, it is nice to meet you," Gillian smiled. "May I have the pleasure of knowing senior scholar''s name?"


    "My name is Jing," Meng Ce said as he looked over the seven recruits. "What brings you all to Wightwood Town? Just passing through?"


    "That''s right," Gillian said as they all sat down. "I traveled many nations to recruit talented children for Sky Angel Academy. Full human or halves. Rich background or not. Our academy only cares on the just and the talented. Nothing else matters. I managed to recruit three mages and four new Practitioners this year."


    "It is not wise to teach them both paths. If they choose both, they master neither," Meng Ce remarked.


    "Indeed. That is why we only teach them the basics. A mage with a strong body should be able to fight back in close quarters with enchanted weapons. Of course, they are no match for Practitioners. However, they have a better chance to survive. As for Practitioners, we only teach them how to use magic scrolls," Gillian said.


    "Of course. Magic scrolls. Scrolls containing prepared spells. Anyone can use them, with or without mana," Meng Ce nodded. "Of course, it is only useful if the Practitioner runs out of spirit energy. It also is ineffective to any adept mage and Practitioner."


    "Indeed. We only teach them the basics so that they are more prepared to fight such a foe. The more you understand your enemy, the easier the fight. Thus, you must learn to fight like your enemy in order to accomplish that," Gillian said. "My three mage recruits are Reginald Tanner, Jiro Li, and Marcella Cruz."


    "It is nice to meet you," they all bowed.


    "It seems that the names are also similar. The only difference would be history and magic and spirit energy instead of science," Shu thought.


    "These four here are the Practitioners. Their names are Frankie Rivers, Mino Park, Johannes Will, and Lana Wayne. Once all seven of these recruits reach the age of thirteen, they will officially be students of Sky Angel Academy," Gillian smiled, puffing his chest with pride.


    "You recruit them now so as to secure a steady amount of students per year. People who apply before the term must be the less talented," Shu observed.


    "It is as you say," Gillian agreed. "We prefer everything to be in-the-open. If you are strong, you must have the power to display it. If you hide your abilities, you cannot join the academy. We train defenders, not assassins. We need all the defenders we can get to fight the Hyperion."


    "Hyperion?" Shu asked.


    "Ah, of course. They have not reached this far east before," Jiro, the other mage boy with light brown hair and blue eyes sighed. "The Hyperion are monsters. Not monsters, as in magical beasts, but actual monsters. They''re not demons either. Once, they used to be a race of angels, winged humanoids capable of using the most powerful light magic and light spirit techniques. They ruled over a single continent, far to the west, and were a very prosperous and powerful race. Their fates ended tragically when they decided to declare themselves as gods. According to legend, the sun and stars took their blessings from the angels and cast them away from their light. In darkness they dwelled until they emerged, a few centuries ago, as the Hyperion."


    "Trust me. However angelic they used to look like, they look far from it now. They only live to feed and kill," Frankie spat. "They have killed far too many people over the centuries. Even my hometown was destroyed and I barely escaped due to Jiro''s magic awakening."


    "Yeah. It was too close. I saw my parents die and something in me snapped. Next thing I know, I wake up with Frankie shaking me violently, asking if I am alright. I saw the monsters dead around me. I remembered the flash and I knew. I knew that it was my magic that slayed them," Jiro snarled. "Sky Angel Academy is only about three kingdoms away from the nearest Hyperion territory. I joined them to become a God Eater."


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "You''re going to eat them? That sounds a little barbaric given the name of your academy," Shu said.


    "Ah, hold on. What he means by God Eater is that those Hyperion considered themselves gods and became what they are. A God Eater is someone trained to combatant and kill them. You know how some people say ''Eat my sword'' or ''Taste some of this!'' That''s where the name God Eater comes from. I''m Johannes by the way," a Practitioner with bright red hair and brown eyes grinned. "There are few academies dedicated to fighting the real enemy, the Hyperion. Most nations are at war with each other or among other races. They fail to realize the true threat."


    "Sounds like a noble cause," Shu said silently.


    "The Hyperion are, in fact, real gods," Meng Ce said as he sipped a cup of tea served by the host. "They attained godhood by slaying a very holy creature in the Mortal Realm."


    "You know the true history? As expected of a scholar, even with the suspicious background," Gillian praised. "They were going to learn later, but they are recruits so I suppose I should tell them the story."


    "They''re really gods?" Mino asked.


    "Fuck that. How can such vile fiends be gods?" Jiro spat while Frankie nodded in agreement.


    "Calm down! Let Master Gillian speak," Marcella snapped, shutting them up. Even if she was a mage, she was the most powerful of the recruits and had a nasty, short temper.


    "The Hyperion are indeed an angelic race. They were not gods but stole the godhood of a holy creature. That creature was blessed by the Heavens and the Heavens punished the angelic race and made them Hyperion. The weaker the Hyperion, the less angelic and humane in appearance it is. They can transform as magical beasts do," Gillian said. "The goal of the God Eaters is to slay the Hyperion and take back the land they took over. We protect the citizens and train future God Eaters to continue our goal."


    "To kill a Hyperion, one must use a weapon with celestial aura," Meng Ce commented. "Sky Angel Academy has so many of them?"


    "Yes. We also pass down the weapons and Practitioner weapons with celestial auras to other students. These recruits all have weapons with celestial aura," Gillian smiled as Shu pulled out a book from his storage bag and quickly browsed it. The convenient thing about storage bags was that if the item existed, a mere thought or description would be able to identify the item. The item''s information would appear in his mind and he could choose and select one to pull from his storage bag.


    "Hyperion," Shu murmured as he began reading a book detailing known Hyperion anatomy, lifestyle, strengths, behaviors, and weaknesses.


    "Why come to Wightwood Town then? There are no cities nearby that should be on the way, west, to the academy," Meng Ce asked.


    "I received an intelligence report that a group of Hyperion managed to worm their way this far east. It seems they are searching for something. They were not detected so they must all be at the first stage of Spirit Shaman equivalent. How many, I am not certain. Their spirit energy is so weak and minimal, I am surprised they made it this far without an expert killing them," Gillian brooded aloud.


    "Then they must be traveling from underground," Shu said, drawing everyone''s eyes to him as he read his book and noticed their stares. "What? If they managed to get this far, then it could only be through traveling underground. They''re weak, if what you say is true. If I were leading weaklings into enemy territory, I would travel stealthily in a manner that would be difficult to detect and trace."


    "Are we coming too?" Jiro asked, bloodlust appearing in his eyes.


    "We should be," Lana said. "How else do we get to the academy and verify that we are recruits. I think we took a detour because he wants us to get battle experience and verify if we truly wish to become God Eaters."


    "Smart lass," Gillian nodded, approvingly, and laughed. "Yes it is true. Not many are God Eaters. You don''t have to join a martial sect or academy to become a God Eater, but they are the ones who can give you the weapon and training you need. Most God Eaters come academies like Sky Angel Academy. Only by killing a Hyperion, can you call yourself a God Eater. Another reason we are called God Eaters is that Hyperion have demonic cores in their bodies like magical beasts. Scholar Jing and Agemo, I would like to ask you to assist me and the recruits. I believe you are headed into Wightwood Forest. Our destination is the same. If the Hyperion go any deeper, you may continue to assist us if you like."


    "This is a good opportunity for my junior to see a Hyperion. Even if a small or medium sized army of Hyperion really did enter the forest, the two of us can easily handle them and let them kill them strays," Meng Ce agreed. "Very well. I thank you for this opportunity. I am also concerned, as a citizen of the Yan Empire, as to the reasons why the Hyperion would come this far east."


    "That''s great! We get to kill Hyperion!" Jiro shouted, startling the other people in the restaurant with the sudden outburst.


    As the people of Sky Angel Academy left to prepare, Shu was finally able to eat his food. He rubbed his stomach and began devouring his food, not minding the lack of grace while he ate his food. His white tiger jumped on the table and also ate, ravenously, the meat on the table Shu set aside for it.


    "Shu, the likelihood of a small to medium sized army is high if they are traveling underground. You must stay near me. Even if your body is nearly indestructible, you are still susceptible to soul attacks, attacks that ignore the physical defenses. Hyperion are feared in the west for a reason," Meng Ce warned.


    "Heh. I''m fighting fallen gods. Me, a mortal, fighting gods. It''s just like the stories," Shu said as he finished his food and leaned back on his chairs. "I understand master. I will use Rain Slayer, but I won''t reveal my spirit techniques. Can baleful aura weapons kill the Hyperion?"


    "Good decision and yes, baleful aura weapons can. However, the Hyperion will target you first. They are evil incarnate. Thus, they are attracted to similar forces like baleful aura, aura that is created through taking life instead of saving it. Also, if you need to use spirit techniques; use the Dragon Monkey Bracelet instead. This is a good opportunity to use it in combat. They would expect you to have a magical treasure more than knowledge of a spirit technique," Meng Ce said. "The time for your training will now begin. From now on, even when you sleep, let your spirit energy flow throughout your body. Keep it regulated in low levels. The more you let it flow, the more your body grows accustomed to it and will empower your body. Tomorrow, we hunt the Hyperion and try to discover their agenda."


    As the general asked for the bill, Shu was trembling. He was not trembling from fear, but excitement. He would be able to absorb the spirit energy of the Hyperion. They should have spirit energy as they have demonic cores. He would also gain more battle experience. Most of all, he got to explore and fight gods. One say, he would become strong enough to hunt the Keepers of the Dead that followed him all the way from Earth. For now, he would settle for being a God Eater in his spirit form. Then, he would kill whatever being they were.


    "Hyperion," Shu sighed as he pet his white tiger magical beast. "I never heard about such creatures in any movie, book, or novel. Should be fun."


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


    (Author: Hope you enjoyed the reading. Wanted to introduce what was going on in the world. Kind of like a behind the scenes scenario that most of the world does not know or care about just yet. Again, thanks for reading.)

 Book 1: Chapter 8- The Hunt Begins

    (Author: Hello! I''m back with a triple release! The hunt for the Hyperion has begun! Shu and Meng Ce, under the alias of Agemo Miura and Jing, join Gillian and the seven recruits to hunt the Hyperion. Lu Shu has used the name of his past life as his alias. Just who is Agemo (Ah-geh-mo) Miura? The goals of the recruits is revealed at last. They wish to be God Eaters and kill the mutated angelic race that dared to make themselves artificial gods. Just what is Gillian and Meng Ce leading their charges to? Enjoy.)


    ------------Chapter 8: The Hunt Begins-------------


    "Why.........Agemo?


    Agemo........you need to stop!


    .........it was you? It was you all along? Why?


    Agemo........


    Agemo........


    I knew it! HAHAHA! So this is who you are! Wonderful!


    What have you done to yourself? Have you gone mad?


    They''re coming Agemo. They don''t like what you''ve done.


    Agemo Miura, chief of the Robotics Division V-21, come with us."


    The voices stopped and he saw a scientist with raven black hair and multiple bullet wounds laying back against a machine. Several people in black camo uniforms appear, pointing their guns at him. The scientist laughed, spewing blood as he did so. An elderly man with round, black metal rimmed glass appeared in a similar white lab coat.


    "Agemo Miura. How low you have fallen," the elderly man said. "You were my best student. Why did you do it? Why create Project O?"


    "You could never understand the greatness of what I was pursuing," Agemo laughed.


    "It used alien DNA! You''re not a god! Sure, you have created prosthetics that feel as real as a human arm. Your discoveries in cybernetic studies has revolutionized the world! Why did you tamper with the human genome? Did you know what you have done? What your test samples have become?" the man roared.


    "They are the evolution of mankind. The first of their race: homo superior. Sometimes, evolution just needs a little help in order to evolve," Agemo gasped as blood trickled down his mouth. "I only regret that I don''t live to see it. You''ll never find them."


    "But we can track them using your DNA. You put yourself through the experimental procedure didn''t you?" the old man said as he looked Agemo in the eye.


    "HAHAHA! No. You cannot find them. I was the only success, but they will live on. They have my research and will continue my work," Agemo laughed as he was losing feeling in his limbs.


    The building began to shake and the elderly man stared at him in shock and asked aloud, "What have you done?"


    "I won''t let you take my research when I die. I''m no fool. You think I...I didn''t know? The people you secretly work for? Heh. Goodbye teacher. Thank you for all you''ve done. I...I...," Agemo began and everything went dark.


    Lu Shu''s eyes burst opened as he leaned up from his bed, panting heavily. He put a palm on his forehead as he laid back down. It seemed that his past name had triggered some memories. Agemo Miura. Just who was he? The last calendar date he remembered was 2819. Mankind had created flying cars and evolved the internet, able to see a holographic screen from their eyes.


    They had even created virtual reality gaming. Prosthetics had evolved and mankind even made programmable robots that seemed almost lifelike. Agemo Miura had a prosthetic left eye and was a scientist in charge of programming robots. He had made a breakthrough and released the information to the world. After that, his memory started to fade. He didn''t know much more and those were his strongest memories.


    "Just what was that dream?" Lu Shu murmured aloud. He couldn''t go back to sleep and decided to cultivate spirit energy for the next hour before dawn.


    "Hey Agemo! Over here!" Jiro shouted as Lu Shu and Meng Ce exited the town three hours later.


    "Glad you all made it," Gillian nodded. "Today we hunt the Hyperion. I will be riding atop my magical beast. It has the ability to sense the Hyperion. The trail led to Wightwood Forest. If what the young scholar, Agemo, said was true; we might need to go underground. Weapons at the ready. Who knows what we will find once we make our descent or where it will lead to."


    Gillian rode a large lizard as big as a horse with black and dull blue scales. It had frills around the back of his head, towards the neck, and screeched before heading into the forest. Lu Shu and Meng Ce followed Gillian on their white tiger magical beasts in their full size while the seven recruits followed them on horseback. As they rode through the forest, faint traces of claw marks, footprints, and paws were present all around them on the ground and trees.


    "Remember, the Hyperion are not like magical beasts. They are more feral and always travel in groups. If you see a humanoid, shout and let me and Scholar Jing kill it. No matter the stage or tier, humanoid Hyperion are vastly superior to those of the same rank. The horde leader is always more humanoid, than its monstrous peers. However, this situation is beyond abnormal so there might be more than one humanoid Hyperion. Leave them to us and stay together," Gillian shouted and saw a large tunnel in the ground. "It seems Scholar Agemo was correct. Be careful now. It will be dark so use your mana and spirit energy to detect each other and stay together."


    "Let them stay together. You just stay close to me," Meng Ce said and Lu Shu nodded as they followed Gillian into the tunnel. Lu Shu would occasionally take a sip from the gourd hanging on his left side. Inside the gourd was the lion wine. It wasn''t actually wine, but it did have an amazing taste and improved his spiritual energy flow within his body.


    They followed Gillian in the darkness. They didn''t travel that far down, only about fifty feet, before just following a large, straight tunnel forward at the same elevation. The tunnel was clearly artificially made. The markings left by the Hyperion were no longer faint and more prominent, suggesting that they had no need for subterfuge while traveling underground.


    Gillian was feeling worried as they traveled. This was obviously a small army of a few hundred. Just how many humanoids were there? They had to have very powerful spirit sensitivity to avoid detection with such a large group.


    Stages of cultivation had nothing to do with spirit sensitivity. It only had an influence on the range to manually increase it. People like Lu Shu, did not need to grow powerful to sense really faint and far spirit energy levels. That was how he was able to detect the man protecting Ivy Shao in the shadows before he entered the vault.


    "Just how far is it going?" Shu asked.


    "I''m afraid we will soon be past Wightwood Forest," Meng Ce answered.


    "What? I don''t get to explore the forest and kill magical beasts?" Shu asked, disappointed.


    "You get to kill the Hyperion. They are much better training dummies for you to practice and kill. When the people of the academy leave, we will explore the place the Hyperion tried to visit instead," Meng Ce amended.


    "Okay. I''ll accept that. Less people will have explored it. Good thing I brought several empty journals. I''m gonna record what we find, see, and kill in it. Should serve useful in the future," Shu nodded. "Have you ever killed a Hyperion?"


    "Once, a long time ago. I used to join a mercenary group. We had a mission in the far east once. That nation no longer exists now," Meng Ce said sadly. "I was at the fourth stage of Spirit Shaman then. I once thought I was strong. I never considered Spirit Knights as I seldom saw one. I think it was snowing that day. We were supposed to get our payment from the town. What we saw were ruined buildings. We wondered where the people were. I tripped, and then we knew. I had tripped over a severed arm, covered by snow long ago. Only a scavenger party of Hyperion remained."


    Meng Ce sighed sadly as they continued down the tunnel, "One of the party came from that town. Blinded by grief, rage, and sorrow; he charged at the Hyperion. We all fought and killed them all. We thought it was over until we saw it, the leader. It took three of the ten of us down with it when it died. They were the weakest three, but the man who came from the town, Benjamin, died. He was the strongest of us, not our leader, but he died because he could not calm his mind. He let his emotions take over and it blinded him, leading him to his death."


    Meng Ce stared long and hard at Lu Shu as the tunnel started to elevate. "If you see someone you know and love die, do not let your emotions cloud your judgment. It is a weakness that will end up killing you. Just as you must numb yourself from the guilt of killing others, so too, must you numb the feelings you have for others. Your life must take priority. Strangers to the Lu clan do not matter unless they are in-laws. Do not risk your life to save others if you know you cannot win. Heroes are only those who are declared as such after the deed has been done. You must become stronger, Lu Shu, to protect what is yours and attain what you must have."


    "How do I increase my soul defense?" Shu asked, as his Eclipse Indestructible Body technique made him nearly indestructible to material attacks to those around his rank and below.


    "You are already doing so. Regulating a steady, minimal amount of spirit energy in your body is a form of training your soul defense. The amount of people who pursue in learning soul attacks is minimal, but there are people who choose to study this path. Most of them are those who are uncomfortable with close quarter combat, the ideal specialty of all Practitioners," Meng Ce said as they exited the tunnel and continued to follow the tracks.


    "What is the difference of a material and soul attack? Do soul attacks really attack the soul?" Shu asked.


    "Not exactly. Think of the soul as the source of your spirit energy. Right now, soul attacks are not effective as your Spirit Pulse has not assumed its true form and is still dispersed all over your body. Upon the third rank, you must put a Mystic Stone inside your body or you will never be able to cultivate further," Meng Ce answered. "Before you ask, I allow the seven recruits to begin listening to our conversation about this. They should learn soon and I don''t want them to think we are up to something suspicious."


    "Mystic Stone? What is that?" Shu asked after Meng Ce nodded to him after a moment.


    "Mystic Stones are crystalized spheres of a planet''s spirit energy," Meng Ce said as the recruits became interested and closed in. "Let it be said that mortals are not meant to become immortals. Thus, we borrow the power of the stars, like planets, to become the source of our spirit energy. In a sense, the Mystic Stone becomes like a core inside our body."


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "I heard about those," Johannes exclaimed aloud and quickly bowed his head in apology. "Sorry, Mister Scholar. I''m a Practitioner so I am also very interested in it. Can my friends and I listen too?"


    "Sure," Meng Ce smiled. "Passing knowledge onto others is the natural duty of scholars. Now, where was I? Ah, right. You see, Mystic Stones house our spirit energy. It allos Practitioners to cultivate past the third stage and continue their path to immortality. I don''t know what it''s like for mages, but Mystic Stones become the storage of the spiritual energy in our body. Once your Spirit Pulse condenses to reveal its true form, the spirit will place itself inside the Mystic Stone. If the Mystic Stone represents the outer core of a planet, the spirit, itself, represents the inner core."


    Gillian lowered his speed as it was a valuable lesson to his recruits and said, "We will rest here and allow their horses to rest. Please continue to tell them about Mystic Stones. I will water their horses and make sure they are well rested. If we need to escape, they should be fit for such a task. I don''t know where we are, but we seem to be in a hidden valley of some sort. After I feed the horses, I will do some recon to check our surroundings and recheck the trail."


    "Okay, Mystic Stones are both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is, of course, the ability to cultivate past the third stage. Most outsiders not in a powerful clan, sect, or institution of some kind, are stuck at the third stage for all time. Having a Mystic Stone does not guarantee that you will break past the third stage as it depends on your hard work, talent, or outside influence. The curse is that you become vulnerable to soul attacks. Your life is tied to the Mystic Stone as it becomes one with your body. If a soul attack shatters the Mystic Stone, you die. If your Mystic Stone is damaged, it has an influence on your spiritual energy until it repairs itself," Meng Ce said as they all sat down while Gillian tended to the horses and his own magical beast. The white tiger magical beasts of Meng Ce and Lu Shu rested among them.


    "So it is another kind of weakness?" Jiro asked. "Wow. Glad I''m not a Practitioner."


    "There are also seven different types of Mystic Stones. They are purple, cerulean, jade, gold, white, black, and crimson. Each some with different effects and..." Meng Ce began when Gillian rushed in.


    "They detected us. The small army is heading this way. Prepare yourselves! Scholar Jing, there are six humanoids. I am unsure of their strength. We must head out. Children, stick together! Kill any that emerge from the trees. Do not show mercy for they will show you none!" Gillian roared and disappeared into the trees after bringing the horses back.


    "Keep your magical beast with you. Always be ready to run. Many will pass us and a humanoid is sure to pass as well. Take this Mystic Stone and book. It details specifics about it. Stay alive. Our magical beast tigers have a connection. If we do get separated, I will find you. Be careful and stay alive," Meng Ce warned as he passed a white, crystal orb to Shu and disappeared into the trees


    "I understand," Shu said and took out Rain Slayer, the blade pulsing with the black, baleful aura. He quickly put the Mystic Stone into his storage bag while the others stared at his blade, too shocked by the baleful aura to notice the crystal orb. They shook their heads and formed a pyramid formation, with the point toward the tunnel behind them. The three mages were obviously at the back. Shu did not join their formation and stood a little to the left of the front of their formation with his magical beast at the entrance of the tunnel.


    "Bring it on!" Jiro roared as they soon heard loud explosions and screams from beyond the trees in the valley.


    "For our families!" Frankie roared as Hyperion emerged from the trees.


    The Hyperion were numerous. They burst out of the trees and Lu Shu saw them for the first time. The Hyperion couldn''t be called gods at all. They looked nowhere near what an angel should have looked like. They looked similar to a beast. They had dark blue and black skin with large horns on their heads, slightly curved to the back. They were extremely muscular brutes with large teeth and crimson glowing eyes, one pair above the other. Their eyes were completely crimson with no sign where the iris or pupil were. They also had spiked bracelets on each leg and the ground cracked beneath their feet.


    "What is that?" Johannes cried. "What kind of beast is that? It looks like a mutated lion-wolf hybrid with an extremely large, muscular frame! How is that thing an angel?"


    "It''s not a humanoid," Franki snarled. "Those guys look like angels, but they''re not. These guys are the weaker ones, the peons they sent to kill the stragglers. Their status would be like hunting dogs."


    "He''s right," Jiro growled as he readied his staff. "They send those beast-type Hyperion to attack us. They are meant to test us. Test our strengths, weaknesses, teamwork, and abilities. Once they learn enough, the humanoid will appear and they almost always win."


    "Marcella, you''re our best mage! Use your light to blast them with beams of light! Reginald, focus your healing magic on Frankie, Lana, Johannes, and I! Jiro, try to separate them and disrupt their attacks with your earth magic!" Mino shouted.


    "Right!" the other six said and Jiro and Frankie went on the offensive while Mino and Lana stayed by the three mages to protect them. Meanwhile, Lu Shu was under attack by the Hyperion as he was separated. Lu Shu thought he would have an easy time, but the Hyperion really were strong.


    Just one punch could destroy a tree. While his body was protected, he would be sent flying or smashed, inches, into the ground. Lu Shu was engaged in a never-ending combat with the Hyperion as they could not kill him while he was too overwhelmed by their numbers and superior strength.


    Lu Shu roared and the baleful aura blazed to life, spreading its fear effect. The Hyperion were stunned and he took the opportunity to slash Rain Slayer at the nearby Hyperion, killing them. He would jump atop some Hyperion and behead another as he fell to the ground.


    Lu Shu thought all was going well until one of the Hyperion howled, sending a shockwave of spirit energy. It bypassed the white energy of his Eclipse Indestructible Body technique and stunned Lu Shu. Lu Shu fell to his knees and gasped for breath. The Hyperion had used a soul attack. While it did no damage as he was not of the third stage, it disrupted his spirit energy flow. The Hyperion finally dealt some damaged as the white energy was momentarily disappeared while one Hyperion tackled Lu Shu. He cried in pain as he slammed into the wall of stone next to the tunnel. He coughed blood on the impact as cracks formed and fell onto the ground.


    The white energy covered his body once again, but the Hyperion decided to ignore him and assault the seven recruits. Lu Shu used Rain Slayer as leverage and got to his feet. He drank some sips of the lion wine from his gourd and the spirit energy inside his body increased his regeneration rate, healing the damaged areas.


    "Not bad, for a human," a voice said from the forest and Lu Shu stared up.


    A humanoid Hyperion had revealed itself! It was about six feet tall and had a human physique.  The only difference was that it wore shining gold armor and had levitating, crescent shaped purple blades around it. The blades were shaped like a crescent moon and emitted a strange purple energy.The face was covered with a white mask that had features of a dragon. The Hyperion had golden hair and eyes with void black wings.


    "I am a true Hyperion. My servants will kill those others and increase my forces," the Hyperion laughed. "God Eaters. Ha! We may have been struck down, but it was out of jealousy! Jealousy for having the same gifts as the gods! We will rise and once we find what we seek in this valley, this pathetic country will also become ours!"


    Faster than Lu Shu could blink, the moon blades smashed against his body, slamming him into the rocks once more. The seven recruits were being overwhelmed and decided to escape, running into the tunnel. Marcella was beyond scared as she saw the strength of the humanoid Hyperion and ordered Mino and Johannes to drag Jiro and Frankie into the tunnel. She collapsed it behind them, not even waiting to get on their horses. As the rocks blocked the tunnel entrance, she saw the Hyperion beasts feed on the horses.


    "Agemo! RUN!" Reginald shouted before the tunnel was sealed completely.


    "Agemo? You''re quite the durable one," the humanoid laughed as the moon blades continued pounding into him. The Hyperion looked at the beasts and continued, "Leave those brats. They don''t even have Mystic Stones. They''re not proper sustenance. Join the others in slaying the two in the forest."


    Even though the Hyperion beasts were no match for Gillian and Meng Ce, they were just mindless wolves. What their master and alpha commanded, they obeyed without question. The moon blades paused in the air as a cloud of dust formed atop a hole where Lu Shu was.


    The wall trembled and many cracks formed as the Hyperion heard a loud howl of rage. It felt a shiver down its spine as it felt a massive flux of spirit energy inside. Its eyes opened as a right hand came out first. It was no human hand. It was a dragon monkey arm with azure scales and small claws of bone-white on each of the five fingers. Lu Shu emerged, brimming with spirit energy as he drained the lion wine gourd dry. Lu Shu had activated the special ability of his Dragon Monkey Bracelet.


    "Augh. That hurt!" Lu Shu said as he spat blood. "Those are no damn ordinary moon blades. It must have some special property as it disrupted my spirit energy flow."


    "You survived. How quaint. You''re the first human to survive the onslaught of my dual flying blades. That sword of yours has baleful aura. You must have quite the background. If you were any stronger, I would be afraid. I am at the stage you humans called the peak second stage of Spirit Shaman. I am by far the weakest of the six. Be glad you met your death at the hands of a god, Agemo!" the Hyperion roared.


    "Spirit energy means nothing to me! I''ll just rip it out and cut off your head! God? You are no god! You''re nothing but discarded trash and mere shells of what you were. I''m gonna enjoy ripping those wings off your back!" Agemo roared.


    Agemo parried the moon blades as they soared at him. The two focused spirit energy into their right hands and their fists collided. A large boom sounded around the forest and a wave of dust and rock exploded from their position.

 Book 1: Chapter 9- Death Match

    (Author: Hello! Lu Shu, also known as Agemo Miura, is left alone against the humanoid Hyperion. The seven recruits escape into the tunnel and collapse it. The beast Hyperion have left to join the fight against Gillian and Meng Ce. Just how will Agemo defeat his foe?)


    ---------Chapter 9: Death Match------------


    Agemo and the Hyperion were forced back under the blow of their fists. The Hyperion was surprised. The human was both strong and had a strange technique that rendered almost all material attacks useless. Agemo decided to go all out and wisps of dark spirit energy emanated from his body. He was using the Phantasmal Sky technique, the movement dark spirit technique he got back in the vault.


    He became a blur of trailing shadows as he burst forward. The Hyperion''s eyes widened for a second before it recovered and drew a giant, golden sword. The moment Rain Slayer and that sword collided, Agemo''s left arm became numb and used his right arm to push the Hyperion back.


    The Hyperion grinned and spun backwards. Its wings began to cleave like swords and even managed to crack the scales on his right arm. Agemo stepped back and then leapt forward as the Hyperion continued its spin, leaving its side vulnerable. Agemo punched the bottom of the Hyperion''s wings as it spun and slashed at the Hyperion with Rain Slayer, creating a long gash on the Hyperion''s side.


    "You''ll have to do better than that, Agemo. I AM A GOD! You cannot kill me!" the Hyperion roared as its giant sword flashed and the gash healed in seconds.


    Agemo narrowed his eyes as the Hyperion leapt forward. Metal clanged against metal as they become embroiled in a storm of swords. As the Hyperion swung downward, Agemo took advantage of the katana blade of Rain Slayer and used his right arm to support the block by pushing on the blunt side of the katana. The Hyperion spun again, but Agemo jumped instead. It seemed that its wings were able to cut through the white energy.


    The Hyperion laughed and did a somersault, folding its wings to cover its body. With a shout, it spread its wings and dozens of feathers shout out, like spears, toward Agemo. Agemo blocked and deflected the feathers that shot in his direction, taking advantage of his movement technique to move his arm faster as he focused all the dark spirit energy into his left arm. Then, he focused his spirit energy into his blade and slashed at the Hyperion. The Hyperion snarled and used the side of its two-handed sword as a shield and blocked the blow, forced back ten steps.


    Agemo landed on the ground while the Hyperion glared at him. The Hyperion''s left hand became covered in flames and it threw several fireballs at Agemo. Agemo cut through the fireballs, causing them to explode and block his vision. Knowing what was going to happen, Agemo immediately bent his knees and fell to the ground. The Hyperion appeared from the explosion, but its great sword only slashed empty air as Agemo had foreseen the attack. Agemo pushed off the ground with his right arm as his left arm stretched out to pierce the Hyperion.


    The Hyperion cried out in pain as Rain Slayer pierced its ribs and Agemo quickly drew out the sword. He bashed the opened wound with the short, two-inch cross guard. The Hyperion was stunned by the pain and Agemo grabbed one of its wings with his right hand. He leapt up and pushed off the Hyperion with his feet, wrenching the wing out of its socket.


    The Hyperion rolled on the ground in pain, its blood spewing like a fountain from its back. Agemo panted and took the opportunity to catch his breath. The Hyperion stared at him, its eyes blazing with hate and rage, as it picked up its golden sword.


    "You think you can defeat my Retribution Sword? I am a Hyperion, an angel on the road to godhood! You have ripped the wing of a god! You will pay with your life!" the Hyperion roared.


    Agemo laughed and focused his spirit energy into his sword as the Hyperion did the same. It was as if time slowed to Agemo as water congealed around the sword as he prepared his Radiant Howl technique. The Hyperion''s Retribution Sword flashed gold as all the light seemed to swirl into the sword. Agemo yelled at the top of his lungs as he slashed his sword at the Hyperion as the Hyperion did the same. It was their finishing move. Blades of water against a large energy beam of light.


    The Hyperion''s attack was like an unstoppable cannon and blasted against Agemo, sending him through five trees. Rain Slayer flew from its hands and landed in  the ground nearby as he crashed into the last tree and was knocked out for a few seconds. Agemo''s own attack was more like a tidal wave, the cannon only making a small hole before it closed as it approached the Hyperion. The Hyperion screamed as the living spirit technique was both a material and soul attack. Its body trembled as each blade pierced into its body.


    Agemo''s vision was blurry. He was lucky that the Hyperion was enraged. If he hadn''t ripped out its wing. The Hyperion would have remembered to use its flying, dual-moon blades and wings as they were able to harm his body. Agemo groaned as he pushed off the branches and bark that were on top of him. His arm had returned to normal and he took out a barrel of lion wine, drank some to restore his spiritual energy, and refilled the gourd as well as filled some others. He put the spare gourds and the wine barrel into his storage bag, retrieved Rain Slayer, and walked over to the defeated Hyperion.


    "You.....pathetic human. You will be punished for killing a god...," the Hyperion rasped as it spat out blood and was unable to move.


    "My Spirit Pulse is actually red and you''re only a false god," Agemo mocked and his hand became shrouded in purple energy as he grabbed all the spirit energy in the Hyperion in his hand.


    He laughed like a maniac as he devoured the spirit energy of the Hyperion in its face. The Hyperion paled as it could not feel the spirit energy in its body. It felt weak, so weak. It had very little feeling in its body as it had become akin to a cripple.


    "Your Retribution Sword," Agemo began as he made the Hyperion lean forward, exposing its neck. "It will make a nice meal for Rain Slayer. I must thank you. I realize how dangerous Hyperion are. I also learned that I cannot depend on my Eclipse Indestructible Body technique for soul attacks or to block appendages and items that are imbued with similar properties. I truly realize how weak I am now. Thanks to you, I will never be so arrogant and recklessly risk my life. Go to hell and stay there."


    "NOOO!" the Hyperion cried as Agemo beheaded it. He kicked the head away in disgust and walked over to the Retribution Sword. It was not as golden as it was before as its master was dead. He grabbed the Retribution Sword and laid it against Rain Slayer, watching the sword disappear into it.


    He took the flying blades and would have experimented with them, but he was too tired. He stored them in his storage bag and took everything in the Hyperion''s storage bag and put it in his own. He stored the wing he had ripped out to study its material. He needed to discover the weakness of his technique and improve upon it. He also took the demonic cores inside all of the dead Hyperion and also stored them.


    He sat down and began to meditate, occasionally drinking lion wine to recover his spirit energy faster. The lion wine helped him stabilize his spirit energy. He felt a little stronger, but he was still in the first stage. He walked over to the entrance of the tunnel and laid back on it to rest. He ordered his white tiger magical beast to protect him as he slowly lost consciousness.


    As day turned into night, the tunnel burst open. Jiro had used his earth magic to clear the tunnel and the seven recruits appeared, observing their surroundings. They paled as they saw all the dead Hyperion body and horses. Frankie roared with joy as he saw the humanoid Hyperion with a wing and head missing. They all looked to their left and saw a large white tiger with a golden horn standing in front of Agemo.


    Agemo''s white robe was ruined and had several areas where it was ripped. The robe over the right arm was completely destroyed and blood was all over his body. They would have gone close, but the white tiger did not let them. Clearly, it did not trust them as they left the battle with their tails between their legs as its master had to fend for himself. Even though the white tiger could never die a permanent death as it wore the collar, it would die if its master died. Its master life was more precious than its own as it could be summoned to life again after two days or so.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Ugh," Agemo groaned as he shook his head. He looked up and saw that the seven recruits had returned.


    "It''s alright. Let me on your back. We''ll try to find what that Hyperion was searching for," Agemo whispered to the tiger. The tiger went on the ground and waited for Lu Shu to rest atop it and turned to face the forest, ignoring the recruits. Lu Shu had never expended so much spirit energy and still felt drained. It was not from using spirit energy so much as it was the adrenaline leaving his body. He ached all over and was glad to be able to rest on the soft fur of his magical beast.


    "You guys go find your master. Try to help him if you can. The Hyperion that attacked us went after him when you left," Lu Shu said.


    "What about Scholar Jing?" they asked.


    "My senior scholar will find me. Our white tiger magical beasts have a connection of sorts. I want to leave this place and find someplace safe," Lu Shu said, lying about everything but Meng Ce being able to find him through their magical beasts. "I''ll be fine. I''m just really tired."


    "Sorry for leaving you there," Marcella murmured as Lana nudged her. "I was afraid. It, it was my first time fighting the Hyperion."


    "It was mine too," he said coldly.


    "Ah, right. I''m sorry," Marcella said. "We''ll find our master now. I hope we cans till be friends in the future. If not me, then the others. They just followed my orders as I was the strongest mage. Most parties are led by a mage. I''m really sorry."


    The tiger did not stop during their conversation and Lu Shu slumped on its back as it disappeared into the trees. The white tiger followed the tracks and scent and avoided going into any directions with noises. Lu Shu guessed it was either fighting or the Hyperion patrols. If the humanoids escaped his master, they would definitely try to find the humanoid he killed. He had no doubt his master would survive.


    "Agemo Miura or Shu of the Lu clan," Lu Shu sighed. "It seems people want me dead in both lives. Being a Practitioner and royalty, it''s obvious my life will be in danger. However, what did I do in my past life? Project O? If only I could remember how to recreate the technology. However, science and mythological powers should not exist on the same planet."


    The white tiger arrived in front of a large tree. As the white tiger had traveled to it, Lu Shu realized that they were not in a forest at all. They were really at a swamp as the ground became muddy and water soon covered the ground. The tree was abnormally large compared to the others, as if it were the very first tree. It was the heart of the swamp and was probably thousands of years old. The white tiger squeezed through an opening in the roots and Lu Shu sat up straight as he saw an altar of stone.


    The air seemed to be abnormally pleasing. Light green light shined, from the roots, onto the altar. It was obvious that the altar had some positive result in growing the large tree and expanding the swamp. Whatever the Hyperion wanted, it was probably laying on the altar. They would have taken it if Gillian had not been detected.


    "Now what would a race, cursed and punished by the Heavens, want from here?" Lu Shu asked as he approached the altar. "What would make a race so desperate as to send their forces all the way to the west, to this hidden swamp? The humanoid Hyperion I killed seemed pretty haughty as it always referred to itself as a god. There must be something as ancient as their race here."


    Atop of the altar were five strange items. First, Lu Shu stared at a large demonic core at the left end of the altar. It was a good foot long in diameter and was nestled on a large cushion. He had thought that all demonic cores were the size of a adult human fist at most, but here it was. A giant demonic core he had never seen before. Then he stared at the second item. It was an ancient scroll. Lu Shu opened it and it appeared to be a map. He did not recognize the landscape or the writing on the map. Was this what the Hyperion wanted? He didn''t know and just stored it in his storage bag, just in case.


    The third item was a pure white staff with five large, jade mana stones at the top. The wood of the staff seemed to twist and latch onto the mana stones like veins. He was not a mage and moved on to the fourth item. It was a Practitioner weapon, a great axe to be precise. He didn''t care about it either and moved on to the last item. It was five necklaces arranged in a five star point formation.


    Each had a white metal chain connected to a small bead which represented the five points of the star. He wore one of the necklaces around his neck. The bead seemed like an ordinary black bead with the image of a single white wing that seemed to move within. He messed with the other four necklaces so that they would not be positioned in a star formation. He was not of the third rank so he decided to take the large demonic core and absorb its energy in a safer location.


    The altar itself seemed to be a powerful artifact, but he couldn''t move or destroy it or damage it. He sighed as he removed all traces of being under the root and left with his white tiger. He had lied about leaving the area. He would have to enter   the tunnel and be found in Wightwood Forest by the others to prove his alibi. If the Hyperion did come to the tree, maybe what he took would stop whatever they were planning. At least, he hoped it were true. Just to be sure, he hid one of the four remaining necklaces in the root wall. Unless the Hyperion was sensitive to earth spirit energy or was an earth mage, they wouldn''t find it.


    Five hours after he left, a single bloodied Hyperion managed to find the altar. What it did, no one would know. When Gillian, Meng Ce, and the recruits went to find what the Hyperion were searching for; all they found was an empty room with savage slashes on the roots. Whatever entered under the tree found what it was looking for, but was also completely mad. Gillian paled because he knew that whatever accelerated the giant tree''s growth had disappeared.


    "The Hyperion found what they were looking for," GIllian snarled and kicked the root wall in anger.


    "We killed most of them and only one of the Hyperion we fought escaped. Furthermore, it seems the Hyperion did not succeed as much as it had hoped," Meng Ce said as he pointed at the walls. "It is clearly enraged. The bastard was lucky to escape us, but it lost most of its forces."


    "It will be out of the country by now, Scholar Jing!" Gillian yelled. "We weren''t able to stop what they were planning. At least the recruits survived and joined up with us. They are officially God Eaters. However, only those who killed a humanoid God Eater deserves to call himself that."


    "Where is Agemo? You said he left the forest, later discovered as a swamp, after you returned to the battlefield," Meng Ce asked.


    "He left due to exhaustion from killing the humanoid. He''s probably at Wightwood Forest. He said he needed to find a place to rest and recover," Reginald said.


    "Then I am off to find my junior disciple. Gillian, thank you for allowing me and my junior a chance to kill the Hyperion. While it is regrettable that we failed, we have learned how they secretly traveled and avoided detection. You must have those who specialize in earth magic and those with high sensitivity to spirit energy guard the borders from now on. Farewell," Meng Ce said and left.


    "What now, Master Gillian?" Marcella asked.


    "We head to Sky Angel Academy now. I must report to my superiors about their new method of travel and of what occurred here. Take samples of the roots and soil here. We need to analyze the energy here and discover just what they were trying to find," Gillian said.


    "Uh, Master Gillian?" Jiro cried as he rustled among the root walls. "I think I found something. It seems to be a necklace. It was hidden in the root wall. I think someone came here and hid it after he, she, or they took something."


    "Excellent! Well done Jiro. I am very glad I recruited an earth mage now," Gillian laughed heartily. "As you found the necklace, it is yours. You will accompany me as I report to my superiors and we will show them the necklace. After examining it, it will be returned to you."


    Jiro nodded happily and stored the necklace in a box from his storage bag. Gillian did not want to take any chances and had Jiro carry it in the box. They collected samples of the roots and soil and left the swamp.

 Book 1: Chapter 10- Purple Cloud City

    (Author: Hello! Writing fantasy with xianxia elements is easier than magic. I get less writer''s block and I sleep easier at night with less fatigue. Lu Shu has survived his first real death match and has secretly foiled the plans of the Hyperion. He has realized his weaknesses and will strive to strengthen his defenses. The members of Sky Angel Academy have left and Meng Ce returns to the side of his disciple. Lu Shu now begins to cultivate and absorb the giant demonic cores energy in himself to stimulate and accelerate his growth. Lu Shu plans to escape far from Wightwood Forest as his adventure resumes. Hope you enjoyed last chapter''s battle scene. Enjoy.)


    --------------Chapter 10: Purple Cloud City--------------------


    Lu Shu spent the rest of the day cultivating as he found a place by the lake to cultivate in peace. He took out the white Mystic Stone and placed it against his chest, watching it enter his body. The Mystic Stone would make him vulnerable early on, but it would also accelerate his growth as it would house his spirit energy. Then he placed the giant demonic core on the shore of the lake and began meditating. He could feel the red spirit energy flow from the demonic core into his body. It felt amazing. So much power came from the demonic core and it seemed to be endless.


    His spirit energy started to condense, pouring into the white crystalline orb in his body. Black liquid began to ooze out of his body as he kept absorbing the giant demonic core. He had broken through to the second stage! While the first two stages are the easiest to cultivate, it was still a wonder to breakthrough so early. If he were a regular human and did not drink lion wine, he would have broken through to the third stage already. Lion wine increased his strength and his spirit energy foundation. The only downside was that it also slowed down his cultivation rate.


    By the time the demonic core was about half drained, he had reached mid-stage of the second stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation. He stood up and stretched, he had grown two inches and his body''s muscles became more lean. Inside the white orb, an outline of a beast was taking shape. Lu Shu jumped into the lake and washed off the impurities from his body, a huge smile on his face.


    Inside his body, the white Mystic Stone had fully harmonized into his body. It did not exist in his body, physically, and existed in his mind. Inside the orb, red spirit energy had condensed into the form of the beast he detected earlier. It stood atop of a lake of spirit energy.  The lake seemed bottomless due to the darkness beneath the surface and lightning crackled in the sky. The lake was his life force, just as magma was the life force of the planet.


    The half drained demonic core shined and entered his body. Lu Shu howled in surprise as it entered the lake in his soul and submerged into the depths, disappearing from view. The lake seemed more vibrant as the surface began to create small waves across the surface. Unbeknownst to Lu Shu, the white wing in the bead seemed to replicate and sent one of the wings into the depths of the lake. The wing found the demonic core and wrapped itself around it. Several wings seemed to sprout from the first wing and five pairs of left wings wrapped the demonic core.


    The bead shined for a moment before it dimmed and became inactive. It had bond itself to him now. Whatever power it contained, only Lu Shu would be able to access it in the future. Lu Shu''s hair had grown much longer now and went past his shoulders. Lu Shu slept peacefully after eating some food from his storage bag and slept against his magical beast as it fed on some meat.


    The next day, Meng Ce had arrived and was relieved that Lu Shu was alright. He was proud that Lu Shu was a true God Eater, but then got angry as he learned that Lu Shu had put a Mystic Stone in his body prematurely. However, the news that Lu Shu had broken through to the second stage made him happy. He assumed it was because of the demonic core of the Hyperion and warned to onlu use them sparingly when he reached the third stage or it would impede his growth and potential.


    "Master, we should leave Wightwood Forest," Lu Shu said after Meng Ce explained what happened and about what happened underneath the giant tree''s roots in the swamp. "Those Hyperion might suspect that we took what was in there. Besides, I killed one of their humanoid Hyperion. Maybe a survivor might recognize me if they bring reinforcements to search for whatever was missing."


    "Hmm. I planned to let you stay here for a month, but you killed Hyperion instead. Also, you have reached the second stage. You''re right. We have no further business here. We will head to Purple Cloud City. It is a city run by a duke who serves the king of the kingdom to the south east. The Hyperion are concentrated to the north east of the Yan empire. Even though we head east, we will be safe there," Meng Ce assured. "Many young Practitioners start their journey there. You will learn much more there as we explore the region and various nations. Along the way, you will read this book on formation barriers. It is a waste to learn how to make them as you will waste time learning them instead of improving your capabilities."


    "Then why learn them, master?" Shu asked as they set off toward the city. Lu Shu had no more white robes and just wore a simple black robe with the hood over his head, concealing the upper half of his face.


    "You must learn formations in order to break and escape them. In order to defeat Practitioners who use formations, you must also learn about them. The more you learn, the more you realize their strengths and weaknesses. Practitioners of certain sects specialize in learning how to make formations," Meng Ce said. "There are many mages and knights there in the city. Throughout the world, there are more mages than Practitioners. A Practitioner is more powerful, but a mage has more connections. Try not to kill or cause a fight when we enter the city. We''re leaving your homeland now. Your safety and keeping your identity a secret has never been more imperative."


    "I understand master," Shu said as he received an ancient, silver book about five inches thick and began reading as his white tiger magical beast followed Meng Ce''s beast as he led it in the direction of Purple Cloud City.


    While they on the road, Meng Ce trained Agemo in martial arts and swordplay. He decided to have Agemo continue with alias and use his real name Meng Ce. Meng Ce was not a major general on the front lines, but Lu Shu was the second son and third child of an emperor. While people might have heard of Meng Ce albeit really rare, no one would recognize Agemo''s face as his features had changed and all his bullies were dead. Meng Ce taught Agemo how to deflect blows with Rain Slayer. Agemo had the tyrannical strength due to the lion wine so it would be best to deflect rather than block. Even though he had the Eclipse Indestructible Body, Agemo agreed due to his fight with the humanoid Hyperion. He learned to never underestimate an attack if it was an item or limb with magical properties.


    Meng Ce also told Agemo to keep the hood over his face. Not only did it hide the upper half of his face from view, Meng Ce wanted to train Agemo in his spiritual training. Eyes can see the material, but only the mind can sense the spiritual. He knew Agemo was already very sensitive to spiritual energy. He wanted Agemo to train this aspect and make it into his strength. All living creatures had spirit energy. If Agemo could learn to sense spirit energy, he could even tell what move his opponent would make based on their opening movements.


    Agemo also learned about formations. Each and every formation, no matter how complex or simple, always had four different sets of origin. Most formations were in a three point, triangular formation or a four point square formation. Only a truly dangerous formation was based on a five star point or eight hexagon point formation. In every formation, there was always one point which was the strongest and another which was the weakest. The only way to determine which was which was through sensing the spirit energy fluctuations caused by the formation.


    There are also extremely powerful formations, but they had a greater weakness of requiring a magical item to invoke it. Removing the magical item would automatically disperse the formation so they always had to be hidden. The only true threats were formations based on an eight point, hexagonal formation and a five star point formation. The five star formation was the most difficult and the most dangerous. The more points did not necessarily mean that it was more dangerous. The more intricate the formation, the more difficult it was to break. Several lines of spirit energy would flow from the same point throughout the formation, making it difficult to discern which was point of the formation which was needed the most to maintain it.


    Whenever the duo passed through a cliff, Meng Ce would stop and have Agemo train on the cliff for three days. He would have to climb the cliff using spirit energy and climb down without using spirit energy. He wanted Agemo to learn when to use spirit energy and increase his awareness as he tried to find footholds as he climbed the cliff. It is much easier to climb a cliff than to climb back down. Why? It is because people are used to searching with their hands than with their feet. Their hands would be supporting their body, instead of the feet, on the way down. Not only that, Agemo was still blinded by the hood and had to search with his spirit energy. He had to feel the vibrations on the surface with his spirit energy to find a foothold. It was similar to the sonar of a submarine.


    Some days there would be no physical training or cultivation. This was because Agemo had to learn more about his elements. If they found a dark area, Agemo would meditate within. If they found an area full of water, Agemo would meditate within the water and learn how the water flowed and study the fluidity of its movements. Lightning was more difficult to study as there were rarely thunderstorms. Luckily, Agemo had already manifested his soul in his mind and would meditate while gazing at the lightning above his soul lake.


    Under so much training, he naturally made improvements. The outline of the red spirit energy beast was looking more like the outline of a giant tiger every day. More and more spirit energy seemed to be present in his body and he had become attuned to using it normally in his body. It became natural to him and he did not waste any spirit energy at all over time as his body became in tuned with it. Spirit energy was no longer a foreign existence in his body. It had become one with him and was already a part of him.


    Rain Slayer also became stronger as it was linked to him as his Practitioner weapon. The katana blade had become sharper and contained more force when Agemo used it. However, the katana seemed as light as a feather. Due to his tyrannical strength, he became used to wielding it one-handed. If a magical beast he encountered grew to close, he would take advantage of the two-inch cross guard of the katana to pierce and bash the magical beast at the same time.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Agemo always had the sword strapped on right side with the gourd beneath his robe in his left side. It would have been the other way around if he were right handed. He didn''t like keeping it in his storage bag and felt safer wearing it at his side. Finally, seven months and three weeks of several magical beast killings and training later, Agemo and Meng Ce had arrived in front of Purple Cloud City.


    Agemo had his white tiger shrink to thee feet in height and it followed alongside him as he and Meng Ce waited outside the gates. Purple Cloud City was a city where Practitioners and mages lived and studied. It laid in the kingdom of Kasara, to the south east of the Yan Empire, and a major power in the south. It was one of the few cities where Practitioners outnumbered mages. It was due to the fact that the Purple Cloud Sect had been founded by its leader, a Spirit Sage! Naturally, all Practitioners were treated with respect in the city.


    Meng Ce stood out as he arrived in his white sage robe as well as his strength as a ninth stage Spirit Shaman. He had also made a breakthrough after killing two of the three humanoid Hyperion, whose strength were also at the eighth stage like him. Faced with a life-and-death situation, how could he not make a breakthrough in order to survive? While others would be envious of him, Meng Ce was inwardly troubled. Why? Because from first stage Spirit Knight onwards, those people could not participate in mortal wars. You could kill an army, but you couldn''t fight as a part of it. If Meng Ce became a Spirit Knight, he would lose his dream to be the greatest general of the Yan Empire and be forced to live as a Practitioner only for the rest of his life.


    Agemo did not want to stand out so much in his black robes and went to a store that sold Practitioner clothing. Agemo bought a dark purple cloak made from the fur of a Sand Spotted Purple Fox and wore it over a white tunic, black pants, and shoes. Robes were too thick and the weather was hotter. The cloak seemed to have clouds the color of sand and was pretty cool. The cloak had the effect of self-repairmen and required the wearer to use spirit energy to activate the effect. He didn''t like the color, but the store was biased to purple colored variations. It seemed to be because of the influence of the Purple Cloud Sect.


    He let the hood hang on his back as he followed Meng Ce around. He could see many Practitioners and mages roaming about, browsing for wares. His black hair with cerulean streaks had been tied back into a small ponytail behind his head. He didn''t want his hair to cover his eyes if he needed to fight. Occasionally, he sipped some lion wine as Meng Ce led him into the main plaza. They could some shouting and Meng Ce was curious and led Agemo there. Agemo hoped to see a fight and he might be able to see a Purple Cloud Sect member fight.


    "I will be the one to buy that magical beast!" a young boy roared. "Who are you to get in my way!"


    "I saw it first. Get out or I will kill you!" another yelled.


    A large crowd had gathered by the time Agemo and Meng Ce arrived to see what was happening. Agemo saw two large groups of people glaring fiercely at each other. One side wore dark green robes with gold seams while the other side wore bright red robes with black seams. Meng Ce frowned as he recognized the boy yelling among the people wearing crimson robes. It was a distant member of the Lu Clan. Probably one of the children who became a Practitioner to make his own future.


    "You think you can threaten me? I am Tian of the Lu Clan. You may address me as Tian Lu in this country with its clan name second by custom. Leave the magical beast alone. The emperor is my distant uncle. He is a Spirit Master and there are many members of my clan who are mages as strong as Spirit Masters as well. Piss off!" the boy yelled.


    "Hmph. That supposed to scare me? We are not in the Yan Empire anymore. We are in Kasara. The emperor holds no power here. Men! Get them! Do not let them get in my way!"


    "Yes, Young Master!" they cried and they attacked the disciples of the Crimson Desert Sect.


    "Do you wish to help them?" Meng Ce asked.


    "No. I do not know him. We cannot reveal my identity here. It would only make the situation worse," Agemo muttered and turned away. "We came here to train me. I am Agemo until we return."


    "I understand," Meng Ce said and watched Agemo leave. Meng Ce stared back at the fighting and turned into a flash of light. He controlled the element of light and moved faster than they could blink. First he did a low blow on the boy who insulted the emperor. Then he stole the magical beast egg from the vendor. He appeared where he initially started and only a faint blur had occurred around his body and he vanished, appearing in an alley ahead of Agemo.


    "You got involved didn''t you?" Agemo asked as he saw a two foot high egg that was dark green. "You stole the egg? Why? Wasn''t the Great Ancestor supposed to give me my first magical beast?"


    "Yes, that is true. However, I had to take the egg for you. Those people may have suspected that it was a dragon egg, but this is a Saint level dragon egg. Saint level magical beasts are the rarest and most powerful of all magical beasts. This is the egg of a Emerald Steel Dragon. They only hatch when someone pours their spirit energy into it once the egg fully matures into the size it is now. You should not be deceived by the white tiger you ride. As soon as it wore the collar, it becomes lifeless, a being without a soul. It only acted like a tiger because you subconsciously thought it would."


    Agemo stared at the dog sized tiger and realized it was true. When the tiger ate or ran with him riding it, its eyes always seemed to lack the spark of life. Now he knew why Meng Ce just stored the tiger in his storage bag. It was as if the tiger were a puppet that obeyed his every command. He couldn''t believe how much power he had over it. He had subconsciously made it act as if it had a life of its own.


    "I see that you have understood," Meng Ce said as Agemo stored the white tiger into his storage bag. "The magical collars do not work on the living. Do not feel sorry for it. It is already dead. Mages value such collars as the ones on the tiger because they always dream of having an army of minions attacking under their command. Agemo, that Emerald Steel Dragon is not the most powerful dragon magical beast as its rank is about a little above average among Saint level dragons. However, dragons are always the most powerful of magical beasts unless it is a rare breed and variant. Keep it in your storage bag for now. Whenever you choose to bond with it, even if it before the two and a half years before we return to the Great Ancestor, you may do so. The Great Ancestor only provides a magical beast of the Saint level if his descendant has not bonded with one already."


    "I''ll store it for now. I''ll wait until I reach the third stage," Agemo said and stored the egg in his storage bag. "Thank you. It seems coming to this city is not a total loss. Why did we stop by here anyway?"


    "To get a map to the capital. They are holding a tournament for people below the fourth stage, like you. I told you to stop absorbing demonic cores as it will impede your progress, but that does not matter to spirit pills. They are just less effective and costly. The vault did not have many, a reason which is quite obvious. There are many prizes awarded per round in the tournament. Spirit pills are just one of the many prizes," Meng Ce answered.


    "There are other ways to get spirit pills," Agemo frowned.


    "True, but the tournament will allow you to fight against mages and Practitioners. This way, you can fight them and gain an insight in manipulating the elements. Spirit techniques are concentrated attacks using spirit energy, but someone of the third stage of Spirit Shaman can manipulate the elements. Why? Because as your Spirit Pulse gains its true form, your body becomes that of an Archon," Meng Ce smiled.


    "Archon? What are those?" Agemo asked.


    "Archons are those who have the power of gods, but were not meant to. The very words describe what Practitioners are. Why? It is because we can manipulate the elements. You can make a bucket of water freeze into ice. You can throw daggers of lightning at someone or makes yourself invisible for a time in the darkness. This is why mages fear Practitioners. However, the number of people who actually reach the third stage are rare. That is because sects are very picky on who they select. You are a rare case as you come from a powerful family. Naturally, you have the resources to reach the third stage," Meng Ce answered.


    "Is that why father is sending me to a martial arts sect?" Agemo asked.


    "Yes and no. Martial arts sects are just stepping stones. Eventually, a Practitioner or mage must explore the world and cultivate alone. The path to immortality is a lonely one. Only talent, insight, and hard work will allow you to reach greater heights. No one can help you with that," Meng Ce said. "We''ll buy a map of Kasara and then leave. It''s a pity we did not see a Purple Cloud City member, but you should see them all over this country. They are one of the big five sects in Kasara. Naturally, they will have sent their outer core disciples to participate in the tournament in the capital to earn prestige and honor for their sect."


    "The point of this three year journey is to open your eyes to the world. You are exploring the world early instead of cultivating in a sheltered environment for three years. I did not bring you to the outside world to fight or kill. That is just an event of circumstance when it happens. Our goal is to increase your knowledge. You might be disadvantaged against those of the third stage, but you can see how they use their spirit and how they manipulate their element. That alone, is a substantial benefit," Meng Ce smiled and Agemo followed him through the market.


    Once they found a suitable map, they bought access to a caravan. At dawn of the next day, the caravan left Purple Cloud City with several mages and Practitioners. Agemo and Meng Ce seemed like loose Practitioners, people without a sect or clan, among the many people who wore similar robes. Soon, they would arrive in the capital in five weeks. While it took three weeks and seven months to get to Purple Cloud City, the capital of Kasara was not far at all. That was because Purple Cloud City was almost at the center of the kingdom. Agemo and Meng Ce just traveled without visiting the major cities as Meng Ce trained Agemo.


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


    (Author: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Enjoying the pace so far? The last few chapters were about gaining knowledge of the world. The next few chapters will center around the tournament and will contain fighting. By the way, is it just me or did other writers take a break with their main stories or make side stories the last few days? Hope you enjoyed the 8-10 triple chapter release. Thanks for reading!)

 Book 1: Chapter 11- Capital of Kasara

    (Author: Hello! So far as the map Agemo found, it will be after the training. That''s the best estimate I''ll reveal. As for the single wing in the bead....expect it to be revealed a lot sooner than the demonic core with the wings in his soul lake. Agemo has made his decision to live under his old name and continues his journey and training. He and Meng Ce have joined a caravan headed to the capital of Kasara. Meng Ce intends to have Agemo join the tournament there. Enjoy.)


    -------------Chapter 11: Capital of Kasara------------------


    "If you''re going to keep staring at it, Agemo, then just hatch it," Meng Ce said as he saw Agemo admire the green dragon egg.


    "It just comforts me. I''ve always wanted a dragon," Agemo said as he put the egg away and drank some lion wine. "How did you manage to steal the egg during the commotion?"


    "Ah, right. I never told you. The true form of my Spirit Pulse is that of a spear. Liight is just one of the elements I chose to learn, a privilege of the weapon spirit. However, I cannot teach you darkness as I cannot use it myself. If I had an armor spirit, I could learn any element and teach you as such. The light spirit techniques I learned are suited for speed, not power. I do know some healing techniques though," Meng Ce answered. "Have you been studying the mages during our travels in the caravan?"


    "Yes, master," Agemo nodded. "Mages specialize in long distance fighting. They use their magic to keep out of range of the enemy and bombard them with hard hitting spells or a wide area attack spell. Some have golems and magical beasts to protect them. Others use puppet magic or summoning chants to acquire assistants to fight them from close range while they cast spells from afar."


    "Very good. Remember, you must be wary of Practitioners of the third stage and mages who are apprentices," Meng Ce said. "Mages of the third rank can manipulate their element. There is a chance that one of the Practitioners of the third stage has acquired an Archon body. I told you about it before. They are called Archon life forms. As for mage apprentices, they are mage novices who have chosen their path and have begun learning it. An example would be a white mage, a mage who specializes in holy, barrier, and healing magic. They are people who have truly begun walking the path of immortals."


    "Archon life forms. White mage," Agemo brooded.


    "Yes. Archons can also manifest their spirit. You have a beast spirit. You will attain spirit techniques based on your spirit instead of spirit manifestation. If you meet someone with an armor spirit in the tournament, expect a tough fight. Their body will be protected based on the size and location of the armor and also wield Practitioner weapons. Close in on mages immediately. Do not give them a chance to cast their spells," Meng Ce said. "It has been five weeks since we have been on the road in this caravan. It will soon be time to see the fruit of your training. Just be careful. Some  will already have joined sects and academies. Expect those people, and those from powerful clans, to use magical items to assist them in battle."


    "What do I do then?" Agemo asked.


    "It is unwise to use many magical treasures unless you have experience. Some formations actually use several magical treasures. Do not use your flying moon blades unless you need to. Never use the Dragon Monkey Bracelet as it is your trump card in life or death battles due to the sudden increase in strength. Fight bare handed for as long as you can. You have the tyrannical strength of the lion wine. Use it and take advantage of it. It is best to keep your true fighting style hidden until the need arises," Meng Ce said. "Your Eclipse Indestructible Body technique is near invincible to those of your cultivation stage and below, as you well know. However, those above you and those who use attacks and weapons with special properties can still harm you. Do not depend on your breathing technique every time."


    I understand master. I will do as you say," Agemo said and looked outside the carriage to see the capital of Kasara.


    "Halt. Your caravan approaches the capital of Kasara, Korgar. State your business!" the captain of eighty three guards roared. He was a Practitioner of the fifth stage of Spirit Knight! A Spirit Knight, the very stage after Spirit Shaman! The eighty three guards who followed him were also Spirit Knights!"


    "That''s a lot of Spirit Knights," Agemo said.


    "Of course. Even the capital of the Yan empire has tens of thousands of Spirit Knights. Just because Spirit Knights can''t fight in the army, it doesn''t mean they can''t guard their homes. Unless it is a mortal army, they can defend and kill those who trespass against the law. Our Yan Empire also has a few dozen Spirit Masters. That is why no one threatens our empire. We''re small, but it is only because we consolidate our power and are a relatively peace-seeking nation. Your father cares not for how much land he rules. He only cares about the people and our Lu Clan," Meng Ce said. "The Kasara Kingdom is also powerful, but is more battle-hardened due to a possible threat by the Hyperion. However, another country blocks the Hyperion from this land. So long as they send aid to that nation, Kasara will never be threatened by the Hyperion. Some countries are jealous of the many resources of Kasara. That is why so many Spirit Knights guard the capital."


    "Hmm? You came here to trade? What''s with all these Practitioners and mages? Don''t think that we cannot defeat martial art sects or academy disciples if you try to force your way in" the captain warned.


    "Oh no, no, no, no," the caravan leader blurted, waving his chubby hands. "My men are merely escorting them as they paid for passage. They have come here to take part in the tournament. Beyond escorting them, my caravan has no relations with them."


    "Those who seek to join the tournament, step aside. The caravan and the merchants will be inspected first," the captain roared and the guards appeared, almost instantaneously, next to every carriage to ensure that the order was kept.


    Agemo and the rest of the participants and their guardians left the carriages of the caravan and stood to the right side as the caravan was inspected and let into the city. The guards stood ina straight line to face them. Each of the guards wore shining white armor and had a three foot long round shield mounted on their left arm with their right hands on the hilts of their long swords. Their armor bore the insignia of a crimson phoenix on fire with its wings outstretched as it faced the sky.


    "I am Guard Captain Grey of the City Guard of Korgar and Keeper of the Gate. I take it that the children here are all below the age of thirteen. Am I correct?" the guard captain asked, the only man who wore a bright crimson cape instead of a black cape.


    Seeing them nod, Grey said, "Good. Participants must be below the fourth stage if they are Practitioners. Only mage apprentices and mage novices are allowed, among mages, to participate. Not just any one person can participate. The trials for mages and Practitioners are different. Once you pass, if you pass, you will be randomly assigned a number. Note that there are five trials for the selection process. Furthermore, you will be required to fight in elimination matches if too many people have passed. Only sixty four people are allowed to participate in the main tournament."


    Pausing to ensure that they understood what he said, Grey continued, "The spectators and the people who escorted you will see how you fare through the crystal mirrors that will appear above the stadium. Note that each of the sixty four participants will receive a hundred spirit pills. As you advance per round, more awards will be given. People from across the land and other nations will be attending. I expect you all to respect our city''s laws during your stay or find your head upon the many pikes above our walls."


    "Those who came as guardians of the participants will follow me to the seats in the city''s stadium," one of the guards announced as he stepped forward.


    "Those participating will follow me to the selection area. So long as you are in the city, fights are only allowed in designated areas on pain of beheading and pike decorating," Grey said, glaring at them. "Guards, return to your posts."


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Yes, Captain Grey!" the guards replied and cleared the area in front of the gate.


    "Good luck," Meng Ce said as he pat Agemo''s shoulder and followed the other guardians into the city.


    "Alright you lot, single fine and follow me. Tomorrow is the selection trials. You''ll sleep in the barracks tonight. I don''t trust you nor do I care to know you. You are just here to compete, not to live here. The trials are not life threatening, but weaklings or fools do die during the elimination matches. We only need sixty four of you. Practitioner or mage. Male or female. Beggar or noble. We only need the best," Grey said and walked inside the city and showed them the barracks.


    Agemo was meditating in his room, his mind completely absorbed on his soul lake. Over the past few weeks, something was forming above his soul lake. He didn''t know what it was. He thought that people were supposed to have only one spirit. As he read some books he got from the vault, he learned that it was possible to obtain another spirit. This was possible if a person died and came back to life, thereby bringing the death energy into his body.


    The White Ocean Tiger was the spirit from the golden pearl he swallowed. How did he know? The body of the former Lu Shu had no talent for spirit energy and was supposed to be a mage. Agemo was also, formerly, a wandering soul looking for a body. He took Lu Shu''s body when he died, thereby bringing an deathly energy into the body as he brought it to life.


    Agemo was alone in his room and kept staring at the second red spirit energy that was condensing into something. He heard rumors that one of the Practitioners had dual spirits as well, but was affirmed as he was at the third stage. The White Ocean Tiger''s outline had already formed. He was sure that he would be at the third rank once the outline of the other spirit had finished forming. Right now, it was like a red-colored black hole, absorbing spirit energy instead of matter. People with two spirits had Mutated Souls, Mystic Stones with more than one spirit inside.


    "It''s not abnormal for people to have two spirits," Agemo said as he laid back on his bed. "Are they like me or did they have some secret cultivation technique to obtain a near death state to create another spirit?"


    "Not like you, corpse stealer," a voice rasped as the room became pitch black.


    "So you found me. You''re too late. I already found a fresh body," Agemo smiled cruelly as he leaned up and stared to his left.


    What he saw a man completely covered in a ragged black cloak that covered his whole body. It wore a hood with shadows seeping out like mist where the face should be. Instead of eyes, there were four, slanted eyes of crimson with one pair over the other. Chain appeared from where the ankles and wrists would be which looked corroded and black. What Agemo was staring at was the exact existence that he desperately tried to escape from: a Keeper of the Dead.


    "So what now? Are you going to snatch my soul out of this body?" Agemo grinned.


    "You already entered the world of the living. People believe the body to have never died. Taking you away to the Nether Fields would be violating Heaven''s Will," the voice rasped with anger. "Considering your past life, I don''t understand why the Heavens have allowed you to attain a new body. Agemo Miura, what you did on Earth is unforgiveable. What you did on Earth allowed you to get away from us."


    "And what exactly did I do on Earth that would make me get away for so many decades?" Agemo asked. "I thought I just messed with human genetics."


    "You demon. You didn''t just mess with genes, tampered with it and gave it a new body," the Keeper of the Dead roared. "Your knowledge on human genetics and advances in prosthetic limbs allowed you to create a brand new body and life form. You created a new life form, a genetically enhanced cybernetic human known as homo superior on Earth. Only the Heavens are allowed to create life or variants and evolutions of an existing race."


    "Too bad my memories are fragmented. I suppose you stopped a repeat from happening. Besides, this planet is not a technologically advanced planet. Your worries are meaningless here. What do you want?" Agemo asked.


    "I came here to verify that you can no longer be taken. Do not tamper with life again. Your soul has already changed. The demonic core in the bottom of your soul lake doesn''t belong to a magical beast or a Hyperion. The same goes for the wings on the demonic core and the single wing in that bead around your neck. You have already made yourself a target for obtaining the bead and its power. I can''t take you away, but you already have many enemies. That will suffice. Your name is now stricken from the Book of Dead Souls. Try to live a more humane life. Not that you can. Your abominable project, Project O was a success. That is why your soul was able to escape me," the death dealer advised and started fading.


    "What did I do? What is Project O?" Agemo cried.


    The Keeper of the Dead smiled and whispered something into his ear, making Agemo''s face pale as he said, "It can''t be. Is that why they wanted me dead? For my research?"


    "You''re better off not thinking about it. Good luck, Agemo Miura. Keep that bead safe. Doing so protects Heaven''s Will. Same goes for that map. Mortals were not meant to have the power of the gods. This tournament has interesting participants," the death dealer said as it faded into oblivion, returning the moonlight into the room.


    "Fuck. Just what did I do?" Agemo sighed as relief settled in his heart. "I was right to take this bead and map. The Hyperion, I might need to study their history in more detail. I also need to study the bead. The demonic core in the darkness of the soul lake has wings from the bead, but it hasn''t done anything yet. If the map, bead, and demonic core, is so important; did I make a mistake in not taking the Practitioner weapon and staff? Hopefully, the Hyperion did not find the one bead necklace I hide in the root wall. Once they realize they are missing two beads, they''ll probably start trying to find them."


    Agemo sighed as he stared at the bead necklace on his neck. A single left wing, as white as snow, swirled within. He didn''t see what was so special about it. Magical items were used in formations all the time. Because of studying formations, he knew that the five beads were components of a dangerous five-point star formation. He sipped a cup of lion wine and went to sleep, putting his worries out of his mind. He had the selection trials tomorrow. He would handle tomorrow first and deal with what came next later.


    "Alright, get up you lot!" Grey yelled the next day. "Time for you to head to the selection trials. If you''re hungry, you should have packed some food before you came here. This isn''t a playground, it''s a battlefield. You''re not here to make friends. You''re here to compete and get those rewards. Hop to it. Other people will be arriving there soon. A total of seven thousand stand between you and the top sixty four spots. Beat the trials, win the elimination matches, and you just might get what you came here for."


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


    (Author: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I hope you like the current flow and connections. The next chapter will feature the trials. Hope you liked the blast from the past. I wanted to bring up Agemo''s past slowly and not all at once. After all, he only has fragments. Feel free to speculate what kind of spirit his body has. Note: only one beast spirit can exist. I also don''t plan on having him learn anymore elements. Too much you know. There is a lot you can do with one already.)

 Book 1: Chapter 12- The Trials Begin

    (Author: Hello! A Keeper of the Dead visits Agemo and warns him of what he possesses. Agemo now heads for the selection test, of which there are five. Enjoy.)


    -------------Chapter 12: The Trials Begin-----------------


    "Okay, we''re here you lot! Mage novices and apprentices, head toward the left area outside the stadium. The clearing over there is your testing ground. Practitioners, the same on your right. Mages, you are competing with about five thousand others. Practitioners, you face about two thousand. Don''t be complacent! Mages might have more competition, but the Practitioner trials are much more difficult than any mage trial. Try not to get killed," Grey smirked and left them.


    Agemo stared at the stadium before heading to the clearing to his right. Most people standing around the area were members of a martial arts sect. People from the same sect stood together and observed the competition. More than half were people of the first stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation. Agemo ignored those people and sat in the stands in the clearing, waiting for all the participants to arrive and for the selection trials to start. After an hour, all two thousand participants had arrived and were seated in the stands.


    A middle-aged man in a crimson robe with a gold fur scarf appeared before them with a bang, sending a cloud of dust around him. He waved his hand and the dust vanished. The participants were silent as the Spirit Master of the first stage spoke.


    "Hello. Welcome to Korgar, the capital of the mighty kingdom of Kasara! I am the uncle of the king and a Spirit Master, first stage. My name is Julio Kogard and I will be your proctor. Any who break the rules, I will eliminate," the man smiled, chilling the crowd as they did not expect a Spirit Master to proctor their trials.


    "There are five trials. This year, we have a total of seven thousand people. Quite a lot of people this year. My sister, a Spirit Knight of the ninth stage, believes that the mages will win. Frankly, her childish thought astounds me. A Practitioner losing to a mage? Ridiculous," Julio spat.


    Agemo ignored the others and Julio as he sat on the top of the stands and observed his soul lake. The red black hole had stopped and had become a red sun. This signified that he was at mid-stage of the second stage of Spirit Shaman. As he had red spirit energy of a demon, the demonic core in the bottom of his lake was actually augmenting and increasing the size of the lake of spirit energy. The five left wings on the demonic core still enclosed around the foot long demonic core, but one of the wings was uncurling.


    Due to his demonic lineage, the single, white wing in the bead had turned red. No one noticed it under his hood, but his hair had turned golden, just like the hair of the Great Ancestor, while his eyes turned into a lightning blue. Julio paused to stare at Agemo''s direction as he felt a sudden surge of spirit energy. His eyes narrowed as he saw a youth in a hooded, dark purple robe with clouds the color of sand.


    He could sense that the boy was at the strength of the middle of the second stage of Spirit Shaman, but already had a Mystic Stone in his body. Did the boy just make a breakthrough? He noticed a dim, glowing bead on a white steel chain around the boy''s neck. The boy looked at Julio and hurriedly hid the bead under his shirt as he noticed it glowing. It amused Julio and the crowd grew nervous at his sudden silence.


    "Well. Time to begin the trial," Julio announced. "The first trial is simple. A quarter of you will be eliminated and unable to proceed to the second trial. Here''s how it''s gonna go. Four people will be randomly picked. They will fight in the clearing and the winner gets to pick which of the three losers is eliminated. I''m sure some of you can figure out the true meaning of my words."


    "Those are some cruel intentions," Agemo observed. "Four will fight and the winner gets to decide who gets cut. People can choose to band together and let one person win. However, there is a chance they will get betrayed. There''s also the chance of being put in a 3 vs. 1 situation. It''s choice of who you can trust and who you want eliminated."


    "Two thousand at the start and two hundred and fifty gone before the second. If I point at you, you will be in the next fight. Let''s get started," Julio shouted.


    "You are up," Julio shouted as Agemo was one of the last one hundred to be picked.


    He did say it was random, but most people who won were people of the Kasara Kingdom. He would make the strong contestants from other countries fight the third stage Spirit Shamans from Kasara. He even had his niece, the youngest daughter of the king, defeat three people who were also third stage Spirit Shamans. Most of the strong contestants of the third and second stage were natives of Kasara now. He made sure that most of the soon-to-be two hundred and fifty losers be those from out of Kasara.


    Agemo stood up and walked over to the clearing. Two of the people he was fighting were members of opposing sects. It was quite obvious by the way they were gripping their spears and glaring at each other. One wore the green and black robes of the Jade Cloud Piercer Sect while the other wore the violet and white robes of the Violet Sundering Spear Sect. Both sects gave their disciples Practitioner weapons that comprised of various spears. It was rare for sects to have their disciples wield the same type of weapon and both sects argued which was the beast spear sect in Kasara. Most of the bloodiest battles, and almost all the deaths, were between disciples of these two sects.


    "I am going to kill you!" the boy from the Jade Cloud Piercer Sect roared.


    "Ha! Most of the people who won were members of my sect, you dog. Only our spear techniques can pierce the heavens!" the other boy shouted.


    "I suppose you two don''t care who wins and as long as you get to kill each other?" Julio asked, as if it had become a normal situation already.


    "No, Spirit Master," they bowed in unison.


    "Huh?" Julio frowned, shocked. "Why is that?"


    "We lost too many disciples here and will settle for death matches in the tournament," the boy in the green robes said.


    "We''re gonna fight the one in the dark purple cloak with the third person over there. He''s also a native of Kasara. We don''t need outsiders here. Besides, we can''t risk causing enmity with the royal family. That guy is the son of His Majesty. He is the son of one of the many concubines, but he is still the His Majesty''s sons.," the other boy agreed.


    "Great," a blonde boy in a brilliant crimson and orange armor laughed.


    Agemo felt enraged and cracked his knuckles as he clenched his fist. Spirit force boomed from his body as he released his spirit energy. Only the male from the Violet Sundering Spear Sect was of the third stage. The other two were around the peak of the second stage.


    "Begin the match!" Julio shouted and a gong was heard behind the clearing.


    Agemo didn''t bother drawing his katana and glared at three cowards who ganged up on him. Each of them drew their spears while the prince brandished a double-handed sword. The boy at the third stage stood back as the prince and the other boy charged forward.


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    Agemo laughed as he dodged the spear and punched the boy in the stomach. As his hand was veiled as the boy lurched forward in pain, he absorbed the boy''s spirit energy and threw the boy off the clearing like a garbage bag. He spat in disgust as the prince tried to slash his back and merely slapped the sword, sending it flying with his tyrannical strength as he didn''t hold back. The prince cried out in pain as his wrists were hurt in the process


    "Scum like you don''t deserve to be royalty," Agemo snarled and slapped the prince in the face. "Eat some liquid food. Solid food is too rich for such a disgrace.


    The prince crashed into the stands. His face was missing some teeth, his left cheek was bruised, and the jaw was  broken. The crowd couldn''t believe the strength he had as he was clearly weaker in cultivation. No one cared so much about the prince as he wasn''t killed and not the son of both the king and queen. The king had many concubines. Naturally, he would have many children.


    If this was the outside world, he would have absorbed all their energy. However, he only took more than half the two boys'' spirit energy so his demonic ability would not be detected. Those two were really lucky to anger Agemo in public. They would recover in a few hours.


    "You''re next. Get over here," Agemo said as he drew Rain Slayer.


    "Hmph. A mere punk in the second stage wants to beat me?" the boy laughed. "Only death can befit such arrogance!"


    The boy waved his hand and balls of fire short out at Agemo. Agemo frowned and slashed them all to pieces. He jumped back as small spears of earth appeared from the ground, extending from the other boy like a mountain range. This was the power of those of the third stage. This was why they were called Archons and were superior to mages. Only the gods are supposed to control the elements.


    "See that! I am an Archon life form! You cannot beat me!" the boy laughed. "Suffer!"


    The boy yelled and the image of a black lion with a red mane appeared behind him. Wisps of gold spirit energy emanated from his body as he charged forward, the blade of his spear wrapped in fire. Agemo simply stood still and held his katana steady in front of him. As the spear approached him, he flicked it aside with the side of his blade and smashed the cross-guard of Rain Slayer at the boy''s chest. He screamed in pain as a small trail of blood followed him as he jumped back, but Agemo leapt forward.


    The boy hastily blocked Agemo''s katana with the shaft of his spear, but was sent flying. The boy no longer looked down at Agemo and threw several fire balls at him. Agemo''s blade flashed as he blocked each fire ball, small explosions of fire blocking the crowd from seeing his body. As the explosion cleared, they saw Agemo''s cloak repair itself as he poured spirit energy into it. He was unharmed and stared at the other boy.


    "Is that the best you can do?" Agemo asked as he slowly walked to him.


    "Take this!" the boy roared as he slammed his spear into the ground, sending another small line of earth spears toward Agemo.


    Agemo took advantage of his tyrannical strength and kicked the earth spear, causing an explosion of dirt and earth to fly at the other boy. The boy paled at the strength of Agemo as he wasn;t even that strong despite being at the third stage. Most of the participants decided to take note of Agemo. He hadn''t used any spirit techniques and had tyrannical strength. They guessed that his background was more mysterious than it seemed.


    "How? How can you be so strong?" the boy howled as he stomped the ground in anger.


    "I have faced many life-or-death situations and a lot of serious training before coming here," Agemo said as he calmly walked to the boy. "I didn''t live a sheltered life while cultivating. That is why you have lost."


    "NO! I won''t lose!" the boy cried as he used the earth to propel him forward and stabbed at Agemo like a flying arrow.


    Everyone watching cried in alarm as Agemo place on foot forward and braced for the impact. They thought he would be impaled and some looked away. a Loud clang was heard and people stared at Agemo in shock. The spear didn''t even pierce his body and was sent back flying as if it were an iron spear bouncing off a steel made of diamond.


    "You were not worthy to face Rain Slayer," Agemo sighed as he sheathed his sword and walked toward the boy. The boy was crying as he couldn''t accept his defeat. Agemo looked down at the boy in disgust and slapped him with the back of his hand, bruising the face as the boy was knocked unconscious.


    "Victory! We have victory!" Julio cried, mentally taking a note to observe the boy. "Who will you pick as the loser?"


    "The disgrace of the royal family," Agemo answered as he nodded his head in the prince''s direction. "He tried to do a thief''s job and attacked my back."


    "Very well. The three who passed will advance to the second trial. congratulations. White mages will heal your bodies shortly. Please wait at the stands until the rest of the participants have taken the trial," Julio nodded and the clearing was cleaned for the next bloodbath.


    Meng Ce was watching the whole thing in the stadium with the other guardians. He laughed and approved on Agemo''s actions. Those brats needed to learn about the outside world. He used the transmission bead in his pocket to tell the emperor of Agemo''s progress. The emperor was shocked to hear that Agemo''s black and cerulean hair and golden eyes had changed color, but also knew that it was because of the purity of Agemo''s demonic genes. This meant that Agemo was slowly approaching the third stage. However, the transformation should have happened a long time ago as the outline of a tiger had already formed before the caravan arrived.


    "What does this mean, Your Majesty?" Meng Ce asked.


    "HAHAHA! Dual spirits. He has two spirits. It''s not all that uncommon as others also have two spirits, but it is exceedingly rare. Perhaps the White Ocean Tiger you saw was the spirit given to him by some magical artifact that awakened his Spirit Pulse. Perhaps he will have two kinds of energy flowing in his veins upon the third stage. Has there ever been an incident where you two were separated?" the emperor asked through the bead, their conversation taking place through their minds.


    "It was when we joined the Sky Angel Academy in pursuing the Hyperion," Meng Ce answered. "They were looking for something, but there was nothing there by the time I got there."


    "Agemo must have found something. Keep an eye on Agemo. If the Hyperion realize they are missing something, they might track him. After all, they used some method to find the place in the first place. It might have been the items they tracked and not the place," the emperor warned. "I will send men to keep watch under the shadows."


    "Understood. I''ll let you know how he proceeds, Your Majesty," Meng Ce said.

 Book 1: Chapter 13- The Maze Realm

    (Author: Hello! Miss me? I was writing for the triple chapter release! Enjoy chapter 13 to 15. As I''m sure you noticed, this story''s chapters are significantly longer than my other stories. Thus, it takes longer to write. The selection trials continue. The competition only gets fiercer as another few hundred are expected to fail. Enjoy the chapter.)


    -----------Chapter 13: The Maze Realm--------------


    "Congratulations to all who passed. It only gets harder from here," Julio warned. "The second trial is simple. Beneath the clearing is the entrance to an underground maze. It contains various magical beasts that will try to kill you as well as a few traps. All you have to do is get to the center of the maze and enter the teleportation array to comeback here. Naturally, the entrance to the maze will close once you enter. The maze changes with every one hundred people tested and everyone will face different dangers and traps. The competition who are not participating in the maze will be watching. Be careful how much of your potential you show and any weakness you might possess."


    "Ah, and I must remind you. After the first thirty minutes, a rank 6 magical beast that recently broke through to the fourth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation will enter the maze, from a different entrance, on the other side of the maze. Ranks only display the innate potential in cultivation and not the actual strength. Of course, the higher the rank, the more likely it has divine abilities. If you are stuck in the beginning of the maze after thirty minutes start, you will be the first to be eaten by the magical beast," Julio laughed. "Oh, by the way, the maze can''t be done in thirty minutes. Unless your spiritual sense and abilities are above par, you''ll still be in the maze when the magical beast comes. Good luck."


    "What is this?" one cried.


    "Most of us are rank 1 Spirit Shamans!" another complained.


    "You''re asking us to suicide!" another roared.


    "The trials this year are ten times harder than last year!" another moaned.


    "Quit your bitching and come up. There are fourteen different colors of talismans. Each talisman number up to one hundred. Each one will measure your strength and the maze intended to be your trial. When your color is chosen, you will enter the maze. When the talisman glows dimly, that means the magical beast has entered the maze. If the talisman shines, that means it is on your path. The maze shifts every five minutes. If you survive for five minutes, you might get lucky and not end up in its path," Julio said.


    "The maze ends after fifty people die, fifty people pass, or a mix of both. You see, there are fourteen hundred slips, but seventeen hundred and fifty of you. Three hundred and fifty won''t even get a talisman. If you are not randomly assigned a talisman, you already failed. Each color is randomly assigned. You see, that''s why I said ''Good luck''. Sometimes, luck affects your chances of survival. In the end, seven hundred people will pass," Julio roared with laughter.


    He stared at the angry and terrified spectators and asked, "Will you be one of those who fails before it even begins? WIll you be the one to die in the maze or will you hope fifty to die if you can''t make it to the center? Luck''s what life is all about. Luck, determination, skill, experience, wisdom, resources, connections, and power. That is how one survives in the real world as a Practitioner. Last thing, the darker the color, the more dangerous the maze. Good luck. You''re gonna need it."


    Agemo sighed with relief as he had been chosen to get a talisman. The color of his talisman was a steel grey. Agemo and the others watched as each maze was different than the first. Each maze had a theme based on the color. If Agemo was chosen to participate in the first maze with the crimson and orange talisman, he would have joined ninety nine others in a maze full of burning corridors, flame magical beasts and geysers of lava. Julio had called that maze: The Lava Maze.


    "The last maze has been decided. The one hundred who own the steel grey talisman will now proceed to the clearing. Those who haven''t got a talisman have now failed. The maze you will be participating in is called The Steel Maze," Julio said. "Within are various traps of steel arrows and pikes. There are also various magical beasts with skin, fur, or scales as strong as steel. My personal disaster, compliments to my dear sister, is the ever-dangerous presence of golems. Steel swords shatter upon them, so I do hope you all have Practitioner weapons if you come across them. If you defeat one, you may take possession of them as well as the magical beasts; just like all the other mazes. Good luck and try to stay alive and reach the center. So far, the mazes have only ended with a mix of fifty people dying and a rare few entering the center of the maze. So far, six hundred and fifty have passed. Only fifty spots remain. You may now proceed to take the second trial!"


    "Golems? This wasn''t part of the trials last year," one cried.


    "Let''s go! We only have thirty minutes before that magical beast enters the maze!" another boy in a similar colored robe said.


    The one hundred rushed toward the maze as a large, star formation barrier appeared in the center of the clearing. Each of the one hundred vanished into the maze upon setting foot on the formation. Agemo drew Rain Slayer as he felt a rush of spirit energy rush over his body as he vanished. The one hundred stared around as they appeared in front of a large, steel gate. High above them, the ceiling was illuminated with glowing crystals, like stars in the night sky from the countryside.


    Agemo stared to his right and saw that twenty of the people were actually part of the same sect. However, they were all of the first stage. The twenty of them started laughing as they felt reassured with their numbers and rushed in. A group of thirty two also rushed past the steel gates. They were all citizens of the Kasara Kingdom and all but one were of the first stage while the leader was of the second stage. Slowly, all the ninety participants entered the maze. Only Agemo and three others stayed close to the steel gate after rushing in.


    "Hey there," A freckled boy grinned as he waved at Agemo and the two others. "You''re not rushing in like the others?"


    "There''s no point. The maze shifts every five minutes. My concern is the safety of Princess Juliet," a youth weaing shiny silver and crimson armor stated as he stood beside a girl.


    "I don''t need your protection. I''m of the third stage. You''re the one who needs protection, Marcus," the girl laughed. "What about you?"


    "Me? I watched the last mazes. The first five minutes always has the most deaths and dangers. The name''s Eric," the freckled boy grinned and stared at Agemo. "What about you?"


    "I just did not want to travel among the others. I came to the tournament to test my training. They would only hinder my growth," Agemo said as the maze began to shake.


    The walls began to part, showing new paths, as  the gate disappeared behind a new wall of steel. The other three began racing to the new path on the right while Agemo headed to the left. As he ran, his foot sank as he stepped on a lever. The walls shifted and small barrels appearing, spewing a hail of arrows. Agemo just kept running forward, chuckling as the arrows rebounded of his body with clanging sounds.


    He ran left. Then right. Then left again. A magical beast bat appeared out of a corner, but Agemo caught it and smashed its head against the wall. Agemo kept running into dead ends as the maze shifted four times. The floor beneath him shook as the maze shifted for a fifth time. Then, the talisman in his pocket began to glow dimly. The magical beast had arrived.


    "Well. that''s new. It flies," Agemo snarled as he looked above.


    What he saw a purple scaled dragon with two heads and golden horns. The dragon headed to the right and the floor shook as it landed above a steel wall. Agemo could hear screams as he heard flames bellowing from the dragon. He grit his teeth and ran forward. The walls were about to finish shifting and there was a small gap which was slowly closing. There was a rectangular gap between the floor and the top of the wall. Agemo ran and lunged forward. His leg banged on the wall as he didn''t lunge all the way through flopped on the other side while his leg numbed from the impact.


    "Ugh. Not doing that again," Agemo cursed and stood up.


    "HAHAHAHA! Look who it is. All alone. The sooner we kill the others, the sooner we get out of here!"


    "Beat him up!"


    "Surround him!"


    Agemo narrowed his eyes as the group of twenty he saw before had surrounded him and pointed their steel swords at him. Agemo pulled back his hood and brandished Rain Slayer. He pushed them back with his spirit force as he let his spirit energy flow throughout his body. Wisps of baleful aura wrapped itself around Rain Slayer, instilling fear into the people closest to him.


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    "You came at the right time. I didn''t get to kill any magical beasts. Well, there was a bat but I smashed his head into a wall. I forgot to take his demonic core, but your storage bags will be enough compensation," Agemo said.


    They cried in alarm as Agemo turned into a black shadow and sped out of their encirclement. Now all twenty of him were one side while they had their backs to a dead end. He had used his dark spirit technique, Phantasmal Sky, and people at the first stage could not hope to react in time.


    "Be glad that I have to spare your life. I would kill you, but I might not be able to proceed to the center of the maze. Be grateful for that. I don''t kill because I like to. Circumstances draw my hands," Agemo said.


    The twenty members of the sect cried out in pain as Agemo swung at them with the side of his blade. His tyrannical strength made them crash into the steel wall. Some had large bruises while others had their bones fragmented. He stomped on their heads to knock them out as they rolled in pain. He took almost everything in their storage bags and laid them against the wall in the maze. He left all demonic cores, or regular armor and weapons, in the storage bag as he did not need them.


    "Hmm?" Agemo frowned as he sorted through the scrolls he took after he walked about a mile away and rested while the maze began to shift. "A scroll on how to make a golem? Meh. That''s a mage thing. An encyclopedia on alchemical plants and materials with ten volumes in total. I don''t need it, but I will be able to identify materials and use them to trade like demonic cores. Diamond Body Technique: enables the Practitioner to obtain a body as hard as diamonds....I have the Eclipse Indestructible Body Technique. I could sell this one in an auction for spirit pills."


    Agemo smiled as he saw the thirty two people from Kasara that he saw before. If he beat them up and took their storage bags, he would have more items and not worry about the maze ending early. Why? If he beat them and added the count to the twenty he beat, they would number fifty two. So long as two or more didn''t die, he could take his time sorting his loot while heading to the center. The two-headed dragon would be distracted by the other participants. Especially, the princess as she was at the third stage while that freckled boy and her guard were at the peak of the second stage.


    "So far so good. We finally reunited our members."


    "I know. I was so worried the dragon would kill me."


    "Right? But our numbers scared the dragon. We''re safe."


    "AGH! Help me!"


    "Agh!"


    "What is tha-!"


    The rest of the Kasara group stared as they saw one of their own flying and smash into the steel wall. They looked at the direction the body flew from and saw a black trail of shadows travel left and right, sending people flying and unconscious before they even hit the walls. They all thought it was a demon and desperately tried to run away. They only incited the shadow to move even faster and it appeared in front of them in a flash, sending a wave of bodies back as it smashed into the front group.


    "Stay together! We must stick together!" the leader, a boy of the second stage, cried. "Don''t run!"


    "My sword! It broke! That''s impossible! That is-!" a girl cried but was silenced as she was also sent flying.


    Agemo punched left and right, slightly rotating his fist to increase the power. He didn''t care if they were a girl or boy, but didn''t strike a girl in the face. He knew spectators were watching and he would feel bad later on if he saw a bruise on a girl''s face caused by his actions. He smirked as the leader tried to rally the others.


    First he had targeted the weakest and punched them at enough strength not to kill them. Seeing their friends smashed into the steel walls so easily would instill fear and create a panic. Then he would easily find isolated people to knock out. The leader had tried to rally, but he targeted anyone who so much as looked back at the leader. This would cause them to ignore the leader and run for their lives. Thus, he defeated any chance of being challenged with overwhelming numbers.


    "What are you? What are you?" the leader cried as he tried swinging his Practitioner sword, but kept hitting empty air.


    In the end, Agemo just scared the leader. The leader would curse and chase him, helplessly, as Agemo took the bodies and piled them on those beat up before. When the last person was taken, he ran around the leader, creating a small tornado of shadows. He chuckled, chilling the boy, as he lightly pushed the boy into the direction where he would find the others.


    "They''re, they''re alive!" the leader cried and turned back to the shadow to say something.


    "Make sure they don''t get killed by the dragon," Agemo said as he stopped his technique, materializing before the leader before knocking him out.


    "Not a bad haul today. Not bad at all," Agemo nodded as he looted their storage bags and left them in the maze. "I''ll just take their Loser''s fee and leave them with the items I don''t need."


    Just like the twenty others, he only took magical artifacts, scrolls, books, and spirit pills. Whatever else, they got to keep. Money? He could practically buy a decent sized kingdom already. Demonic cores? Meng Ce warned him that it would impede his progress the third stage onwards. Weapons and armor? He had his dark purple cloak with sand colored clouds and Rain Slayer. Why bother with stuff you didn''t need? Unless he could sell it for a high price in an auction, he didn''t bother.


    "And here we are," Agemo smiled as he entered the center of the maze after he walked through a barrier.


    "We did it! We made it. Oh gods, I thought were going to be eaten for a second there," Eric gasped as he walked through the barrier and collapsed on his knees.


    "Are you alright, princess?" Marcus gasped as he and Juliet burst through.


    "Yes. That was tough. Who knew uncle would bring a variant species of a dragon?" Juliet gasped and saw Agemo practically unaffected by the maze. "Huh? We''re not the first?"


    "What the fuck? It''s you! You made it!" Eric grinned and his eyes widened as he inspected him. "Huh? You don''t look harmed in the slightest."


    "The dragon didn''t go in my direction," Agemo shrugged.


    "You must have been on the same path as the two large groups. Did you see them?" Juliet asked.


    "Yeah. You can say that," Agemo nodded.


    "Did you kill them?" Marcus asked as he drew his sword and stood in front of Juliet.


    "Hey there! Easy. If I wanted to kill them, I would have. They''re just unconscious and should be waking up bruised and battered soon. But there is one thing I''m gonna do. I don''t kill because I want to. However, you pointed your sword at me. That makes me uneasy. When I''m uneasy, I get anxious. And when I get anxious," Agemo said and turned into a trail of shadows.


    He appeared faster than Marcus could move and did a high kick on Marcus''s left side of his face. Marcus went flying to his right, but Agemo appeared next to him in a flash and did an axe kick to smash him into the ground. He kicked Marcus''s weapon away as he flipped Marcus onto his back with a kick. Marcus groaned and coughed as Agemo stomped his foot on his chest and slowly grinded it.


    "I do that," Agemo said as his body materialized into view. "I don''t particularly enjoy violence, but I have the strength to even kill a man with my fist. I don''t like being threatened and I don''t want to die again."


    "Again?" Juliet asked as Agemo grit his teeth.


    "Ah, it''s nothing really. Slip of the tongue," Agemo shrugged. "Either way, no hard feelings? You pointed your sword at me and I retaliated. You made the first move. I made sure there would be no further ones."


    "Thanks and sorry about that," Marcus said as Agemo helped him to his feet.


    Agemo grunted as his head began to ache. He saw images of his former self: a Japanese scientist working in a lab. He could see a large tank with a strange green and blue liquid of some sort. The scientist was lightly caressing the tank as he looked upon what lay within. Agemo unconsciously screamed as he returned to reality.


    "Whoa! You alright?" Eric asked as he ran over to him as he saw Agemo sweat and lean against the wall, panting.


    "Just had a flashback. My memories just come back to me randomly," Agemo said. "Sorry for scaring you all. We better head through the teleportation array to pass before someone gets killed."


    "Sorry about earlier. Good day," Marcus said as he led Juliet into the array.


    Eric nodded and waved at Agemo before walking into the array. Agemo waited until his breath returned to normal. Just what was he seeing? What was in the tank? Was it that alien life form that old scientist mention before in the dream? Why the hell was he caressing the tank? Did it mean something to him? Why did he scream? Agemo scratched his had in annoyance and shook his head before entering the teleportation array.

 Book 1: Chapter 14- Korgar Auction House

    (Author: Hello! Surprise double chapter release. This story is getting fun to write. Agemo has successfully passed the second trial. However, he only has more questions about his past. If only he didn''t lose memories as he scoured the galaxy to find a fresh body to house his soul. His memories are returning, but is it a good or bad thing? Both the Keeper of the Dead and the scientist who taught him both said he had done an unspeakable evil. Agemo and the participants are given a day''s reprieve to recover from the first two trials and meet with their guardians. Agemo has many questions. Will Meng Ce be able to help sort them all out? What else did he find among the loot he took from the others? Enjoy.)


    --------------Chapter 14: Korgar Auction House--------------------


    "Congratulations to all who have passed," Julio announced, smiling as the trail ended after a half hour more.


    "Seven hundred of you have successfully cleared the second trial. There are guest rooms in the northern complex behind the stadium where you will stay with your guardians. You have one day''s reprieve to rest and recover the spirit energy you have lost while undergoing the trials," Julio nodded and gestured to the north. "From the third trial onward, you will participate alongside the one thousand mages who have passed out of the five thousand who initially started. How fun."


    "I''ll tell it to you straight. The fourth trial will take place in the royal family''s personal hunting grounds. It will be a contest for obtaining demonic cores," Julio smiled and laughed.


    "The fourth trial? What is the third trial?" one person asked, causing Julio to laugh again.


    "Uncle?" Juliet asked, causing him to chuckle once more.


    "Oh come now, princess. Don''t make me spoil the fun," Julio smirked. "Your day of reprieve is the third trial. You see, the fourth trial is very dangerous. Your third trial will be....HAHAHAHA! It will be....HAHAHAHAHA! Reaching the second stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation. You see, of the seven hundred of you, there are about six hundred, give a few or dozen, who are still at the first stage. I don''t like that. Not at all," Julio said darkly. "I made a bet with my dear sister. I will not allow the thirty two spots that represent the Practitioners be someone who could easily be defeated by a mage. The mages will lose. They have to. She also set a ridiculous trial and ordered all mages the rest of today and all of tomorrow to visit the various mage guilds and pick a profession or specialization. I will not lose! If you are of the second stage already, you really do have a day''s reprieve and the rest of today. If not, don''t expect to participate at the trials at dawn the day after tomorrow! The second stage is the first and easiest bottleneck, or lack thereof, to surpass. I expect results and accept only results. Get out and get to it!"


    As Agemo was about to leave, Julio said, "You there, boy, wait a moment."


    Agemo turned back and asked, "Did you need something, Spirit Master?"


    "Of course I do, Shu of the Lu Clan and imperial family of the Yan Empire," Julio smiled mischievously as Agemo reached for his sword thought otherwise. "Yes, I know who you are. I visited your father''s halls once and have seen Meng Ce before. Most of all, I recognize that ring. I have been alive for over three hundred years and I remember your twice great grandfather used to wear that same ring. He saved my life once. Worry not, for I will not reveal your identity here. Our nations have close ties after all and we both have more Spirit Knights and Masters under our command than any other nation, even the top ten nations of the entire world."


    "May I ask what you want of me?" Agemo asked.


    "Your ancestor once helped me, so I can return the favor. Do not just cultivate, blindly to the third stage. Meng Ce should also know this. There are is than one type of Archon body. The boy you beat in the first trial is of the norm among third stage Practitioners. Just a hint. Meng Ce should tell you more," Julio answered. "You should also know that what you have in the depths of your soul lake is a spirit reactor. How you formed it is unknown to me. Do not cultivate and make a breakthrough in front of others. It allows them to temporarily see a glimpse of your soul lake as I did when you transformed before the first trial."


    "That demonic core and wings are a spirit reactor?" Agemo asked.


    "Yes. Many ancient clans have their lineage create a spirit reactor. It always requires a rare demonic core about a foot long. It does not come from a magical beast or a demon. Its origins, I don''t know. Only someone from the ancient Practitioner families would know," Julio nodded. "You have dual spirits, which means you must have used a death ritual to obtain it or suffered a state of death or close to it. You''re not bad kid. You have a small chance, but a chance still, to oppose one of the ancient clans. They are far more talented than any human on the planet. Some are even born as Archons, Spirit Shamans of the third stage. Never cross one. Never cross one. I cannot stress that enough."


    "As for the spirit reactor, it is what is causing your soul lake to expand and brim with power. Remember to form a true Archon body in the future. Maybe, just maybe, you have the chance to reach the tenth stage of Spirit Shaman and go down the Archon Fiend path instead of the Spirit Sage path. It is the only way to save your life if the ancient clans find out you have a spirit reactor. They dislike anyone who has the same potential as their own. They like being on top," Julio chuckled. "I''ve said what I needed to say. Whether you choose to heed my words or not, is up to you. Enjoy the reprieve and remember: never trust a mage. They aren''t like us. Magic is....flexible and has a scope beyond reasoning."


    "Thank you for your advice," Agemo bowed his head and left to find Meng Ce.


    "Agemo, you''ve arrived. Nice work in the maze," Meng Ce laughed after Agemo found him as a half hour passed. "I''ve already secured the room. No one will be able to hear or sense anything inside the room. Let''s just say, I have many interesting magical items thanks to our voyage in the vault."


    "What is a true Archon body?" Agemo asked.


    "Hmm? You know about that already?" Meng Ce frowned. "I didn''t expect to tell you until you were ready. You see, once you reach the bottleneck, your body is restructured and changed into an immortal body. A true Archon body has about seventeen different variations. All seventeen methods are available to the public, but thirteen of them require a spirit reactor. Ancient Practitioner clans safeguard their methods of producing a spirit reactor. They are the main reason the Hyperion lose against humanity and are kept in the east. In return, the ancient clans ask that any who form a spirit reactor, within the agreed empires, are to marry within their clans. They are truly the world''s leading power and continue to monopolize it. Our empire is not affiliated with them as we are not near Hyperion territory. The Great Ancestor, as well as the fourteen other Spirit Sage ancestors, don''t need spirit reactors as their demonic blood has purity levels of the most high. Human methods don''t apply to them. Your blood has a high purity level, but not on the scale as the likes of them. Too many generations have passed. It''s a miracle your Spirit Pulse is a demonic red at all."


    "I have a spirit reactor," Agemo said, stunning Meng Ce. "I didn''t know it, but Julio, the Spirit Master, saw my soul lake as I made a breakthrough in my cultivation. He talked about our clan and mentioned meeting you."


    "I didn''t think he would remember so much about the Lu Clan," Meng Ce said. "You''re lucky it was one of our allies who glimpsed your soul lake. In the future, never cultivate so openly. "As you have a spirit reactor, I''ll hand you the thirteen methods. Keep them in your storage bag and review them upon reaching the peak. There is a chance you can walk the Archon Fiend path. Tell me, how far has your second spirit progressed?"


    "It hasn''t formed an outline yet and remains a bright red sun," Agemo answered, not surprised Meng Ce found out he had two spirits.


    "A sun. Then it must be an armor spirit," Meng Ce said. "However, I doubt you can use all the elements. Why? It is because you have a beast spirit. Most likely, it is a non-elemental spirit. You noticed no changes in your soul lake right? The lake represents water if waves form upon it. In your case, it is true. Lightning and the bottom of your soul lake is dark. This also proves the existence of the elements of lightning and darkness. A non-elemental spirit. So it must be."


    "Is that bad?" Agemo asked.


    "No. Actually, it is quite common for the second spirit to be non-elemental because it is made from death energy. Shame it is not the tiger spirit that is the second spirit, but sometimes it is better to learn less to master more," Meng Ce shrugged. "As your guardian, I was told about the third and fourth trial. It is good you are at the middle of the second stage already. You can truly rest and prepare for the fourth trial. As you have a day off, I suggest going to the auction house tomorrow and sell the stuff you don''t need and browse their wares. There are always vendors, outside the main auditorium, who sell their wares and buy lesser items outright. Don''t bother cultivating here."


    "I can understand the auction house, but why can''t I cultivate?" Agemo asked.


    "Heh, brat. Don''t tell me you also don''t realize it? Almost all of the Practitioners are still at the first stage. What do you think that means? They are bound to cultivate here. This place is not thick with spirit energy. They will suck it all up and expand to more areas to cultivate spirit energy while the area recovers. I expect many will fail unless they eat a demonic core or spirit pill," Meng Ce sighed. "Sort your loot and head to the auction house tomorrow. Don''t worry. The only place that allows fighting is on sanctioned ground, such as the stadium and the clearing. No one will harm you here, even if you killed their whole clan outside the city and carried their skulls in a cart carried by a donkey. Trust me, I''ve seen it before. The survivor was livid, but he didn''t dare suffer the opportunity and risk the punishment of a whole city guard comprised of Spirit Knights. I have errands to run. Good luck Agemo."


    "So you''re a spirit reactor huh?" Agemo observed as he stared at the giant demonic core in his soul lake. "It appears that the wings were somehow the catalyst. According to what I heard, there are usually methods to make a spirit reactor but they require this giant demonic core. The wings must have had a similar effect as those methods. I thought I was already powerful, for my age, but it seems there are others more gifted. This world is truly dangerous. I wonder how powerful those members of the ancient clans are?"


    Agemo sighed and began to sort out his loot from his storage bag. After he finished sorting out what he would sell, he drank some lion wine to recover the spirit energy he lost as he cultivated to allow the spirit energy from the lion wine to flow throughout his body. He sighed with relief as he brooded over what happened today. The tournament was not bad. He was able to fight other people and see how they would fight.


    Then he glanced over the titles of the thirteen books he received from Meng Ce. Each of them contained one of the various methods to attain a true Archon body. To his annoyance, the first page always had a warning that said that only the ancient clans could master the methods. It was as if only they were allowed to cultivate down the fabled Archon Fiend path. Each book gave a similar description of the Spirit Fiend Path.


    Normally, there are only nine stages of Spirit Shaman cultivation, with Spirit Knight, Master, and Sage, also requiring nine stages. The spirit reactor allows the creation of a true Archon body. With it, you can attain the tenth stage of Spirit Shaman. From then on, there are four more tiers, instead of three. However, those tiers don''t have nine stages. They just have the regular three states: beginning, middle, and peak state. However, advancing through each tier is incredibly more difficult than the orthodox Spirit Sage path.


    First Tier: Spirit Shaman. Ten cultivation stages. Requires a spirit reactor to form within one''s Mystic Stone. Requires a true Archon body to reach the tenth stage. Most people who attain a true Archon body: members of the nine ancient clans.


    Second Tier: Archon Phoenix. First tier of the deviant Archon Fiend Path. Able to become one with the spirit.


    Third Tier: Archon Dragon. Form a Death God''s domain within the Mystic Stone. To create a Death God''s domain, one had to absorb death energy from thousands of life forms. After absorbing so many, one would be able to radiate killing intent like a weapon and paralyze others with fear. The Practitioner could also let his spirit force radiate from his body, using it as a gravitational force without expending any spirit energy. You cold literally force others to kneel on the ground and force them to call you a god. The stronger the foe, the less effective it was.


    Fourth Tier: Fiend Adept. Now able to cultivate the spirit energy of the stars.


    Fifth Tier: Fiend Immortal. Final tier of cultivation allowed in the Mortal Realm. Now able to choose between going to the Immortal Realms to continue cultivation, or halt progress and remain in the Mortal Realm.


    "I''ll have to pick one once I reach the peak of the second stage of Spirit Shaman. There is still a long way to go before I think about forming a true Archon body," Agemo sighed and put the books away and laid back to sleep.


    The next day, Agemo left the participant dormitories and headed for the auction house. As he left the area, he could see several Practitioners sweating as they desperately tried to cultivate. Many of them complained and wished they had a demonic core or spirit pill. Agemo walked by and asked the guards for directions. Finally, he arrived in front a large, golden building.


    This building was the very auction house Meng Ce told him about. There are three auditoriums. One auditorium housed vendors who sold various wares. Another auditorium housed vendors who sold magical beasts and alchemical materials with various guards to ensure safety. The biggest auditorium was where the auctions took place. Agemo stopped by and sold the goods he didn''t need directly to the auditorium for a few hundred spirit pills. Not a bad haul already.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Halt. Access to today''s auction requires ten gold coins for admission fee but will not be allowed to place a bid. You may pay one hundred gold coins for a seat and the right to bid for the items or upgrade with one hundred thousand for a VIP box," a guard of the Spirit Knight tier warned as he wore armor made from a magical beast the color of silver.


    "I''ll pay for a  seat," Agemo said and handed the guard the hundred gold coins.


    "Fee has been paid. You are assigned to area 3B, the seats to the right of the stage. Please be advised that all bids are final. Failure to pay with result in service to the auction house. Length dependent on the rest of the amount unpaid and the item in question," the guard warned as he scrutinized Agemo''s appearance. "Mage items are expected to be the most costly. Practitioner weapons of famous individuals will be auctioned as well as a few scrolls."


    "I''m not a mage. Are there any peculiar items for Practitioners being sold that are powerful techniques or rare spirit pills?" Agemo asked.


    "Yes. All kinds of items are being sold today. More so than usual as the tournament is ongoing and today is a day of reprieve. We hope to sell most of our rarest commodities today," the guard nodded. "Go on in and thank you for coming to the  Korgar Auction House."


    "Hello. Hello. Hello to you all. Ladies and gentlemen, lords and ladies; I welcome you all to the Korgar Auction House. Today, we have a special lineup due to the ever increasing popularity of the various tournaments of our great capital. Without further ado, let us begin the bidding," a man in a shiny gold vest and long sleeved silver shirt bowed as several women with nice proportions in silver two-pieces arrived and brought the merchandise.


    Many people cheered upon seeing the merchandise. Few hearts were overjoyed with their purchase. Some lamented the higher-than-expected bids they had to make. Many more hearts were broken as someone else bought what they wanted. Many nobles truly felt a rush and a sense of accomplishment by outbidding others. It just meant that they were richer than their opponents.


    Some people bid for the items because they needed them. Some bid to add to their collections. Some just bid for the sake of bidding. Some people made their living through selling the auction items. Others enjoyed the auction house bidding like a sport.


    "Item number 46 is bought by the lady with the ruby raccoon scarf for three hundred and fifty thousand gold coins. Congratulations," the auctioneer clapped while some people groaned as a magnificent white staff adorned with eight mana stones was taken off the stage.


    "Item number 47 is three giant mana stones of the fire element. The starting bid is one hundred thousand gold coins," the auctioneer started and a final bid was made five minutes later. "Sold for seven hundred and eighty thousand gold coins."


    "Item 51 is the fabled Necklace of the Panther Queen. A lost necklace recently recovered from the corpse of a Hyperion. Its effect is reducing mana consumption by half and increasing mana recovery by double the previous rate. Starting bid is at two hundred and fifty thousand gold coins.......sold for 1.2 million gold coins," the auctioneer cheered.


    "Item number 77: the fabled Sentinel Bow. Once upon a time, the bow was freely used by an archer. Many magical beasts tried to assault a lost kingdom, and he wiped out each wave with his arrows. Unfortunately, very few people have the ability to shoot the arrow more than once a year. Used by an archer with abundant spirit energy, he decimated the magical beasts and saved the kingdom," the auctioneer explained, faking tears of admiration. "Apologies, the true legend more than gives it enough praise. The starting bid is five hundred thousand gold coins."


    "Not a Practitioner weapon," one murmured.


    "Only able to use it once? Not worth it. It''s just an antique," another agreed.


    "Half a million for a one-time use? I''m not paying for that," another scoffed. "So what if it is powerful? The method to shoot it more than once is lost."


    "Five hundred and seven thousand," Agemo said. A bow had its uses and it was a magical itme that was sure to come in handy.


    "No other takers? Sold!" the auctioneer said, nodding in thanks to Agemo as the auction continued.


    "At last, we have arrived at Item 99. The last item before today''s main attraction. As noted, only VIP members are allowed to bid for the last item. If you didn''t know before, you know now. Experience is everything in the auction. Some of you could have bought the items at a cheaper price, but the veterans made you bid higher. If you are a VIP and a newcomer, I''m afraid it will be difficult for you to buy the last item," the auctioneer smiled.


    The auctioneer smiled and continued, "Item 99 is a stone talisman recovered in an ancient ruin to the north. It is covered with various runes. The exact nature of the runes is unknown and the stone talisman is about two inches long. It is made of a rare metal that shines and as clear as crystal. We have verified its ability to detect elemental spirit essence and transform them into elixirs. We believe it to help in spirit cultivation. Do note that you should only drink the elixirs that correspond to the element you can use. With this talisman, you don''t need to be an alchemist to obtain high quality elixirs.The starting bid is one hundred and fifty thousand gold coins."


    Many people, most of them nobles and mages, wondered why such a thing would be the last public item. There were more mages and the starting bid was so low. There were few Practitioners and they knew the value of such a talisman. Many started bidding immediately and the price steadily rose to over five hundred thousand.


    "Six hundred thousand," Agemo said as he raised his hand.


    "Six hundred and ten thousand," someone voiced from a VIP box.


    "Six hundred and fifty thousand," Agemo shrugged.


    "Six hundred and sixty thousand!" the voice roared, clearly agitated someone was challenging him.


    "Six hundred and seventy thousand," Agemo sighed, clearly amused by the tone of his voice, causing snickers to spread in the auditorium.


    "Seven hundred thousand! I dare you to bid more!" the voice roared.


    "This is fun. How high can you go? I bid eight hundred thousand. Just how high will he go?This man''s desperation amuses me. Perhaps his background is not so refined," Agemo grinned.


    "Eight hundred and thirty thousand," the man grumbled.


    "One million gold coins," Agemo chuckled, causing the auditorium to gasp.


    "Why bid so high? There are plenty of other methods to detect spirit energy essence," a man asked.


    "My friend, you just don''t know how it works. This is the thrill of the auction. Sometimes, you bid higher, despite the actual value, for face. Sometimes, face is all that matters. Face or honor makes the man," Agemo answered, drawing some nods from the veterans. "Only a fool buys a VIP Box outright. Of course the bid will accelerate quickly if one VIP member bids and another decides to challenge."


    "You! You!" the man from above roared and drew a long, black bladed spear. "You dare mess with a Spirit Knight?"


    "I come from a clan of Spirit Masters. What do I care of a lone Spirit Knight who is clearly the lord of his clan already? Don''t tell me you think you are the most powerful or possess more resources and connections than the other people in this room do you? Is this your first time at an auction house? Do you not know the rules?" Agemo chuckled. "Host, I believe he has drawn his weapon and violated the rules. Please tell the fool what the consequences are."


    "Of course. The price of threatening a guest is mandatory ten years of servitude and revoking the bidding price to the intended victim''s first price. In this case, the bid is decreased to six hundred thousand gold coins," the auctioneer smiled. "Impressive for a boy below the age of thirteen."


    "Would you believe me if I told you I died as an adult and given a second chance at life?" Agemo laughed, the other bidders also laughing with him as the guards dragged the man in the VIP Box away.


    "Are there no further bids? No? Sold! Item 99 goes to the young boy Practitioner. Congratulations. Honored bidders, this concludes the public bidding of our auctions. Item 100 is solely for bidders who have paid to be a VIP for today''s auction. If you are not a bidder in a VIP Box, please proceed to the exit and thank you for visiting the Korgar Auction House today," the host smiled and bowed deeply as Agemo and the others left.


    "Huh. I actually said face. Perhaps some memories don''t require a flashback to return. Interesting," Agemo pondered aloud as a servant led him to a private area and handed him the stone talisman and the Sentinel Bow.


    "Now that the main auction is done, I should go buy some magical beast meat. Nothing tastes better. I should also stock some for when I decide to hatch the dragon egg. I should also head to the other auditorium and browse their wares as well. I should buy a flying sword. It''ll be more convenient to travel that way. I might even find other rare treasures," Agemo nodded and left the main auditorium area.


    He browsed the smaller building in the west wing and bought several tons of magical beast meat. Some people asked him why he bought so much. He merely told them that he loved meat. Which was true. Nothing is better than meat. Agemo then headed to the east wing. He could see several Practitioners from the tournament scramble to find a vendor who sold spirit pills at the lowest prices.


    "Hello there. You looking to buy?" a vendor smiled.


    "Do you know who might be selling a flying sword?" Agemo asked.


    "Ah, you a Practitioner boy? Hm, pity. Well, so far as I know, Old Martin might still be selling some flying swords and the like," the vendor smiled.


    "Thanks," Agemo said and tossed a gold coin.


    "Oh? Not a silver coin? Even better. Thanks," the vendor smiled and pointed Agemo in Martin''s direction.


    100 coppers=1 silver. 100 silver= 1 gold. People tried to increase the currency many centuries ago, but man just loved gold too much. Auctions only accepted gold coins as well as they were the most coveted currency among the nobility who were their biggest clients. Money talks in the real world. If not money, than power. Rich clans? Imperial families? Nothing mattered in front of experts. Some couldn''t be bribed and money would be wasted to buy protection.


    "Old Martin?" Agemo asked a rather stout old man.


    "Hm? You know me, boy? Did Craig direct you to me? Must have liked ya. I''m telling ya straight, I only sell flying magical items. The norms be flying swords. Some buy flying daggers and whatnot. So, what ya interested in boy?" Martin asked.


    "I''m looking for a flying sword. One that''s durable and won''t break easily. Actually, make that two. One for me and one for my master. He''s an adult," Agemo answered.


    "Charitable lad. Good. Treat your friends good and your enemies without mercy. Mercy only pisses them off. Ya doing good kid. Wait here," Martin said and returned with two huge swords made out of stone. "This here be made from the stones of a Black-Stoned Armadillo of the seventh rank. Only useful for people below the Spirit Knight stage. They cost a thousand gold each. Cuz they be flying swords mind ye. It ain''t easy to make them and damn well hard to find material suited for them. Not hard to kill them the magical beasts though. If ya know their weaknesses. I know their weaknesses."


    "Thanks," Agemo smiled and stored the flying swords away as he paid the man. "Do you know any vendors who are selling anything out of the ordinary?"


    "One be selling a copper mirror. Says the mirror can detect all life forms within three dozen miles. Proved it too, but it be useless to people with high spirit sensitivity. There is one that is peculiar. Yes, I remember now. Someone be selling a book," Martin said.


    "A book?" Agemo asked.


    "A book," Martin nodded. "I know. Sounds sketchy to me too. It be a scary book though. Real nasty piece of work. Whoever made that book not be in the right state of mind. Definitely of the charts in madness. It''s a magical item though. It not be a technique or written work. The pages always empty themselves with a new owner. There be an infinite amount of pages too."


    "What does it do?" Agemo asked.


    "I dunno. To be honest, it just felt nasty. It sent all kinds of chills down me spine. Whew. It felt bad. Real bad," Martin said. "He also sells other stuff too. Good? Evil? Man says they''re just two different points of views. Man goes by the name of Seto. He''s not hard to find. Only one with a shady store all black. Man''s rich and actually had a stall built along the walls of the auditorium, like me. At least, it was an auditorium until us rich merchants changed it. Good luck. STay away from that book. It''s bad news, boy. Bad news."


    Agemo nodded, but remained curious about the book. Martin was right, it did not take long to find the store. Many stalls were crowded, but they refused to be built within twenty feet of a large black store with three levels. Old Martin only had a single level. The guy must have paid the Korgar Auction House a lot of money to allow him to make a three-story store. Two golems with large, black swords stood in front of a large black door with a silver handle.


    "Only Practitioners allowed. Once inside, a purchase must be made. Loitering not permissible. Store regulations approved by the Korgar Auction House," one of the golems stated.


    "Spirit Pulse detected. Mystic Stone detected. Practitioner identity verified. You may proceed into the store. Welcome to Seto''s Marvels," the other golem said as its stone eyes glowed silver before returning to stone.


    "Those are nice," Agemo admired as the golems parted to let him in. "I definitely need to buy one of those when I go to a martial sect or academy."

 Book 1: Chapter 15- Setos Marvels

    (Author: Hello! Surprise triple chapter release of 13-15! Like the lengths? Again, normal path is Spirit Shaman-> Spirit Knight-> Spirit Master-> Spirit Sage. Usually only the ancient clans are able to veer off the normal path. Some might wonder about breakthroughs. Bottlenecks are to the next tier (Spirit Shaman-> Spirit Knight). Breakthroughs are advances in mastery over one''s own spirit energy. Agemo is still in the mid-stage despite already being in the mid-stage because he made a breakthrough. Agemo heads into the shop of the man known as Seto. What will he find there? Enjoy.)


    --------------Chapter 15: Seto''s Marvels--------------------


    The inside of the shop was a large contrast to its exterior. From the outside, the store was a three-story building made of black wood and gave off an eerie feeling as mist emanated from the building. Vendors even willingly crowded their stalls to stay twenty feet away from the store. It was like a cursed, haunted house everyone knew about, but didn''t dare venture into.


    The inside had white walls, golden columns and many items organized in a neat manner with certain items covered in a glass box. It was as if you went from hell to heaven. If someone told you the maids and servants in the shop were not succubus or incubus, you would call them a liar. Just looking at them started very dangerous thoughts in your head. Normally, a kid would not be attracted. However, Agemo had died and ventured into a dead boy''s body named Lu Shu. He died a full-fledged, mad scientist at the adult stage of growth. He had lived the night life and was well aware of how attractive the women were. Pity he was in a boy''s body. At least it gave him self-control.


    "Why hello there, little boy. I am Seto of Seto''s Marvels. Welcome to my humble store," a man in a white suit with a golden tie bowed.


    Agemo narrowed his eyes at the man. The suit and tie matched the decorum, but the man wore an opera mask of comedy. The mask was completely gold, save for a white outline over the slit where the eyes and unnerving smile was. This man was dangerous. Agemo never felt the instinct to run, even when he saw the Spirit master, Julio. This man might not be as strong, but he felt more dangerous. This kind of man would not mind lowering himself to kill a Spirit Shaman.


    Agemo only knew Julio was a Spirit Master because Julio told the participants. In truth, it was very difficult to detect someone''s power if there was a vast difference. Some displayed their power, but most were Spirit Shamans. Spirit Knight onward, all hid their power. The man before him seemed like a Spirit Shaman at the first stage, but he was clearly hiding his power.


    "Hello. I am here because Martin mentioned something about a very dangerous book," Agemo nodded his head.


    "Ah, Old Martin. Yes, I know the book he spoke of. Scared the wits out of him when he was about to open the book. Once you make enough magical items, you can already determine if it is dangerous or not. I have three floors in my store. You might not want to go to the third floor," Seto said, his expressions hidden behind the mask.


    "Why? Is the magical items there that dangerous?" Agemo asked.


    "No. Not at all. You see, you''re just a little boy. In the third floor, is the adult only section. All kinds of nice goodies for the perverted men and women are there. Even special, massages, are made available there. You can go if you like. No laws against that. If you can pay, you can buy. Just don''t expect anyone near your age to provide the service. There are no loopholes in the law for that," Seto smiled. "The first floor holds the more common goodies I possess. The second floor is where things get very interesting. The book Martin told you about is in there. I have a customer looking at it though. However, I do have a two pages from the book, complete with the images and the power behind them."


    "I''d like to head to the second floor," Agemo said.


    "Oh, not daring enough to explore the hidden pleasures of the adult world?" Seto asked, tilting his head.


    "The second floor," Agemo said, his voice indifferent.


    "Of course. Merely a jest on my part. This way," Seto gestured as he led Agemo onto a teleportation array.


    Agemo clenched his fist in anger as he saw several...toys...laying about with many men and women browsing rows of maids and servants. There were several uniforms and rooms available. It was pervert paradise.


    "Whoops. Wrong teleportation array. Why don''t we use the stairs. Unless, you desire to make a purchase?" Seto chuckled.


    "You try my patience," Agemo growled.


    "Apologies, this way. I assure you," Seto said as Agemo realized the man loved pranking people.


    "You''re a sick man," Agemo said as he arrived on the second floor.


    "The pleasures of the adult world are a marvel understood by the lonely and desperate," Seto shrugged. "Slavery is not illegal in this world. The powerless can only suffer the strong, little boy. Moving on, this floor has a wide array of unique items. From magic orbs to sleeping powder. A small variety of Practitioner weapons and a decent amount of magical armors and cloaks. All can be found here with other items that are very rare and uncommon, such as the book. Oh, seems someone wants to purchase it. The pages will empty so it will take a long time, but the person does not seem to mind."


    "What does it do?"  Agemo asked.


    "It''s both a good and bad thing, depending on the user. The book seals wraiths inside its pages. Unless you have some divine holy weapon, you can''t kill the wraiths. The pages can seal the wraith and give the owner complete control. Even if you only have two pages, you can make the wraith stronger as it can devour others. Many holy orders buy such magical books and guard them closely in their vaults. Some dark organizations collect wraiths and wage wars with them. It all depends on the owner. Well, I need to address the customer about his purchase. If you are interested in a page, I can give you one. I keep the other page as material to make another book. Therefore, I can only sell a single page out of the two I set aside," Seto nodded and left to the left area of the floor to help three people in completely white, hooded robes.


    Agemo browsed the wares and bought an elixir with illusionary effects. If he needed to drug someone, they would come in handy. He also bought some sleeping pellets which would dispel a faint mist that carried sleep-inducing properties. If he needed to sneak around or escape, they would come in handy. He also bought a page from the black book which contained two powerful wraiths. Buying the page was better as the book''s pages would be emptied upon purchase. At least he didn''t need to search for a wraith to refill the pages. He also bought itching powder in bulk. It was an archaic means of a distraction, but obviously still effective if production was continued.


    "Hm. Nothing to increase your power in battle, save for the wraith page," Seto mused. "Everything else were items that relied on a more stealthier approach or a means to escape. You don''t want power? Good. It is not wise to attain too much power so quickly. Especially with a clan as far from ordinary as the Lu Clan."


    "What?" Agemo gasped as he took a step back and put his left hand on the hilt of Rain Slayer which rested on his right hip.


    "Whoa there. Easy, dear customer. I would not tarnish my reputation and risk losing my business if I attacked you. I just so happen to recognize the ring. The Lu Clan ancestors were quite famous back in the day. How is Lu Feng?" Seto asked and noticed Agemo frowned. "Oh. You must not have met him. He should be quite an ancestor of yours. Last I checked, he went into hiding after wiping out one of the ten ancient clans and reducing their number to nine. No one knows it was him, but me. I was his disciple before he left to return to his clan. An amazing Spirit Sage. I recently became one myself about a dozen years ago."


    "You...you''re a-" Agemo began.


    "Don''t be afraid, boy. I won''t hurt my old master''s descendant. I am probably one of the rare few who know you aren''t completely human if you are a member of the Lu Clan and wear that ring. Might be about eight centuries since the first was made? Sounds about right," Seto nodded. "Time is irrelevant to people of the Spirit Sage tier. Back then, the Lu Clan were hunted as they could not disguise their Spirit Pulse. Lu Feng made the first ring after his son was killed. That''s why he massacred an entire clan."


    "Why is someone as powerful as you here?" Agemo asked.


    "Boredom really. I amuse myself by seeing the struggles of those below me and imagine how strong they will become. Not even Julio knows who I am. He only knows me as a hidden expert of the Spirit Master stage. Spirit Knights are rare. Spirit Masters, even more so. It is quite rare to see so many Spirit Knights in one area. It is because they flock to the strong to survive. Remember that well, boy. Let me see that ring. I''ll change its appearance so that only those of the Lu Clan can see its true form."


    Seto muttered a few words as he poured spirit energy into the crimson ring. The ring became a vermillion ring with the image of a tiger on the front with draconic rings. Agemo looked up at Seto and Seto pointed at the Dragon Monkey Bracelet on his right wrist. Agemo nodded as it was expected of a craftsman of magical items to identify the materials a magical item was made from.


    "Can you make Practitioner weapons?" Agemo asked.


    "No. No one ever has. They just appear from the Immortal Realms," Seto nodded. As a Spirit Sage, I can see the true color of your Spirit Pulse and what lies in your Mystic Stone. The crimson ring, or the vermillion ring, can only deceive those below the Spirit Sage tier or the Fiend Adept tier. Yes, I can see the spirit reactor. You are truly Lu Feng''s descendant. If they know you have one, they will try to force you to marry within their clans or find some method to control you. They have a deep hatred of the Hyperion for reasons not even I know," Seto warned.


    "Can you tell me something about this?" Agemo asked as he took off his bead necklace and showed it to Seto.


    "This.....is a strange bead. I don''t recognize the material, but it is made as some sort of seal. I can''t analyze its power as it has bound itself to you. Judging by the wing within, it is certain that you will develop crimson wings," Seto said. "A physical mutation. It is rare but not uncommon. Most people who fight the Hyperion actually steal their power using unknown methods in an attempt to imitate their pursuit to godhood. I, myself, killed an ancient dragon and absorbed its demonic core. It changed me and I no longer look completely human. You don''t want to know. Demonic cores don''t just impede your cultivation past the third stage. The powerful ones don''t blow you up like before. They change you into a demi-human. Be wary of those types of people you come across. They are sure to be very dangerous."


    "Thank you for your advice," Agemo bowed and wore the bead necklace.


    "Your business should be done here. I have just three pieces of advice. No, four. First, never fight a dragon. They are beings that the gods loved so much as to give them enough to nearly rival their power. Second, never trust someone completely. Especially the ancient clans or people of cults or religions. There are always ulterior motives for their actions. Third, always train. Repeat the same moves over and over to master them and make them evolve to a higher level. It is tedious, but always the most effective form of training," Seto began as they walked toward the entrance of the store. "Fourth, attend an academy, not a martial arts sect. Don''t limit yourself to one school of teaching. Academies don''t require you to owe them any loyalty after you graduate but they make a nice background and asset as they have many more connections than a single sect. Last of all, you are a Practitioner. Do not tie yourself down to mortal affairs like mages. Your goal is the Immortal Realms and having power to shake the heavens. Like your ancestors, closed door training is a must. A must. Farewell boy. As a parting gift and gratitude to my master, please take this book on magical puppets. It is created using a five-star point formation. This was the gift my master, Lu Feng, taught me. If you can, please give him my thanks and to request that he visit me. This letter will authenticate my identity. Thank you, boy. You really made my day."


    Agemo accepted the letter, a black book, and a small wooden box. He bowed to Seto and left the Korgar Auction House. Agemo took a sip of lion wine and stared up at the sky. There was more to this world than he expected. He drank more lion wine and headed to the largest restaurant in town. He sat on the second floor which had a veranda that overlooked the first floor, looking at the stage at the center of the restaurant. Musicians played while women danced.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    He had his hood down, revealing his long ponytail that dangled behind his head. He took a knife and cut it off. He tossed it in the trash as a hostess brought him some tea. He ordered his meal and drank the tea as he laid back against his chair. Nearby, on another table, several people had gathered and were talking about the tournament. An elderly man appeared and sat among them holding a black box lacquered with gold. He put the box on the table, silencing their discussions.


    "Elder Wu, you''ve come," many of them smiled and nodded their heads to him.


    "I acquired the item. It was Item 94," the elder said.


    "94? Not 100?" one of them gasped.


    "No. I heard rumors many people were searching for the secret method to make a spirit reactor. No doubt, there are people following the winner of that bid," Elder Wu answered.


    "It''ll be a slaughter. They''ll probably wait until the new owner leaves the city. The City Guard of Korgar does not care for matters outside Korgar. As soon as they are fifty feet away from the gate, they''ll strike," a man nodded.


    "Indeed. It will be a slaughter," a girl agreed and all the people nodded as they could imagine how deadly the battle would be. A spirit reactor could allow them to have the same capabilities as the ancient clan. Just having one assured their future as the ancient clan would ask for their hand in marriage.


    "I would not dare follow them. I am only of the second stage of Spirit Knight," Elder Wu sighed. "DOn''t even try to follow them Maximus."


    "I''m only at the first stage of Spirit Knight. I would die as well," the man agreed. "Children, you are all recruits for the Golden Wyvern Academy. All four of you are all of the same age of eleven. You have two years until you officially become the age of thirteen. In our school, the age we accept is thirteen and classify them based on their current standing. Only one of you is a mage novice, so it will be a very important time for the rest of you. Attaining an Archon body, reaching the third stage, and forming a complete spirit is very difficult. You must continue to endure. Luckily, you have all reached the second stage and can continue participating in the tournament. Winning does not matter. Upon reaching the top sixty four, you each receive a hundred spirit pills. They will easily help you cultivate. As for a mage novice, you receive a D rank spirit crystal.


    "D rank?" a girl gasped. "Really? That''s amazing! I thought it would be an E rank mana stone but it is actually a D rank mana crystal!"


    "Ranks? Why ranks, Karen?" a boy asked the only mage novice in the group.


    "Mages care more about the world than Practitioners. Mages often join guilds and go on many adventures," Karen answered. Mana stones are used for weapons and staffs, but mana crystals are even rarer. They are used in crafting accessories, armor, and act as reservoirs we can use to store mana and access later. Mana stones are a one-off. They don''t get replenished by any means. Unless it is on a staff, mana stones are wasted if you craft them with anything else."


    "Good girl. As expected of my niece," Maximus roared as he pat her head.


    "Uncle," she murmured but smiled happily. "Is a hundred spirit pills also worth it? Jasper? Bakura? Kairi?"


    Jasper and Bakura both nodded, but Kairi was distracted as she saw Agemo drinking his tea. Agemo looked like he was in pain, as if the world hurt him. SHe didn''t know why she thought that way. She recognized him as being one of the four people who successfully completed the Steel Maze, the last maze that picked the final fifty of the remaining 700 at the end of the second trial. Everyone saw the light brown haired girl with blue eyes stare off and gasped as they recognized Agemo.


    "He''s the one who defeated those fifty two brats from the second trial," Maximus said. "The one using that dark spirit movement technique. He must already know what his spirit is to already use an elemental spirit technique."


    "I agree. I also saw his guardian, a stage 9 Spirit Shaman, named Meng Ce. They both look to be from the Yan Empire."


    "Like me?" Bakura asked. "I don''t recognize him though."


    "Why would you? Aren''t you from the countryside?" Jasper laughed. "Still, he''s strong. Despite his cultivation, he beat a third stage Spirit Shaman."


    "That''s because that shame-of-an- Archon had no skill," Maximus scoffed. "The boy easily foresaw every attack the idiot Archon would make. Those sect members are raised differently than academy students. Every day is full of danger. They are responsible for cultivating on their own, without guidance, unless they are talented enough to be made the personal disciple of someone. That is the price they pay for their superiority over academy raised Practitioners."


    "Enough talk. Tomorrow is the fourth trial. Open the box and each of you take a flag. They are used for formation barriers. As for you, Karen, I''m giving you a rank D mana stone. Use it sparingly as you can''t replenish it," Elder  Wu said. "It''s good that you saw the lad. Tomorrow, you must travel in teams of five. I overheard the guards who are bring materials into the hunting grounds.That boy there should be your fifth member. Best approach him now and ask him. That way you spend less time trying to find a member and more time hunting demonic cores."


    "I''ll do it," Bakura grinned and left their table. "Hi there. My name is Bakura. Nice to meet you."


    "Agemo," the other boy nodded in greeting as he finished his food and drank more tea. "Can I help you?"


    "You know about the fourth trial tomorrow, right? About going into the royal hunting grounds and collecting demonic cores? Well, Elder Wu, the elder over there at my table, overheard the guards. Participants must form a team of five in order to be eligible. We already have four members, one of them a mage. We would like to ask you to be our fifth member," Bakura asked and bowed his head respectfully.


    "It''s a group trial? I see. Very well. Thank you. I will join your group," Agemo said as he went over the boy''s words.


    "Great. Jasper''s the dark brown-haired kid with curls over there. Karen''s our mage, the girl with the blonde hair and green eyes. She''ll be my girlfriend one day," Bakura smirked. "I''m the funny orange-haired kid with spiky hair and the light brown-haired girl is Kairi. Once the fourth trial starts, we''ll meet up and start killing magical beasts. I''d be careful though. I''ve seen some of the participants in the other mazes. Some of them fight dirty and kill for pleasure. You watch our back and we watch yours. Killing them is up to you. We won''t help you chase someone running for their lives though, if it endangers the group."


    "Sounds fair," Agemo nodded and they shook hands.


    "See you tomorrow then," Bakura waved and left to join the others while Agemo paid the bill and left.


    "What did he say?" Jasper asked.


    "He''s down. He''ll join our group. Guy''s name is Agemo," Bakura grinned and made a V-sign at them. "Told ya I can do it."


    "He''s not bad. I thought he''d blow it with his attitude," Maximus whispered to Karen.


    "He was acting. I''m afraid Agemo will leave once Bakura starts acting reckless and shows his true nature," Karen whispered back.


    "Try to recruit the boy for our academy. It is the best academy in the east and superior to Sky Angel Academy," Elder Wu nodded. "No doubt the boy will consider joining an academy or martial arts sect at the age of thirteen. He looks about your age. I''ve no doubt he will go far and become one of the sixty four tournament contestants."


    "Yes, Elder Wu," the four recruits said and enjoyed their meal when the hostesses arrived with their food.


    Agemo had arrived in a segregated training ground a few yards away from the dormitories as night fell. He was curious to test the Sentinel Bow. As for the stone talisman, he kept it in his pocket in case it could detect elemental essence nearby in the future. He admired the Sentinel Bow. It was indeed very strange. It was shaped as a recurve bow but had no strings. The main body was made of vermillion metal of unknown origins. Nearing the ends of the bow, the image of a lion turtle was carved on the top and on the bottom.


    "Let''s see how it works," Agemo thought as he put his hand where he imagined the bow would be.


    A shining vermillion bowstring appeared and Agemo was able to grasp it as he pulled it back with his right hand. The ground shook around him as an unprecedented amount of power seemed to emanate from the arrow. He didn''t know what would happen so he pointed it at the sky. As soon as he released it, space seemed to crack as a huge beam of light burst into the sky. Agemo fell back in shock and crashed into the ground.


    "Oh shit. Oh shit," Agemo cursed as he stared at the bow. "It felt so powerful. Godlike. Space broke around the arrow''s path! What mad man would sell this off for two hundred thousand gold coins? Wait a minute. If people could only fire it once a year, why do I feel like I can draw it again?"


    Agemo imagined where the bow string was and poured spirit energy into it again as he made a stance. As he moved his hand, he let go of the Sentinel Bow in shock as his hand grasped the red bow string. He was right! The archer from legend must not have been human at all! Maybe it was a magical beast in humanoid form or a demi-human due to an accident while absorbing spirit energy from a demonic core?


    Still, the spirit energy consumption was huge. He thought he might have enough spirit energy to shoot about five arrows. He immediately bound the Sentinel Bow to him by dripping some blood onto it. The lion turtles carved on the bows transformed. The image on the top was in the image of the White Ocean Tiger spirit.


    Excited, he looked at the bottom carving and saw that it had also changed. It was the image of a half metal mask that covered his nose down and looked like a fanged mask. The sides of the metal mask were the color of stone while the middle part that covered the nose and mouth were sand. Four canine fangs were present on the corners of the middle part of the mask the color of vermillion.


    "So it is an armor spirit," Agemo laughed as he put the bow away. "It really is an armor spirit. Would have liked a full helm but a fanged mask works. Maybe it''s the influence of the first spirit? Still, at least I know now. The Sentinel Bow was definitely not a waste. I have a long range weapon now. My enemies and prey won''t be able to escape my wrath now. I should only use the Sentinel Bow if I''m trying to cover my escape. Yeah. That''s right."


    Agemo returned to his room and began cultivating the following morning at dawn. Agemo sighed as the red sun was slowly shrinking and taking shape. He knew what it was going to look like, but not the name of the spirit. As he had bound the Sentinel Bow, he could now see vermillion energy within his body. It truly was a divine weapon to be sure. He now had two energy fluctuations in his body: the red demonic spirit energy and the mysterious vermillion energy.


    Having a second type of energy flowing in a person''s body was not a bad thing unless the energies were incompatible. Some of the true Archon methods required two types of energy within one''s body and gave tips on how to acquire them. The original spirit energy would represent earth, the body would represent man, and the second energy would represent heaven. Combining heaven and earth into man was the path to a true Archon.


    However, Agemo decided he would not bind another artifact as powerful as the Sentinel Bow and risk it. Some people had eight types of energies within their body and did not suffer at all. Others only got one more and they died a horrible death of their veins imploding, one by one, until their arteries broke and killed them. He told Meng Ce about everything that happened yesterday. Meng Ce was shocked, pleased, suspicious, and pleased again.


    "You got two great items from the auction house and formed a party," Meng Ce smiled. "While I am suspicious about this Seto character, he did help you. Leave the wraiths aside until you know more about them. This Sentinel Bow is quite the find. I also agree that you should never bind another artifact like it. You''re really lucky it didn''t kill you when you decided to bind it to yourself. The fourth trial starts soon. I''ll be watching from the stadium. Good luck."

 Book 1: Chapter 16- Phoenix Squadron

    (Author: Hello! Happy Saturday! The time has come for the fourth trial! Agemo decides to join the recruits of the Golden Wyvern Academy for the fourth trial. It takes place in the royal hunting grounds. However, they have more to fear than the magical beasts within. Many other groups will be in the hunting grounds and they will target the lesser groups. How will Agemo and his new friends fare? The Selection Trial arc will soon end (next chapter) and the tournament will begin. Well, enjoy.)


    ---------------Chapter 16: Phoenix Squadron----------------


    "Greetings and welcome to the royal hunting grounds. My name is Julio and I will be your proctor. All who anger me will die so be silent!" Julio shouted as the mages and Practitioners gathered. "I don''t care who you are or how powerful you are. This trial requires a party of no less than five and no more than five. If the number dwindles, that is your problem. Collectively, only the top fifty groups that bring the most magical beast cores get to continue. In short, the maximum number of people expected to move to the final trial is two hundred and fifty. I know for a fact that there are well over a thousand of you left. How many, I don''t care. The lowest amount of people expected to pass, if all four other members of a party die, is fifty."


    "Now, mages and Practitioners, the time has come for the fourth trial to begin. Once you confirm a party of five, you will be given a rank 4 magical beast egg of a Blazing Phoenix. One person must choose to own the phoenix. That person must protect the phoenix egg. If the egg does not get stolen or breaks within three days, you pass," Julio beamed. "You don''t expect to be given a phoenix egg and not pay a price? Well, you have five minutes to form a team. The guards will tell you the details. Good luck."


    Many mages silently cursed the man while the Practitioners hastily formed parties. Agemo found Bakura and the others and they had to decide who would own the egg. Agemo immediately told them he didn''t want it. The real reason that he didn''t was because he already had an Emerald Steel Dragon egg. Of course, he didn''t tell them that. In the end, Bakura was chosen. Karen was the only mage so she couldn''t have the egg as they might need her against other mages. Jasper and Kairi were both at the peak of the second stage. In the end, Bakura took the egg as he was the weakest and the party would lose less fighting power if he was chosen.


    "Ah yeah, rank 4 magical beast and it''s a phoenix!" Bakura cheered as he got the egg from a guard.


    "As you carry the egg, you are the official leader of the party. You must now choose a name for your party before beginning the trial," the guard said as an attendant wrote their names on a scroll.


    "What?" Jasper and Karen cried, paling as they dreaded what name Bakura would choose.


    "BWAHAHAHA! No way! Oh, this is awesome. I feel the power," Bakura cried and caressed the phoenix egg. "I declare my party to be the Phoenix Squadron. Yeah. That''s it. The Phoenix Squadron.


    "Very well. The Phoenix Squadron has been verified as the party of Bakura Asano. Leader is Bakura Asano. Mage present in squadron. Mage is Karen Song. Practitioners present in squadron. The three others are Agemo Miura, Jasper Fowl, and Kairi Yamada. Bakura Asano has been given a phoenix egg. The requirement to pass is one demonic core of a rank 4 magical beast or three demonic cores of a rank 3 magical beast. Note that ranks do not determine how powerful it is, but its potential and how dangerous it is. If, at the end of three days, you fail to meet any of those conditions and Bakura Asano does not possess a phoenix egg, you will fail."


    "Be advised that most magical beasts of the first and second rank are weaker than you. However, do not underestimate them if they travel in groups. Most of them are found in the forest, but you''re quarry hides in the mountain region of the hunting grounds," the attendant continued. "Most rank 3 and 4 magical beasts are of the second and third stage. Guard the leader well and I wish you luck, Phoenix Squadron."


    "I get to keep the egg right?" Bakura asked while the others headed into the forest.


    "After the period of three days, it is your choice to break, eat, keep, sell, or hatch the egg," the attendant said. "To hatch it, you must pour spirit energy into it. However, note that a phoenix chick is hard to raise and more difficult to keep safe than an egg."


    "Thanks!" Bakura waved and rushed to follow the others while carefully holding the egg with his other arm.


    "So, what do we do first?" Karen asked.


    "We get as far away from the entrance as we can," Agemo answered. "There are bound to be others who will try to steal eggs and loot our storage bags. I would head to the mountain region first, but I want to see how others fare first and plan appropriately. We need to familiarize ourselves with the area and make traps. We also don''t want to be tracked by others and have them find out if we have the demonic cores or not."


    "Can''t we use our own demonic cores?" Bakura asked as he tenderly held the egg.


    "Who are you and what the hell have you done with Bakura?" Jasper asked, incredulous at the sudden change of Bakura.


    "What? I like phoenixes. My hometown worships one of them as a god. Although, it is the Sacred Omen Phoenix of the Saint level from the legends. Still, I always wanted one," Bakura answered. "I aim to have two of my magical beasts as phoenix and reserve the third spot for the Sacred Omen Phoenix. If I never find one, oh well. Hopefully some of the slave vendors sell those magical collars so I can bind other phoenixes of different types if I catch one."


    "I..." Jasper began but was speechless. "Whatever man. Still, we should be able to use our demonic cores, right?"


    "I don''t think so," Agemo sighed, shaking his head.


    "Is there something there?" Kairi asked as she saw Agemo look above at a tree.


    "A ninja," Agemo thought, but didn''t saw anything.


    "I can sense several large collections of spirit energy that appear faint," Agemo said. "One of them is up there."


    "You can sense me?" a voice asked and a man in black linen clothing wearing a silver phoenix mask appeared.


    "Darkness element. I presume it''s a movement technique that makes you invisible in the shadows," Agemo nodded. "I''m sensitive to spirit energy. May I ask if our question is true?"


    "It is. We are always watching, but watching only. If you die, you die. We just watch and hold the mirror crystals so the audience in the stadium can see different people. It always shows the most interesting scene. No doubt people are watching us speak. The mirror crystal does not need to visibly target your direction," the proctor nodded. "Remember, only demonic cores you kill in the hunting ground count. We are always watching."


    "Yup. A ninja," Agemo thought as he watched as the proctor stepped back into the tree''s shadow and vanished. "I can turn into shadow, but not like that. Oh, I want to learn that. Teleporting from shadow to shadow and tracking your enemy soundlessly. Too awesome. I wield a katana though. So, I''m more like a samurai albeit with a katana with a cross guard about two inches on both sides of the katana."


    "Damn. We need to hunt rank 3 and 4 magical beasts after all," Jasper sighed. "We also got to watch our backs from other competitors and ensure Bakura''s safety."


    "Like a boss," Bakura grinned. "Go my peons! Vanquish the enemy! BWAHAHAHA...Ow!"


    Bakura cursed as Karen smacked his head with her staff and said, "Damn. That hurt, Karen! You mad witch! What if it becomes a bump? Wait! Don''t hit me! Stop, you witch!"


    "Do they like each other or not?" Agemo whispered to Jasper as Karen chased after Bakura while trying to smack his head.


    "They''re not mature enough to know their own feelings yet? You can say it''s a complicated sort of relationship. We''re not teenagers though this is their lovey-dovey behavior. I really hope the girl I like, someday, is not like that," Jasper shrugged. "Oi! Karen! Stop will you? Bakura''s the one holding the phoenix egg."


    "Um, Agemo? How will you fight?" Kairi asked.


    "Ah, right. I''ll be using a bow and arrow," Agemo said as he pulled out a silver bow from his storage bag and put a quiver of arrows on his back. "I normally never use them, but we''re going hunting. It is best to ambush the prey and target their limbs before going close quarters with them. I only have a limited amount of arrows though."


    "Take this," Kairi said and gave him a quiver that was entirely black but had two lines of jade going down the quiver. "It''s a magical item. Once you put a type of arrow in, the quiver automatically replaces it. It''s mainly used by archers in guilds that can''t be Practitioners. I don''t know how to use a bow and arrow so you can keep it."


    "You sure?" Agemo asked. "Thanks. I''ll put it to good use."


    "I was in the archery club in college?" Agemo thought as some memories flashed of him in a linen uniform shooting a target with a compound bow first before going to the recurve bow. "The Sentinel Bow is different as it shoots straight like a bullet."


    "We''re going to the outer edge of the forest and observe how others fare in the mountains first," Jasper said as Karen and Bakura returned. "Bakura, you will stay in the back with Karen. You better not fight at all, Bakura. Karen, your priority is healing magic and barrier magic around you and Bakura. Don''t let anything near him. Kairi and I will take point with her spear and my twin swords. Agemo, I''m pretty sure you''re the strongest of us as you defeated a third stage Spirit Shaman. You will provide support with your arrows and kill anything that slips past Kairi and me. Oh, doing a sneak attack with that arrow on any lone magical beasts would be helpful."


    "Solid plan using their specialties," Agemo approved. "Okay. I can do that. I''ll also use my spirit sensitivity to sense any dangers nearby. I''m pretty sure the proctors are the source of all the faint spirit energy."


    Agemo and the others went deeper into the forest. Jasper took out steel wires and Agemo helped him set the wires. Steel wires were as thin as a hair, but cut like the edge of a sharpened steel sword. If someone or a magical beast, moved fast enough, they would be cut without knowing how. Bakura and Kairi watched as Karen would do a follow up and use plant magic to hide the steel wires on the ground. Agemo suggested bear traps and Jasper smiled evilly and set them all around the forest too.


    "Why go to such extremes?" Kairi asked.


    "Well, we need to protect Bakura. If it does not kill them, it should wound them enough to make them bleed. Animals are sensitive to smells, especially blood. Some herbivores are even able to detect bloodlust. The scent of blood should drive the weaker beasts away while the stronger ones tire themselves out killing whatever''s bleeding. Then, I shoot my arrow for the kill. If they live, you and Jasper finish them off," Agemo answered.


    "The less competition, the less people we have to face in the third trial. I really want to avoid elimination matches as we already fight one-on-one matches during the tournament. I don''t want us to reveal our true strength then," Jasper nodded. "Good thing my father loved to hunt in the mountains. I wouldn''t have so many traps otherwise."


    "I thought you were a noble?" Bakura asked.


    "I''m not the first or second son. I''m free to do as I please and chose to pursue immortality by becoming a Practitioner," Jasper said as he set the last of his traps. "Hopefully we can draw some of the rank 3 magical beasts from the mountains."


    Karen and Bakura hid among the treetops as several Practitioner groups fell victim to Jasper''s traps. Kairi and Karen couldn''t bear to watch as Agemo shot the mages first while Jasper sprung forth to kill the others before they could recover. Kairi paled but proceeded to take the phoenix eggs. Some groups had rank 1 demonic cores, but they really needed rank 3 or 4 demonic cores. Bakura didn''t switch his egg, even if he saw bigger ones. Karen watched, horrified, as Agemo and Jasper cracked some eggs and added them into the pot of soup they made as night fell.


    "Not a bad first day. Even if we didn''t get any of our goal of three rank 3 demonic cores or a rank 4 demonic core, we got a lot of storage bags," Jasper said. "Nice call on the traps."


    "I''m surprised you didn''t throw up like the others," Agemo said as he passed bowls of soup around.


    "Not my first time hunting. Sometimes, my dad brought me along when he went to kill bandits. He knew I wanted to be a Practitioner and wanted me to get used to the blood early so it wouldn''t disturb me if I am alone and need to kill to save my own skin," Jasper answered. "Still, we can''t do this tomorrow. No doubt, others will have heard about all the disappearances. We should head to the mountains tomorrow."


    Agemo left the area and went to the stream nearby. As he had set traps, he memorized the layout of the area. He began cultivating as he sat on a large rock in the middle of the stream. Small ripples formed as Agemo let his spirit energy flow. The vermillion energy was like a snake as it coiled around his spirit energy as it spread throughout his body. He felt a refreshing feeling as the Eclipse Indestructible Body technique was finally mastered after a year. The white energy had went into his body and began part of his skin.


    "The breathing technique is a success. I don''t think I can make it any better," Agemo brooded. "I need to think of a way to defend my soul. For now, I''ll practice my two spirit techniques. I don''t dare to use the Black Cloud Desolation. Thunder spirit techniques are safely used from the third rank on."


    Agemo closed his eyes and retreated his mind into the Mystic Stone. The soul lake had gotten bigger and deeper. The outlines of both the metal, face mask spirit and the White Ocean Tiger spirit had completely formed. Agemo opened his eyes and began to practice his technique. Using the Radiant Howl technique, blades of water slashed the bank of the stream. Sword marks littered the area as Agemo repeated the technique several times. When the night got dark enough that the moon illuminated the sky, Agemo returned to the camp where the others were resting.


    "Done training?" Jasper asked as he cleaned his bear traps.


    "Still up?" Agemo asked as he sat down by the fire.


    "Someone''s got to keep watch. Kairi''s got the last shift until dawn," Jasper answered. "Can I ask you something? Why do you pursue power?"


    "Would you believe me when if I told you I was reborn and became a Practitioner out of the blue?" Agemo sighed and stared at the moon and was lost in his thoughts. "I''ve been on the run from a long time. I lost some memories along the way. I began to wonder even why I started running. Next thing I know, I can stop running and began cultivation."


    "Have you never stopped and enjoyed the world?" Jasper asked.


    "Ha! I never once thought about it," Agemo chuckled. "Perhaps when I am stronger, I''ll be able to relax and enjoy the life of the mundane. The life of an ordinary person. However, there are too many Spirit Knights in the world."


    "True. You can run westward and avoid the Hyperion, but there are still Spirit Knights and elite mages who will do whatever they want and take whatever they want," Jasper said sadly. "You need strength to protect yourself and what''s yours. Money only delays that. There aren''t that many Spirit Knights outside of the Kingdom of Kasara or the Yan Empire, but it is precisely that which makes it  unsafe."


    Agemo drank some lion wine and said, "Yeah. This world''s dangerous. We might be strong amongst ourselves, but we are nothing to Spirit Knights. I''m gonna rest. You should switch with Karen once you''re down cleaning your traps. They worked well. We''ll have to come up with a different tactic tomorrow. How many teams did we kill or scare away?"


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Heh. We got thirty seven phoenix eggs, minus the two we ate in the soup. We also scared a few others. There should be less people tomorrow. We''re lucky none of the villainous people were strong enough to kill us. There''ll be even more powerful ones tomorrow. I saw some wounds on some of the participants prior to falling into our traps. We''re hunting defensively, but there must be a few groups who are even more aggressive than we are," Jasper said as they nodded as the night went on.


    "A new day. A new day," Bakura repeated happily. "Now we can really start the hunt."


    "You guys gonna be okay with killing now, if the need arises?" Agemo asked, looking at Karen and Kairi.


    They nodded and Agemo took the lead with his spirit sense while the others followed him. Kairi was also sensitive to spirit energy, but not on Agemo''s level. She was in the rear to detect any people or beasts that might try to sneak from the flank or from behind. They approached the mountains as they left the forest. Karen and Kairi threw up as they found bodies of people scattered all over the place. Bakura and Jasper also struggled as they forcefully swallowed it down. Agemo felt no disgust or any discomfort as he looked over the area.


    "I guess my demonic nature has even changed my mentality," Agemo thought. "So many bodies but a part of me enjoys seeing so many. However, why are there so many bodies here?"


    "Something wrong?" Jasper asked as he rinsed his throat with water from his gourd.


    "There''s too many bodies here. Some have not even drawn their weapons," Agemo said as he looked through the bodies and the way they laid on the ground. "None of them have any storage bags. This was not done by a magical beast. Look. The ground has too many scorch marks. It doesn''t seem to be through fire. Most of the bodies also seem fried."


    "Fuck, a rogue party with a third stage Spirit Shaman," Bakura cursed. "I recognize marks like these. They''re made by lightning. I was struck by lightning when I was a kid once. Was paralyzed on the bed for weeks. Lucky to still be alive then."


    "You mean people did all this on purpose?" Kairi gasped. "Not even assassinations among nobles is this ghastly."


    "Your family must have been important," Karen said. "I''ve passed through some towns where whole clans were annihilated. I had nightmares for days, but I never saw them get killed. What do we do? We can''t face that kind of power while protecting Bakura."


    "I can fend for myself!" Bakura said as he bumped his chest with his fist.


    "The bodies are fresher toward the mountain. We might have no choice," Agemo said as he walked closer to the mountains to check the other bodies. Hm? This body is different. He didn''t die like the others. He died from multiple wounds."


    "A second stage Spirit Shaman. Probably just became one too. That robe...I''ve seen it before," Jasper said. "It was during the maze trial I did with Kairi."


    "That''s a member of the Blood Vein Sect," Kairi said. "I have photographic memory. I never forget what I see, no matter how much I wish not to. I know eight of them passed the trial. They really hated mages. Those fiends wearing the black and crimson seamed robes."


    "Well one''s dead so there''ll be seven left. Do you remember how strong they are?" Karen asked.


    "I only know that only two of them was not at the first stage when the second trial ended,"Kairi answered.


    "Seven people, minus the one that died, killed over two hundred?" Agemo frowned. "That''s way too unreasonable if they just entered the second stage."


    "It was poison," Jasper said as he took a closer look. "See there? Some of their mouths have foam inside them. They all probably gathered outside the forest and grouped together as they were too scared. A different kind of trap. How heinous."


    "Probably a third of the participants died here. It can''t be all of them," Agemo said. "We know what they look like now. To be sure, we avoid all people we might see. Even if they cry for help, don''t assist them. It might be cruel, but it might also be a trap."


    "Agemo, take point. Kairi will bring the rear. We need to get those demonic cores and get the hell out of here. The faster we pass the trial, the better," Jasper said as he spat on the dead Blood Vein Sect member.


    "What about the bodies? What are those proctors doing?" Kairi asked.


    "Their job," Bakura said coldly. "They said their job is to watch, right? That''s what they did. Watch. We better go."


    Agemo looked at the ground for tracks. He saw footprints in the ground and began to follow the trail, focusing his spirit energy into his eyes. He could see several concentrations of spirit energy ahead. He turned back to face the others.


    "Do any of you have mounts?" Agemo asked.


    "No," they all answered.


    "I see. Kairi, lead the others toward the top of that mountain ledge there. Jasper, try to come up with a plan to make a landslide. I don''t know Karen''s capabilities so I leave it to you," Agemo said as he withdrew his magical beast tiger and went atop it. "I''m gonna lure those bastards in. Make a small cave and hide Bakura in there. I''ll try to take on the leader."


    Right. Be careful," Jasper said Kairi began leading them toward the Cliffside at a run.


    "I need to get rid of those kinds of people here," Agemo snarled and his tiger broke into a charge to the right.


    He led his tiger through the field and to the foot of the mountain. He put the tiger away and nocked an arrow. He let his spirit energy flow into the earth and spread out. He closed his eyes and put his palm on the ground. Then he sensed them. Six signatures, not seven, were close together. One of them had a high concentration, compared to the others.


    "Found you," Agemo growled and ran higher up the mountain before walking in their direction.


    He saw them, six people in black and crimson robes huddled together. He could see the body of a naked girl. He didn''t sense her spirit energy. She was dead for sure. He wanted to use the Sentinel Bow and kill them all, but the people at the stadium were watching. They would obviously covet the bow and he wasn''t strong enough to protect himself. He reinforced the silver bow and string with his spirit energy as he pulled the bow string back. He focused most of his water spirit energy into the arrow.


    Water was an element that ruled the planet. Life needed water to survive and water could also take life away. Water could become as hard as steel or cut like steel. Agemo began incorporating the Radiant Howl technique into the arrow. The arrow began to let out a soft howl as water began to form along the edges of the arrow.


    "Die," Agemo said coldly as he pointed at the closest member to the dead girl and released the arrow as it pointed just a little bit higher.


    The arrow burst forward from the strength of the bow and began to lower as its velocity started to decrease. It made a perfect arch into the center of the back of one of the Blod Vein Sect members. Due to incorporating the technique, the arrow howled as it sailed through the sky and burst a hole through a boy''s chest. He only coughed blood once before falling forward and died before hitting the ground. Agemo quickly nocked and fired another bow as the five turned to look at who did it. This time, he targeted the person holding the phoenix egg.


    "No! Fourth Brother!" they yelled, Agemo only hearing it faintly as the arrow pierced the upper area of a boy''s chest.


    The boy let go of the egg and it crashed onto the ground. Agemo smirked and shot another arrow, but the leader flicked it aside with his sword. It looked similar to the curved sword of the Egyptians and a boy with shining white hair and pale complexion glared at Agemo''s direction with crimson eyes.


    "Get him! Kill him!" the leader yelled.


    "Kairi and Jasper should be able to handle the others with the ambush," Agemo thought as he raced back to the left of the mountain toward the cliff side.


    "Not yet," Jasper warned Karen as Agemo burst into view. "We need to wait for them to get closer. We all saw him turn into a trail of shadows. He won''t get hit by our landslide."


    "Just let me know when," Karen shouted as he spread her mana into the rocks.


    "Closer.....closer......four people are chasing him! Wait, one of them seems to have lighting crackling over his body! It must be him! The leader," Jasper said and saw them all begin ascending them trap Agemo at the base of the cliff.


    Jasper and Karen were not on the top of the cliff with Bakura and Kairi. They could not see the enemy from there so they moved to the top of the slope of the mountain to the right of the bottom of the cliff. Jasper yelled at Karen and Karen made her mana explode within the rocks. The ground trembled and the mountain slope turned into a rockslide. Large pieces of rock and clouds of dust started to accelerate as it raced downward. Agemo nocked another arrow and shot before using his dark spirit technique to weave through the rockslide.


    Jasper and Karen watched as the leader focused lightning on his feet to move out of the way as the landslide crashed into his subordinates. He howled his rage as he saw it happen as if in slow motion. He focused lightning into his hand and threw it at Agemo. Condensing lightning into a ball in one''s fist goes against the laws of physics. Some people would call such an act, a feat of the gods. That''s why people of the third stage formed bodies of an Archon.


    Agemo could move fast, but even he wasn''t as fast as lightning. It smacked him in the chest and he smashed against the cliff side. The leader was mad with rage. He and his boys had succeeded in their plan and had a good time before the girl offed herself last night. The next day, he and his boys were ambushed and now they''re all dead!


    "I''ll kill you!" he roared as Agemo got up. Agemo threw his bow into his storage bag and drew Rain Slayer. The leader used his lightning to wrap around his sword as he slashed at Agemo. Agemo deflected the sword and tried to punch the guy. The leader was smart and let his body pulse lightning. Agemo was shocked and sent back by the sudden counter.


    "You think you can kill me? I''m not like that dumb fuck you beat! I know who you are! Your technique is not enough to escape lightning!" he roared. "You''re not the only one with movement techniques! Now, die at the hands of me, Balmus!"


    Balmus roared as he appeared next to Agemo in a flash and brought down his sword. His eyes widened as the sword made a clanging sound as it hit Agemo. Agemo quickly leaned forward and grabbed the side of the head of Balmus. He grabbed the right arm to prevent Balmus from escaping and had his thumb pierce into Balmus''s left eye!" The boy screamed with pain and a lightning bolt fell from the sky, blasting Agemo away.


    "Argh! My eye! MY EYE!" Balmus screamed as he rolled on the ground.


    Agemo turned into a wisps of darkness and sped toward his katana. He grabbed it and turned toward Balmus who stood facing him, mad with rage. Balmus went berserk and hacked, mindlessly, at Agemo. Ademo remained clam and blocked or deflected each strike, making Balmus frustrated even more. Agemo leapt back as Balmus began consolidating lightning spirit energy into his sword. He was going to use a technique to end it all!"


    "Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill! I''ll kill you!" Balmus screamed as lightning crackled violently.


    Agemo roared as well as he prepared to use his living spirit technique, Radiant Howl. As the technique was a part of him, he could utilize the technique as he saw fit. It didn''t need a sword to perform the technique. All it needed was an edge, like that of a katana or arrow. He could manipulate it, not because he mastered it, but because it was one with him. Nine crescent blades of water sprung forth from his slash as a tenth, larger one followed. Balmus roared and slashed at the water blades in turn, creating a large explosion of lightning bolts. The nine crescent blades neutralized most of the lightning as the giant, tenth blade cut Balmus clean in half.


    "Agh!" Agemo screamed as the lightning bolts hit him and buried him into the mountain.


    "Agemo!" Jasper and Karen screamed and ran to help their friend.


    They were too far away to help and the pace of Balmus was too fast to track. Agemo was deeply buried in the mountain. Karen carefully used her magic to ease the earth away as she hardened the earth around Agemo to form a cave. Slowly, she pushed the soft earth out and Agemo rolled out of the mountain as a cave formed. Agemo was unconscious and Jasper carried him on his back while Karen carried Rain Slayer.


    "Whoa! You guys made it back! All of you!" Bakura grinned excitedly as they returned to the others. "What happened?"


    "Agemo managed to kill a few and the plan worked. The landslide managed to kill the minions but the leader escaped and even managed to throw a ball of lightning at Agemo. Even with his movement technique, he got hit. The fight was fierce. Especially when Agemo poked the guy''s left eye out."


    "Damn hardcore," Bakura cried as he looked at Agemo.


    "What happened to him?" Kairi asked.


    "He got hit by a lot of lightning bolts. They were more concentrated than the others. He was nocked a few feet into the mountain. It took Karen a lot of work to get him out without collapsing the hole he formed as he went in," Jasper admired and pat Karen''s shoulder.


    "He needs a lot of healing. I''m sure those monsters killed some magical beasts of the third rank. Kairi and Jasper, you guys go collect them and come back. I''m sure the proctor can verify if we asked him. It is not interfering with the trial as he has to inspect them anyway for them to count," Karen advised and Jasper and Kairi left after laying Agemo on a blanket.


    "I feel so fucking useless. I didn''t get any action," Bakura sighed as he watched Karen begin healing Agemo. "He''s gonna be okay right?"


    "My earth magic may not be that powerful, but I am confident with healing and barrier magic. I''m a White Mage after all. Well, apprentice anyway," Karen shrugged as she held her staff over Agemo as she healed him.


    "I don''t understand why those siblings would make the tournament so hard this year. I saw my elder sister participate two years ago," Karen sighed. "Such monstrous people weren''t allowed to participate then."


    "What can we do? One is an Arch Mage and the other is a Spirit Master. They are like gods among men in the Mortal Realm. Spirit Sages don''t even care about the world. Who knows if they are still here anyway?" Bakura shrugged. "Once I become a Spirit Knight, I''ll be considered an expert and finally contend with others."


    The two remained silent as they brooded on how powerless they were. Jasper and Kairi returned an hour later. They were in luck. They had three rank 3 demonic cores. One of the people Agemo shot was holding them out of his storage bag. Jasper and Kairi didn''t mention the body as they had it buried before they returned. Agemo woke up at sun down and the the four Practitioners began cultivating while Karen went on watch at the entrance of the cave.


    They stayed in the cave for the last day and returned to the dormitories after turning in the three rank 3 magical beast cores. Several people thanked them for avenging their loved ones. They saw, from the crystal mirrors, that they didn''t take the storage bags and some of the more powerful members of the guardians went into the hunting grounds to retrieve them. All in all, only a hundred and five people passed, twenty one groups.

 Book 1: Chapter 17- Steel Armor Basilisk

    (Author: Hello. The fourth trial has passed and now Agemo moves on to the final trial. One hundred and five people have also passed. However, only thirty two, of both mages and Practitioners, will be allowed to participate. Agemo enters a rare encounter with a Practitioner with the lightning element and realizes why such a powerful element is rare and reserved for the third stage. Think of the third stage as the beginning of a metamorphosis. You begin learning the Archon or true Archon technique. There are numerous Archon techniques, but only seventeen are true Archon techniques with four of them not requiring a spirit reactor. Today''s lesson: power does what power wants. Well, enjoy.)


    --------------Chapter 17: Steel Armor Basilisk-----------------


    "Congratulations. You did well with those people," Meng Ce approved as they returned to their room. "No doubt, many people will seek vengeance against the Blood Vein Sect. However, don''t think such a large ambush, like a landslide, can stop someone at the third stage."


    "Yes, master. I underestimated the amount of control an Archon had over his element. He used the lightning to amplify his spirit techniques. It was probably already a thunder technique, but he converted the spirit energy around him into lightning to reinforce the output," Agemo said. "I got rid of the others as planned."


    "Yes, you did," Meng Ce agreed. "However, you let him utilize his power. An Archon at the third stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation is not able to manipulate his spirit energy so easily. Like the guy with the flames from the first trial, they likely used forbidden methods to amplify their powers. He displayed way too much power. No doubt he absorbed the life force of his victims to forcibly increase his spirit force, the power of his spirit energy. When you absorb his Practitioner weapon, there might be a change. However, there is always only a chance. That Hyperion sword, the Retribution whatever it was, barely had any effect. His might as the owner was more human. Always be picky when absorbing weapons. Never underestimate a person''s desperation in a fight to the death. He just might use a method to increase his power drastically for a price."


    "So there are such methods too. Interesting," Agemo nodded as he thought of how powerful that lightning bolt during Balmus''s suicide attack.


    "Anyway, I see that you have reached the peak of Spirit Shaman second stage. In the entire world, you could be considered among the low tiers of geniuses. Now, you must begin the true Archon body training. The Eclipse Indestructible Body has already become one with your skin and the white energy no longer appears, right?" Meng Ce smiled.


    "That''s....true. it didn''t appear to block that Balmus''s sword but he still couldn''t cut me," Agemo realized.


    "Yes. Although, most people believe regenerative abilities is superior and most geniuses do have some methods to increase their regeneration," Meng Ce laughed. "Anyway, what you learned was a breathing technique. It was only meant to protect your body as you begin cultivating. Now it is time to learn a real body technique. You will soon walk the true path of a Practitioner. There are seventeen true Archon body techniques. Like I said before, thirteen of them require a spirit reactor. The other four that don''t are near impossible to cultivate. Thus, the ancient clans respect and don''t force those disciples to marry into their clans. Take your time choosing among them. Once you reach the third stage, most of the impurities in your body will disappear. The more elements you have, the weaker elemental manipulation and manifestation abilities you have. Those two were purely fire and lightning Practitioners. At least, you can finally be able to fight mages on equal grounds. When you make a breakthrough on the true Archon method, you will also break the bottleneck to the third stage as you have set the foundation to become a true Archon."


    "Yes, master," Agemo said and laid all seventeen books in front of him.


    He pushed the four manuals out and gave them back to Meng Ce. He had a spirit reactor and he would be a fool not to utilize its true benefits besides expanding his spirit energy capacities and spirit force. He opened the first page to look at the brief description and warning. After considering them, he returned all but seven that remained. He thought about the vermillion energy and decided that he should use a method that consisted of more than one energy force inside the body. That left just four left.


    The first was the body technique called [Heaven and Earth Calamity]. Death energy was not meant to be present in the living. One had to kill a souls and forcibly absorb all their death energy. The Practitioner would face incredible pain as he uses the death energy as a fuel source to enhance his spirit reactor. The reactor combines the spirit energy and the death energy into one and the Practitioner ascends from Mortal lifespans. This method was popular by the ancient clans as it did not extend the lifespan but increased it indefinitely. Time no longer mattered.


    "Whoa. No wonder the ancient clans fight the Hyperion so much. They do so to absorb their death energy to become immortal from time. However, I don''t want to reach the third stage through such an inhumane method," Agemo sighed. "I can kill if I have to, but I''d rather not. It might become the only thing I know. The more you kill, the more you become numb to it. Eventually, you become a heartless killing machine. That Balmus guy and the rest of the Blood Vein Sect might choose a similar method for a regular Archon body technique. Perhaps he already did as he was at the third stage."


    Agemo took out the sword of Balmus from the storage bag. He didn''t take any of the storage bags from those Blood Vein Sect members as he already had enough from the second trial. He laid the sword against Rain Slayer and the sword entered the blade. Rain Slayer shined and the cerulean and black blade became vermillion. Puzzled, Agemo realized the vermillion energy was the source. It made sense though as the Practitioner weapon is linked to the owner''s soul. As for the changes caused by Balmus''s sword, there were none. Agemo sighed with disappointment and put Rain Slayer in its sheath and tossed it onto his bed as he returned to the manuals.


    He skimmed through the second and third manuals and tossed them aside. One had a more specific requirement of dual spirits with both of them being weapon spirits. The other one required the ability to learn all the elements. However, his first spirit was a beast spirit. Thus, even though he knew he had an armor spirit, there were already elements he could not learn due to the influence of the first spirit. It was called [Nature Devil] was a body technique that utilized all eight elements in harmony. It allowed the Practitioner to transform the spirit reactor into eight smaller reactors in an eight-point octagonal formation with the spirit or spirits at the center.


    "I could pick some of the ones I tossed aside, but I would not be able to cultivate both types of energy in my body. The vermillion energy actually devoured the death energy as if it were sustenance. What a violent spirit energy," Agemo sighed as he stared into his soul lake and gazed upon the vermillion spirit energy outline of the fanged beast mask before staring at the last manual and began reading.


    The white leather manual contained the [Titan Creator] body technique. It required the Practitioner to have a spirit reactor. The Practitioner would be able to absorb the actual life force of the planet. The planets and universes is said to have molded by Creator Gods. The Creator God of their own planet was a Scorpion Titan as it died. Its soul became the core of the planet. Its blood became the magma and lava. Its tears became the oceans and its exoskeleton became the land and mountains.


    Each of the thirteen true Archon body techniques that require a spirit reactor are inspired by the Creator Gods. However, this technique allows the Practitioner to become one with the world. Upon awakening and forming the true Archon body, a large, black tribal tattoo in the shape of a scorpion will appear on the person''s back. It is a Creator tattoo, the tattoo that identifies the true Archon body technique. You, who wish to practice this manual, beware. Your body will form a cocoon and a new body will be born.


    "Oh? You picked that technique?" Meng Ce said as he looked at Agemo. "It''s not bad. A tattoo though. I guess true Archon bodies are different. I studied the [Golden Earth] body technique, the cultivation method used solely by Golden Earth Fiend demons and those of their lineage. Most of our Lu Clan Practitioners used this technique as it is nearly as good as a true Archon body technique.


    "Do I practice it now?" Agemo asked.


    "No. It is not safe here, seeing as this description says you form a cocoon. Besides, absorbing the very life force of the planet draws too much attention. We must be in isolation somewhere before you practice it. Among the seventeen true Archon body techniques, that is officially recognized as the fourth strongest. Of course, the Practitioner makes the technique. In the end, you must depend on insights and your own hard work to succeed," Meng Ce said as he collected the other books. "Our journey really did wonders for you. If you truly transform, people would not care if you had horns or wings by then."


    "Huh? Why?" Agemo asked.


    "There are all kinds of Archon techniques. Some of them give physical changes. Although, I suspect your changes will be vermillion wings, like that of your necklace and the ones around your spirit reactor. That vermillion energy originates from a divine weapon. It even devoured the death energy in your body. I suppose it is a good thing," Meng Ce shrugged. "When we return, right before you become thirteen, we must get you into an academy. There are some people who have spirit reactors who live outside the allied nations to the ancient clans. They also go to academies. It would be best to make friends with such people as you both have the potential to be the best among Practitioners."


    "Does my dad know I have a spirit reactor?" Agemo asked.


    "Yes, I reported it to him after the second trial. He is sure to make various inquiries for which academy to enter. Academies don''t require loyalty upon graduation, but contain many opportunities to form connections. Ultimately, everything is for the glory of the Lu Clan. You can never trust others as much as your own clan," Meng Ce said. "Tomorrow is the last trial. Rest now. Your next step has been decided. Now we just need the rewards, whatever the tournament gives you, and continue our journey."


    "Yes, master," Agemo said and put the manual and Rain Slayer in his storage bag before going to sleep.


    The next day, Agemo and the remaining participants stood on the stage in the center of the stadium for the first time. All one hundred and five of them looked around and noticed the stadium had a full house. It was finally time for the final trial. Bakura waved over at Agemo as he and the other recruits of Golden Wyvern Academy appeared.


    "Heard anything from your Elder Wu?" Agemo asked them.


    "No. The guards were more tight lipped in the bars last night. Last few years, the final trial was a battle royale. However, I think they are changing the rules of the tournament and go along based on the number of people passing. Seeing as the numbers are too low, and the fact that the last trial is always the most dangerous, I think the tournament is gonna turn from top sixty four with six rounds to the top eight with three rounds."


    "That bad?" Kairi asked.


    "The fifth trial is usually more bloody and violent than the tournament itself, unless it is a rather merciless contestant," Karen agreed. "We need to watch our backs. Look at the stadium. They have an elemental barrier up. They never have those up unless it has magical beasts involved in the tournament. However, they are usually reserved for the higher level tournaments. I don''t like this. That Spirit Master is toying with our lives."


    "Keep it down. We can''t offend the likes of him," Jasper whispered. "Let''s just stay alert and see what comes out of that cage door over there."


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Spirit Master Julio. I will be the proctor of the trials. As you all know, twenty one parties made it, one hundred and five kids in total. Today is the trial to end it all. The trial ends when they kill our very special guest: a magical beast of the beginning of the fourth stage!," Julio shouted, the crowd cheering while the participants turn white with fear. "That''s right, the fourth stage. As you know, all races are temporarily weakened when breaking a bottleneck and a short time after. They have a shot in killing it. Most will die, but I am planning on keeping only eight people for the tournament. I''ll mash up all the rewards together and have allotted them accordingly. Upon reaching the top eight, you automatically receive ten thousand spirit pills or five rank D mana crystals. How about that folks?"


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "What kind of magical beast is it?" a man cried while others also asked the same question.


    "Glad you are all anticipating it. You see, there are over a hundred of them. Therefore, it should be a magical beast of exceptional quality. Thus, I picked a Steel Armor Basilisk, a thousand foot long basilisk with scales as hard as steel and eyes that petrify upon gazing within five feet," Julio laughed, silencing the crowd. "Oh, come now? I''m a Spirit Master. I want to hear some cheering. Yay! Yay!"


    The crowd pretended to cheer as their expressions darkened. Most of the people were going to die. There was no question. Agemo looked around in confusion as many participants started cursing silently while others began to tremble with fear.


    "Is he trying to kill us?" Bakura roared. "I haven''t even hatched my phoenix egg cuz Elder Wu said not to."


    "Kind of a good idea right now," Jasper said. "Whatever happens, we cannot allow ourselves to be trapped among the crowd as it enters the stadium. It can literally crush us to death if it doesn''t turn us into to stone first."


    "Too many people not from our country. Can''t have that. No. Ladies and gentlemen, let the final trial begin!" Julio roared as a large, black cage opened.


    Three seconds passed after the cage fully opened before it came out. A large snake over a thousand feet long with shining gold eyes and scales as white as snow with a steel grey pattern over its body. It swirled around the platform before pulling its body back, high in the sky as its head looked down on them. Then the slaughter began.


    It was like a huge, twisting battering ram. Its body moved in a curved, zigzag pattern as it rushed toward the participants. Stone literally flew into the air as unfortunate people looked back as they ran, petrified into stone as they got within range. The basilisk only got angrier as it couldn''t swallow any flesh. It would trap some Practitioners and finally squeezed some of them into pulp, smacking its lips with its forked tongue as it swallowed them, flesh, robe, ground, and all.


    Some tried fighting it, but the basilisk moved too fast for any complex spells to be finished. It somehow knew who were mages and targeted them first. Jasper realized it and yelled at Karen and the others. They pulled Agemo to them and they stood in a five star point formation. Pulling out the flags Elder Wu gave them in the restaurant, they planted them into the ground, forming a large, star shaped barrier ten feet in front of the flags and shaped into a dome twenty feet above them.


    "Oh gods. I am so glad Elder Wu went to the auction now. I thought we would have to use them in the forest, not a fucking fourth stage magical beast. What the hell is its rank anyway?" Bakura cursed.


    "Seeing as it has an innate ability, probably a third rank as it has a very small range," Kairi answered. "According to the books, its weak point is the inside of its mouth and the eyes. It digests anything in its stomach within a five minute time span."


    "So either go pro and stab it when it tries to swallow someone or aim for the eyes," Bakura nodded. "Okay sounds good."


    "We got a problem though. You can leave the formation, but you can''t go back in," Jasper said. "All spirit attacks also cannot leave the barrier or enter it."


    "What about arrows?" Agemo asked. "I don''t think it is strong enough to enter the barrier as it is weakened. Oh, I also have itching powder."


    "What the hell while that do?" Bakura shouted incredulously.


    "It doesn''t have any dexterities so it can''t scratch itself. I also have paralysis powder, sleeping powder, and other stuff. Most I got from Seto''s Marvels while others were from the storage bags," Agemo answered.


    "You can shoot them out but not in. It''ll work. I don''t know about the powder but keep it handy. Karen can also cast magic outside, but she cast any within the barrier," Jasper nodded. "As Bakura, Kairi, and I don''t have any long range weapons or abilities without relying on spirit energy, we will be the ones holding the formation array up with our spirit energy."


    "Let''s do it!" Karen agreed.


    Kairi, Bakura, and Jasper all sat in lotus position as they focused their spirit energy into the flags to keep the barrier up. Agemo took out his quiver and put it on his right hip as he held a silver bow in his left hand. Even though he was primarily left handed, he was ambidextrous so either hand worked.


    The formation shuddered as the basilisk crashed into it. It gazed on their eyes, but the formation barrier blocked the petrification, but the eyes were still unnerving. Bakura laughed at it and flicked it off with a middle finger. The basilisk bellowed a loud hiss and kept slamming its tail at them to no avail. Meanwhile, Agemo took the chance to throw itching powder at it. The basilisk slithered back and could only move irregularly as it had no way to stop the discomfort.


    "What the fuck?" Bakura scoffed with shock.


    "Sometimes you just buy whatever works and it just might save you," Agemo shrugged. "It''s an old tactic, but it''s still made and sold for a reason. The sleeping powder probably won''t do any good with so much rage and hate in its eyes."


    Other Practitioners saw how their formation barrier held and made formation barriers of their own. Mages sticked together and cast overlaying barrier magic to strengthen the durability while sharing the mana cost. The basilisk remained in the center of the platform as all its prey were either protected, stone, or eaten. The fight was at a stand still but the participants knew they had to kill it for the nightmare to end.


    Time went on and some couldn''t hold up their formation or barrier magic. The basilisk wasted no time when it saw a formation array or magical barrier weaken and repeatedly beat on it until it broke. Kairi and Karen looked away as people started dying again.


    "We can''t hold forever," Jasper said as they ate spirit pills to recover their spirit energy. "How goes the arrows and magic assault?"


    "I can''t get a clear shot to the eye and the basilisk no longer draws near since I used the itching powder," Agemo answered.


    "He moves too fast for my intermediate magic to hit and the novice magic can''t penetrate its scales," Karen agreed.


    "How about using a wide area spell? Can you use any spells that can wipe out a whole area?" Agemo asked.


    "I know a lightning spell called Lightning Terror. It should be strong enough to break its scales and kill it, but it moves too fast," Karen nodded.


    "Okay. It''ll do, You primarily use earth magic right? Can you make a message on the ground to the other mages to make the platform wet or make mud on it? The liquidity should make the lightning more lethal," Agemo asked as he gave her some mana stones.


    "You got these from the storage bags," Karen realized as he wasn''t a mage. "I think so. I''ll have to cast several small earth spikes to make the message."


    The mages got the message and the platform soon became covered with mud and water. The basilisk continued its slaughter and soon barely over a dozen participants left. Karen had spent the whole time chanting and was almost finished with her spell. Kairi and Bakura had run out of spirit pills and energy so Agemo replaced them.


    "Hurry!" Kairi shouted as another formation fell and death cries sound in the air.


    "....I, Karen, call upon thee to gather in the skies. Strike my foe with your holy might and remind them to fear Heaven''s Will. Lighting Terror!" Karen screamed.


    The sky got dark as numerous clouds gathered in the sky. A large, blue thunderbolt rained down from the heavens and struck the Basilisk as it fed on another group of participants. It screamed as its wet scales conducted electricity as the thunderbolt hit its body. The lightning followd the water and mud on the ground and penetrated its body further. Its scales became black and some turned to ash as it fell on the ground. The ground shook as the light in the basilisks eyes faded.


    "And nine survived," Julio noted and killed one of the people who did nothing in his eyes. "That''s better. An even eight. Just how I like it. Didn''t expect it to take so long or for it to die that way. Did I overestimate them? It''s been centuries since I''ve been a Spirit Shaman. Are they really so weak? Maybe my sister should have been in charge."


    "You think?" the crowd thought as they stared at the aftermath of the trial.


    "Well, due to the unfortunate events of the fifth trial, it took a little longer than expected. However, the survival rate was in expected parameters. Forget that ninth coward," Julio waved. "Congratulations! The eight of you are now participants of the main tournament! Well done."


    "Julio!" a voice boomed, causing everyone to cover their ears as Julio stared at the direction of the palace.


    "Ah, crap. Brother-in-law is upset. Well, tournament has been changed. You are all winners of this year''s rookie tournament. I''ll let the king, my brother-in-law, handle it from here. Marcus, good job protecting my niece. You too, Eric I believe. Juliet, help uncle out and try to appease your dad. I''m off," Julio bowed with a wave of his hand and vanished into a beam of light.


    "I hate Spirit Masters," Bakura spat.


    "My dad''s one," Agemo said aside as Karen went to retrieve the demonic core.


    "My bad. You know I meant that asshole. He treated our lives as toys and ran away when things went south. Is the king also a Spirit Master?" Bakura asked as Juliet, Eric, and Marcus went over to them.


    "No. My father is just a Spirit Knight. My mom is definitely as strong as uncle, but she is my grandpa''s favorite. He''s a Spirit Sage," Juliet answered. "On behalf of the kingdom, I''m sorry such an unfit proctor oversaw the tournament. Don''t worry, you will be awarded accordingly and more. The families will be given ten thousand coins, but it''s only a small comfort I''m afraid."


    "Agemo, are you alright?" Meng Ce asked as he appeared before them in a flash and turned to face Juliet.


    "You better not harm Princess Juliet," Marcus said as his sword trembled at Meng Ce. "She is the daughter of the king."


    "Her imperial uncle just toyed with the life of Prince Shu of the Lu Clan and second prince of the Yan Empire," Meng Ce snarled as they stared at Agemo in shock as the spies the emperor sent revealed themselves, the captain at the strength of a Spirit Master.


    "You''re a prince?" Bakura gasped.


    "I thought so," Jasper said. "You held the airs of someone of noble birth, but I didn''t expect how noble."


    "How''d you all get here?" Agemo asked the spies.


    "His Imperial Majesty sent us here after receiving a report from General Meng Ce. It is not hard at all to come here. We used the giant teleportation circles sent at our respective national embassies, Prince Shu," the leader bowed. "We arrived yesterday while you were still in the hunting grounds."


    "I''ll take you to my father," Juliet agreed and the Royal Guards at the stadium politely escorted the participants, and Agemo''s entourage of spies and Meng Ce, to the palace.


    The public went wild as the news spread of Julio''s antics. Many people were angry and afraid as they realized the power of a Spirit Master. No one dared go find him in revenge and the families received the gold and left the capital in a hurry. No doubt, Julio made a lot of enemies, but very few had the connections to pursue their revenge. Juliet took them to the large royal palace where they met the king.


    Meng Ce wasted no time and Agemo was quickly given his reward as Meng Ce took him out of Korgar without bothering to stay at the palace overnight out of manners. The spies remained as they began to enter political talks with the nervous king and outraged sister.


    "That went well," Agemo sighed as he entered they entered the road and left Kasara after a week. "The king was very generous to give a million spirit pills."


    "He knows we can wipe out several towns with all the Practitioners we have at our command," Meng Ce nodded darkly. "We can''t kill him and Julio is nowhere to be seen. Your father will, no doubt, have people sent to kill Julio. He isn''t the king so no worries."


    "Where are we going now?" Agemo asked.


    "You''ll see. It''s isolated from the world and very few people know of its existence. You''ll spend the rest of your time there," Meng Ce answered. "Although it ended in a crazy manner, most tournaments are not as out-of-hand as the one you joined. When we return, you might even join the Lu Clan competition and face your other clan members from the sub branches of the clan."


    "I see. I would have liked to say goodbye and eat their lavish food, but I was also angry for having my life toyed with. I wonder where we''re going.  hope it''s interesting," Agemo thought and followed Meng Ce as he admired his surroundings.

 Book 1: Chapter 18- True Archon Body

    (Author: Hello! Now is the time for Agemo to finally begin cultivating the true Archon body technique and become a true Practitioner with the power to manipulate the elements like the gods. Meng Ce is taking Agemo to his final destination due to the unexpected amount of gains Agemo got. Agemo needs a safe place to cultivate to the third stage and Meng Ce takes him to the mysterious location that will help him do so. Enjoy.)


    -----------Chapter 18: True Archon Body----------------


    "Why are we back here?" Agemo asked as they entered the Yan Empire after traveling through a teleportation circle.


    They had spent seven months exploring the wilderness to the northwest of the Kasara Kingdom. Meng Ce wanted Agemo to get used to killing different types of magical beasts and to learn their strengths and weaknesses. While he trained, Agemo had to climb up waterfalls without using his spirit energy. He would also carry boulders behind him up hills and through mountains. After seven months of cruel training, Meng Ce led Agemo to Purple Cloud City and they used the teleportation circle there to return to the Yan Empire.


    They were currently in front of a hidden cave in the mountains next to the capital. Guardians wearing pure white cloaks over their bodies let the duo in and Agemo stared around as fire crystals illuminated the cave as he followed it to a large lake beneath the mountain. There were several people in similar clothing who guarded the lake as he saw a large red string made of magical beast fur encircle the lake.


    "Welcome to the Lake of Bone," Meng Ce said as Agemo stared at the lake. "This lake has been here since before the Yan Empire was created by the Great Ancestor. However, what you see is not a lake but a mirror of water."


    "This is a mirror?" Agemo asked. "What are the large, red strings for? Is it to keep something in?"


    "Something, yes. Someone, no. Those within can freely enter and leave. However, the aura within cannot exist within our dimension. It is too old. Too powerful and beyond comprehension. It is a pocket to another dimension. Within that pocket is someone even the Great Ancestor respects," Meng Ce said. "You will enter the mirror and visit that great being. My role as your instructor is over. I return to the battlefields to slay our enemies. Time moves differently there. Compared to this dimension, that dimension is incredibly slow. You have just over a year left. When you return, you will enter the Lu Clan competition. There are many who will wish to fight you, a member of the main branch. Especially your father''s siblings, beware their children. They are people who have not let go of Mortal Realm affairs and care about the throne deeply despite not being suited for the task. Goodbye Agemo. It was an honor to teach Second Prince."


    "Goodbye," Agemo said as he hugged Meng Ce and watched him go as one of the guardians approached him.


    "You don''t expect to see the Bone Demon dressed like that, do you?" the guardian asked.


    "Bone Demon? As in a demon made of bones?" Agemo asked as he tilted his head in confusion.


    "Don''t put the Great Bone Demon with the likes of them. They are abominations," the guardian scoffed. "Head to the bath house and cleanse your body from the filth of the outside world. Then change into the pure white robes similar to the ones we wear. However, you are the descendant of the main branch of the Lu Clan. Thus, your robe while have the collars completely black with golden dragons along them. Take out the puppet and the wraiths in your storage bag."


    "How do you?" Agemo gasped as he didn''t sense any spirit energy in the man.


    "We serve the Bone Demon. There is nothing we cannot see with our spirit energy. Take them out and place them before me as well as your weapon, the strange bow, the bracelet, Emerald Steel Dragon egg, and the true Archon body manual," the man answered.


    Agemo swallowed and did as the man asked. He looked at the man angrily as he took the Dragon Monkey Bracelet and destroyed it. Then the man put his hand on the single page that contained the two wraiths. A weird white and black entwining energy appeared on the man''s right index finger and he touched the page.


    "You do not need that necklace. It is beneath you and will bring unnecessary changes into your body. As for the wraiths within, I will transfer the largest one into the wooden puppet. You will give it commands, as is usual among puppets, but this one will be sentient and completely bound to your will. The remaining wraith will be absorbed by the larger," the man said and an infinite amount of darkness seemed to drain from the page and into the puppet. "Whoever gave you that puppet did you a service you cannot repay. The white wood is ancient. Very ancient. The puppet will move like a spider but can stand upright, like a human. It has blades within each hand. It is up to you to upgrade it accordingly. It is not a golem and can be altered. Now bind it to you and it will serve you well."


    "How can you do all this?" Agemo asked as he bound it to himself with a drop of his blood containing his spirit energy and watched it stand next to him on all fours.


    "We are as old as the Great Ancestor has retreated into the Mortal Realm. You will learn that time is meaningless. It is only a perception made by mortals to understand the universe. Now hatch the dragon egg. It will learn alongside you and the sentient wraith puppet. Awaken it," the man said as he picked up the manual and Rain Slayer.


    "Yes, Elder," Agemo bowed as he realized how powerful this man truly was.


    He rubbed his hands with excitement. Who didn''t want to own their own dragon as a child? He put his right on the egg and poured his spirit energy into it. The large, emerald egg began to stir and a small tooth appeared. Agemo watched with excitement as the dragon broke out of its egg and saw the tooth pop out as a whole new set of teeth replaced the first tooth. The dragon was about two feet long and about a half a foot high. It stretched its wings and crawled to Agemo and rubbed its head against his leg. Agemo smiled and pat its head as it steadily learned to walk and stand.


    "Keep that baby dragon tooth and hang it on the chain on the bead necklace. I don''t know how you got the necklace, but I am not allowed to say anything about it. It is your curse and your blessing. Men call it fate and destiny. In truth, all events are just ripples in a pond called coincidence. There is no such think as luck or fate. You will learn this in time. The baby dragon tooth will serve as a token of the bond between you and the dragon," the man said as he admired the katana. "The katana has changed since you first wielded it. I assume it became vermillion and black instead of cerulean and black.  As for that bow, use it well. The [Titan Creator] is a suitable true Archon body technique. You did well to choose it as you have the highest chance of success without dying. Tell me, did you fuse anything to this katana?"


    "I fused two swords, one of a Hyperion and one of a murderous Practitioner," Agemo said with a bow of his head.


    "I see. I''ll return it to you after you cleanse yourself. Put the manual and the bow in your storage bag. Leave the puppet and the dragon hatchling here," the man said as two others appeared and led Agemo to the bathhouse.


    After a half hour, Agemo returned in the required robe. He was also given hundreds of similar pairs and put them in his storage bag. He looked upon the puppet and saw that it looked like a spider but its face only had human eyes that glowed a blue green and still had four limbs. The dragon screeched happily and stood beside him as he arrived in front of the man again. Rain Slayer looked the same as before.


    "You truly are the descendant of the Great Ancestor," the man said. "Rebirth in another body is not easy and you have become Lu Shu. The soul was weak but recesses always remain and it allowed you to merge with the body. By the time you reach the third stage, no one will be able to ascertain the truth. I know this because your katana told me. It is connected to your soul and has all your memories save for the ones you lost."


    "This, this....how?" Agemo said, speechless with shock and unable to say anything further.


    "Take Rain Slayer. It has recognized you as its owner as it bound to your soul. Take care, Agemo Miura. You are Lu Shu now, even if you use your old name. The Bone Demon knows all, but even he does not go against Heaven''s Will. There are things he can teach you and more that you cannot comprehend. Every time a true Archon body is made, ripples of elemental spirit energy surge upon the Practitioner. As you are in the pocket dimension, they will not know," the man said, not answering him.


    "How will I absorb the life force of the planet?" Agemo asked.


    "Worry not. The Bone Demon has his methods," the man said as he returned the katana to him.


    "You! You''re a puppet?" Agemo gasped in shock as he felt the man''s hands were made of wood. "Are you all puppets?"


    "Perceptive. Good. It will help you gain the insights you need," the man said. "Yes, we are sentient puppets that guard the mirror. We are the first made. That is all I am permitted to say. Good luck."


    The guardians banished from view and Agemo was left alone, staring at the lake with his puppet and dragon hatchling. Within his subconscious, the living spirit technique shuddered as Agemo walked into the water. It seemed empowered by the water an insect-like vertebrae appeared on his back and head as a cover as he went deeper and vanished with his puppet and baby dragon.


    They appeared in the pocket dimension and Agemo stared around in shock. It appeared as if they were in front of a simple wooden house in the plains, but it was gazing down at the stars and planets. He could see the shape of the galaxies as they swirled cosmic energy like a whirlpool with a sun as its center. Several large planets lied within the whirlpool and he could see into the recesses of space. He saw comets and meteor showers illuminate the sky while black holes seemed to absorb matter and distort space around itself.


    "Is this what the universe looks like? A collection of galaxies and stars?" Agemo asked in wonder.


    "You gaze upon a sight only the gods or, upper echelons of Spirit Sages and Fiend Immortals, see in the Mortal Realm," an ancient voice said from the wooden cabin. "Now you can see how insignificant one life on a planet is compared to the infinite galaxies in a single universe and there are many. I have sent a message to the Great Ancestor, your parents, and siblings. Your name was changed to Agemo during your travels, as you seemed to enjoy your old name more. Do not use it anymore. You no longer need it from now on as your journey is complete."


    "Is this truly what it looks like?" Agemo asked as he admired the comets streak and clash against meteors, many planets destroyed by the fragments of ice and rock. "How can ice exist in space and not melt? How can meteor showers appear as if they are also following a gravitational circle around a sun?"


    "You ask a question with an infinite answers. Come inside my house. You did not come here for the purpose of understanding the laws of the universe. We will begin with the elements," the voice answered and the wooden house became a white marble palace. "This shape is more suited to the task. Enter now. Know that I am called many names, and the one I am most known for is the father of all bone demons. Each planet is assigned three Planetary Overseers. I am one such existence. Each have different tasks. My task is to train and spread knowledge, to a degree."


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Agemo walked inside the palace as he carried the baby dragon in his hands while the puppet followed beside him. The architecture seemed Roman, but contained hieroglyphics, like the Egyptian palaces. The man picture he saw was that of a large, serpentine dragon without wings. It looked similar to dragons of Asian cultures from Earth instead of western dragons like the dragon in his hands.


    "Greetings," a man on a white silver throne smiled as his the upper half of his face was covered with a white hood with a white cloak covering his whole body. "As you might have guessed, I am a dragon with scales made of bones. I was one of the first made by the Creator Gods and as young as the planet you now live on. The Earth you come from is many trillions of years younger, but already on the verge of death. You really kill your own planet for modern conveniences. Do you know why I had Meng Ce bring you here?"


    "To reach the third stage and attain a true Archon body in peace?" Agemo answered with a bow.


    "Yes, that is one of the reasons. My main reason is that I have brought you here because you have given me a nice surprise when you entered Lu Shu''s body. By all means, he was supposed to die a horrible death. Yet, you now inhabit his body and given it a future incomparable with its former soul host. I had long lost interest and seldom ever let anyone learn from me," the ancient man laughed. "I can eat this planet with a single gulp if I needed to. The other two Planetary Overseers are my juniors and had long since left to find a new planet to interest them. You have amused me. Well done."


    "Thank you?" Agemo frowned as he didn''t know what else to say.


    "Please, sit," the man said as two white chairs and a table appeared before him with various drinks and cuisines. "Tell me, what elements will you be able to use in the future?"


    "Water, lightning, and darkness," Agemo answered as the dragon happily began eating the food before it "Were you the one controlling the puppet that I met near the lake?"


    "It is one of the many benefits of controlling a puppet. Much more unique than golems but people prefer something that is as powerful as it looks," the man nodded. "You will first cultivate and reach the third stage. Then, you will train under me. You will return to being Shu of the Lu Clan when you leave. There is no longer a need for an alias as Agemo. Two lives experienced with one soul. It is time to accept your new life and let go of the past. Now, follow one of my puppets to the cultivation chamber I have prepared. My other puppets will train your dragon and upgrade the puppet wraith. Good luck. It will be very difficult and very painful. Worry not, there are concentrated life force of the planet in the chamber. Maintain control of your mind and you will be fine."


    Agemo followed the puppet to a large chamber. The puppets had him sit in the center of the chamber and eight large pools full of a strange, glowing liquid were placed around him like corners of an octagon. Three smaller pools were set in in a triangular position closer to him. These pools contained spirit energy of lightning, water, and darkness affinity while the larger, more powerful pools were full of planetary life force.


    Agemo didn''t know how the Overseer acquired the pools of water as the puppets filled the pools in the chamber. He suspected he was not the first to enter the chamber as the holes were made, pre-maturely, before he arrived. He took out the manual and began remembering the hand signs he needed to make before cultivating the technique. He began performing the hand signs and laid his palms facing the ceiling as he placed them on his knees afterwards. The pools trembled and the spirit energy of the elemental essence went into his body while the larger eight pools began forming a cocoon around his body.


    As the mysterious membrane soon enclosed him, his spirit reactor began to shake and emerge from his lake. The wings spread open as the spirit reactor began to symbolize the moon in his soul. Instead of heat, the spirit reactor began chilling the air. A tiger roared as the White Ocean Tiger finally revealed itself as large as a horse but with eyes the color of the ocean. The mask also revealed itself and looked just like the carving on the bottom of the Sentinel Bow. The two spirits began to levitate above the soul lake and appeared as small moons as they glowed. The tiger spirit glowed with demonic red spirit energy while the mask spirit glowed with vermillion energy.


    Agemo roared with pain as a black, tribal tattoo of a scorpion began to form on his back. The pools soon emptied and the membrane shattered as Agemo levitated above the air as the tattoo formed and vermillion wings spread from his back. He became taller by two inches and a black liquid burst from his pores as he gave a final yell. Two small horns, white as snow, appeared on the top of the left side of his head. One was about three centimeters while the other was five. These were his demonic horns and contained vast amounts of the planet''s life force as the cocoon remnants were absorbed into the horns.


    He didn''t know it but he had been in the cocoon for three months. He landed on the floor and looked at his back in shock. His back felt funny as the wings seemed a part of him. He willed them away and they changed into vermillion energy before going into his body. The horns stayed put and would not disappear and reappear at will.


    The purple energy that appeared when he used his innate demonic ability to steal spirit energy flared up on both hands. They soon became flames that spread all over his body. The flames converged over the center of his forehead and turned into a demonic stone. He gasped as the pain ended and fainted on the ground. He was unconscious for two weeks and awoke with a start. He was on a white bed made of the softest materials he ever touched. He leaned up and saw that he was in the throne room. To his left was the Overseer and his dragon and puppet.


    "Welcome back. Your demonic genes have finally taken root and the vermillion energy truly influenced you. I expected a horn or draconic wings, not angelic wings. The demonic stone must have formed. It is ovular and very big. If your blood was purer, there would be smaller stones on both sides. Don''t worry. You won''t even feel it," the Overseer laughed. "You should be glad it''s not a third eye. Those are creepier to humans and harder to hide."


    "People will know I''m a demon now," Agemo said.


    "No, the stone will sink beneath your skin and embed in the skull and the brain. Now, all you need to absorb spirit energy is to cut someone with your katana and watch their spirit energy enter your body. Take a look at your katana, it will have changed as it is also connected with your soul," the Overseer said as Agemo noticed Rain Slayer had  black energy swirling within the blade. "You should recognize that black energy as that of death. I imagine the baleful aura will be stronger. You might be influenced a little when wielding the katana. It looks more like a ceremonial blade now. Even the blade has changed its outer appearance. The blade seems like it was made out of ice. It will serve well to kill the Hyperion blight. Your pain from the demon stone should subside once it enters into your skin."


    "Are you alright master?" the puppet asked and Agemo stared at it in surprise.


    "Whoa! You can talk now?" Agemo asked.


    "Yes, master. I learned under the other puppets. I thank you for allowing this wraith to no longer have an incorporeal body. I have various weapons at my disposal. Some of them look like the modern guns from your world but they shoot bullets of death energy," the puppet said. "The Overseer said my mission is to be your shadow and protect you from other shadows that try to devour your light, your life. I will always hide in your shadow until you call for me. As you kill or walk among the dead, I become stronger."


    The puppet bowed as it stood like a human and went into his shadow. Agemo could sense it there, as if it were in hibernation while waiting for his summons. He stared at the dragon and noticed that it was the same size but was also at the third stage, like him. The dragon licked his hand playfully. He suspected that it would be able to communicate with him when it got older. First through a mental link, like telepathy, and then through speech. It sat on his lap as a tray of food and drinks appeared before him. He decided to call the dragon Bahamut, after a famous dragon from Earth legends that destroyed the World Tree it protected.


    "The puppet has been taught well. Don''t worry about any espionage against you. It will detect it all and protect you like your dragon. It''s name is the name of its former race: Wraith. As for the dragon, the Emerald Steel Dragon has very tough scales, even harder than tempered steel. It''s not very fast, but can still breathe dragon fire, albeit one with green flames," the Overseer nodded. "Your first spirit will have a major impact as most beast spirits due. Your diet might change significantly and an image of the White Ocean Tiger will appear when you use your spirit force. Beast spirits also grant abilities over time. People will identify you by your beast spirit over time. White Ocean Tiger spirits are rare after all. Congratulations, you are a true Archon. I will now personally train you in how to manipulate the elements."


    "I can finally use my Black Cloud Desolation technique, my thunder spirit technique," Agemo grinned as the dragon puffed a small flame, burning the sheets.


    He only had about nine months left before returning to the real world. Three months had passed in the real world while he was in the cocoon, but it was a over a little over a year and a half within the pocket dimension although nothing aged within. Agemo learned about the time difference and assumed his aging was based on how he aged out of the pocket dimension. He cut his hair and began learning from the Overseer. He had the chance to learn from the famous Bone Demon, a dragon with bone scales that gave birth to the bone demon race. He had a lot to learn and five years, nine months real time, before he had to return for the clan competition when he turned thirteen. He devoted himself to training and would endure cruel training regiments made by the Overseer.


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


    (Author: And so ends the first book, if you will. Eighteen chapters for the first book. Now for the time skip to the main tournament. Thanks for enjoying the first book. It actually feels like my first real book of a xianxia novel to me. Thanks for reading. Just to clarify, I am STILL writing. Just an announcement that the first book, the childhood arc before next arc, is over. First will be the clan competition and then the academy life begins. Hope you keep reading and thanks for reading my story. In honor of the immortal iconic phrase of the Terminator series: "I''ll be back." However, with the start of the next chapter and not another robot look-a-like.)

 Book 2: Chapter 1- Return Home

    (Author: Hello! I''m back! It''s finally time for book 2 to start! Agemo became a third stage Spirit Shaman and trains under the Overseer, also called Bone Demon, for five years, nine months in the outside world. Agemo returns home after three years, real world time, for his thirteenth birthday and the Lu Clan competition. From now on, he returns to his identity as Lu Shu as he no longer needs an alias. Enjoy.)


    ----------------Chapter 1: Return Home--------------------


    A youth was practicing his blade techniques on the grass in front of the palace with the view of the universe in the background. A four foot dragon, ten feet in length, was sleeping a few yards away and crescent moon blades of water sliced the air from every slash of Rain Slayer. The dragon grew big quickly, as all dragons did. However, Agemo barely aged over the nine months besides getting a little taller. An elderly man watched silently as he approached the youth.


    "You seem to have improved much. Your Radiant Howl technique looks more natural for you to use now. No doubt your other techniques have also improved," the Overseer smiled. "Still, to spend five years here and only reach the fourth stage of Spirit Shaman......your cultivation is just not as impressive as the last one I taught a few centuries back."


    "Overseer," Agemo bowed as he wore a white shirt with black pants and shoes. "How can I hope to compare to an ancestor with higher demon blood purities than mine? Is the nine months already over?"


    "HAHAHA. Indeed it is. At least now, your cultivation can compare with geniuses of your age. However, to call them geniuses....Ha! Their cultivation stage is meaningless to your own strength. Perhaps you can contend with Spirit Shamans of the sixth stage," the Overseer laughed as he tossed him a green jacket with a bone dragon on the back. "Your jacket is complete. It is made from the scales of an ancient Emerald Steel Dragon. I added a little something to remember me by on the back. There are also metal plates on the shoulders made from an ancient metal not found on your planet. The three plates on both shoulders should offer more protection."


    "Thank you, Overseer," Agemo bowed and put on the jacket while he went on both knees and cupped his hands. "Thank you for your teachings. I don''t know how I can repay such kindness."


    "No need to thank me. You were interesting to watch as I trained you. Remember, show kindness to others and do not be arrogant and let your pride overtake you. Mercy to the enemy is to invite death. If you can kill him, do so if there are no witnesses. If you are in public, defeat him in such a way that you will win all future battles. You have that innate demonic ability. People will believe it is a spirit sealing technique. They do exist, but very rare to find and even more difficult to train," the Overseer advised. "Also, change that Rain Slayer name to Arctic Emperor. The blade is metal ice and contains death energy. You must do your best to kill the Hyperion with the blade. They are man-eating monsters and the humanoids have infiltrated the human lands and hide among them. As a true Archon, you can see detect their spirit energy and see them for what they are. You must kill them. They are a blight on the planet."


    "Yes, Overseer. Thank you," Agemo said and looked at the dragon. "Let''s go Bahamut. It''s time to go home. What''s my name again? Oh right. It''s Lu Shu."


    "That brat," the Overseer laughed as he waved as the boy left. "Train well, Lu Shu."


    The dragon woke up and nodded at Agemo. The thirteen year old went on the dragon''s back and they left the pocket dimension. The dragon roared green flames into the sky as it left the lake and mountain. Shu stretched out his hands as he enjoyed riding his dragon in the sky. The Spirit Knights that guarded the capital had received prior notice about a dragon of Bahamut''s description and did not attack. After five minutes, Bahamut landed in front of the palace steps that lead to the main hall that led to the palace. Many ministers and royal guards came from the buildings next to the palace to greet Prince Shu.


    Lu Shu grinned as he saw four familiar people rush out of the palace. Lu Yi was smiling in his golden dragon robes as Lu Rong felt tears down her face upon seeing her second son. Lu Mei and Lu XIng were also happy to see their little brother. They stared at the Emerald Steel Dragon and were obviously shocked. Lu Yi was also shocked as he was able to tell that Lu Shu was at the fourth stage. He knew his son worked hard and the imperial family members hugged as they were reunited with the second prince at last.


    "I feared you had forgotten to come home in time to celebrate your birthday and the Lu Clan competition," Lu Yi laughed.


    "Why does it have to be on his birthday. I don''t approve. Why is your hair blonde, why are you so tall, and why do you have horns?," Lu Rong pouted as she held her son tightly.


    He must have practiced an Archon technique," Lu Xing guessed but didn''t know the whole truth. "This is good. He must be at the third stage or higher. Our family has another Practitioner at last. At least now, he can be recognized as a Practitioner. Those cousins of ours won''t dare underestimate Lu Shu now."


    "Those sub branch members and your brother and sister dare to challenge our youngest son on his own birthday. Not to mention those delegates from the city-states. Are they trying to rebel?" Lu Rong yelled at Lu Yi. "I''ll have them all chained and have them executed for high treason. Challenging him is expected, but to demand the Lu Clan competition to occur on his birthday, they mean to humiliate us. If it were up to me, I would summon legions of fire elementals and watch them burn."


    "Nonsense. It''s just them acting out of jealousy. They don''t amount to much anyway," Lu Yi shrugged. "My brother and sister are both Spirit Knights and the sub branches don''t even have one Spirit Master among them. They''re just acting out. No need to mind them seriously."


    "They are trying to humiliate our family. After failing to defeat Mei and I, who are top class mages and geniuses among geniuses; they are trying to regain their face by challenging Shu," Xing sighed in agreement. "You must be careful, Shu. They will likely target you."


    "I understand," Shu nodded as Bahamut changed into the size of a baby''s fist and nestled on his head. "Hm? Oh, Bahamut must be tired."


    "You have a magical beast and you''re younger than me," Lu Mei said as she was slightly jealous.


    "Come with me. It''s time you met the Great Ancestor," Lu Yi whispered as he ordered everyone to return to their duties and led Lu Shu to the underground chamber. "You must be respectful at all times."


    "Yes, father," Shu said as they entered the chamber and saw the fifteen ancestors, the ancestor at the top of the pyramid formation to the back of the chamber dressed in black.


    "Lu Shu greets the ancestors," Lu Shu said as Lu Yi said the same with his own name.


    "Oh. This one has potential," one of the fourteen lesser ancestors smiled. "Great Ancestor was right to allow you to accept the Bone Demon''s summons. To learn from an Overseer is a truly lucky thing."


    "You old fart. Didn''t you also learn some centuries ago?" another laughed. "I can sense the demon stone in his skull. It resonates with our own. He is a true descendant. Pity it''s only the large one."


    "He has a spirit reactor? It even absorbs the planet''s life force and he has two types of energies," another admired.


    "Wait, I sense something in his shadow. Is it a puppet? Truly?" one said.


    "Honorable ancestor, are you Lu Feng?" Shu bowed.


    "HAHAHAHA! I was right. You must have met that Seto. Good to know he''s still alive. I reckon he''s a Spirit Sage as well. Kid had talent," Lu Feng laughed. He must have sent me a letter. Where is he now?"


    "He owns a shop in the Korgar Auction House in the Kasara Kingdom. He asks to give the Honorable Ancestor this letter," Shu said as he retrieved the letter from his storage bag.


    "Hm. He is a Spirit Sage. The wraith he sold to you lies in your puppet. He said he gave you a puppet as a gift, but did not indicate their fusion. The Overseer must have done so. Thank you," Lu Feng said as he grabbed the letter with his spirit energy and read it.


    "So you are Lu Shu," an ancient voice rasped, silencing the chamber.


    "Yes, Great Ancestor," Shu bowed. "I am Lu Shu, son of Lu Yi. I am a Spirit Shaman of the fourth stage and have attained a true Archon body through the [Titan Creator] body technique."


    "Yes, I see. You also have a magical beast already. That is good. You have dual spirits. White Ocean Tiger spirit is quite rare. You are a God Eater already, yes?" the Great Ancestor asked.


    "Yes, Great Ancestor. I also took two flying moon blades from the corpse of a humanoid Hyperion," Shu answered.


    "I recognize the purple flames from the blades. The energy should have transformed into flames now. No doubt, the Overseer told you to hunt the Hyperion. Those purple flames are the same color as their Spirit Pulse. I know you have abnormally high spirit sensitivity. You can even detect Spirit Pulses as you can discern their actual location," the Great Ancestor noted. "Humans are gold, demons are red, magical beasts are green, and Hyperion are purple. They are the four life forms on this planet. Hyperion humanoids are known for their face-shifting abilities. They can look like anyone else, but their physique and stature remain the same. Do not falter and kill them without hesitation."


    "Yes, Great Ancestor," Shu said.


    "I will give you a ring. First, give the Crimson Ring, that is currently disguised, to Lu Feng. He will fuse it with the disguised vermillion ring," the Great Ancestor said.


    "This ring is now a skull ring. It will detect Hyperion as well as act like a mentor. It can talk to you. Might be a little too sentient. You don''t want to know how many sacrifices were made to make it," Lu Feng said as he got the two rings, fused them, and gave it to Shu.


    "Thank you," Shu said as he put on the ring.


    "Glad to work with you partner. I''ll be here if you need advice," the skull said before it became as still as a statue.


    "I will give you this pearl. It contains the soul of demon nobility. It will assist in your cultivation and reveal its power in time," the Great Ancestor said and tossed a snow white pearl with a black, serpentine spine curving into a spiral inside it.


    "Thank you, Great Ancestor," Shu said and put it on his chest, watching it sink into the depths of his soul lake as it merged into the Mystic Stone.


    "You already have a magical beast," Lu Feng said as the other fourteen resumed cultivation. "You have received the Great Ancestor''s gifts. Good luck in the Lu Clan competition. One day, you will lose all that human lineage in your body and truly awaken the power of the Snow Emperor Pearl, the pearl that contains the soul of demon nobility. It is one of the reasons our Great Ancestor escaped from the Immortal Realms. He killed a few Demon Emperors. One day, you''ll learn of how Immortals are ranked. For now, settle for the Mortal Realm limits of Spirit Sage or Fiend Immortal. Thank you for the letter and good luck to you."


    "Many thanks, Honorable Ancestors and Great Ancestor, for your kindness," Lu Yi said and led his son out until they were in his throne room. "Whew. So many Spirit Sages in one room and a Demon Emperor rank among immortals. You truly don''t realize how powerful they are. To receive the Snow Emperor Pearl, I don''t know whether to laugh or cry."


    "He is worthy of it," the ring said as the cover flipped up. "My name is Spook. Anyway, it is a rare thing. To actually strip the soul from the body and transform it into power. It''s quite frightening how powerful a Golden Earth Fiend is. HAHAHA! This will be an amusing hunt,"


    "Charming fellow," the emperor noted as the skull became still. "Tomorrow is your birthday and the guests and our relatives have already started to arrive since yesterday. No doubt, they''ll know you have already arrived. Rest now. Tomorrow, we feast and you will display your might and strike those bastards into their place."


    "Home sure is the liveliest place to be," Shu sighed as he gazed at the moon when night fell.


    "Krrrruuuuuu?" the dragon asked as it tried to speak as it left his head and perched itself on the balcony outside his room.


    "Funny guy. I wonder when you can speak," Agemo wondered aloud as he pat Bahamut in its tiny form. "Wraith, appear."


    "Yes, master. You summoned me?" the white puppet asked as it left Shu''s shadow and stood behind him, wisps of darkness permeating from its body.


    "The palace will have guests during my birthday feast tomorrow. Hide in the shadows and prepare to intercept any who would dare try a sneak attack during my fight when I am challenged. There are bound to be those with hidden weapons who want to see me suffer an unfortunate accident during my fight," Shu ordered.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Yes, master. Am I permitted to kill them?" Wraith asked.


    "Do as you see fit with them," Shu waved and Wraith nodded before disappearing into his shadow.


    "Do you have any advice for me, Spook?" Shu asked.


    "Be wary of your competitors. They will make the first move and defeat someone publicly known to be strong. They will try to intimidate you and provoke you with words. Do not let it get to you and remain calm. Like a predator stalking his prey, you must be patient and bide your time," Spook advised as the skull animated while it spoke. "Those people are sure to be arrogant and have superior strength among their peers to challenge you during your birthday celebration. If there really are delegates from city-states, and relatives from your clan, coming to challenge you; they would bring their best so as to not lose face or honor."


    "Do you sense any Hyperion? I don''t want to use my spirit sense here and provoke someone if they detect it," Shu asked.


    "There is one," Spook answered. "It lies to the east, still in the palace. It is among several others."


    "One of the ambassadors then. Might be from out of the country," Shu noted as he stared at the East Wing of the palace. "Must be a humanoid. Can I kill it?"


    "No. It is much too powerful. In Mortal terms, it is at the strength of a Spirit Knight," Spook answered. "Each member of the main branch of your clan, that has met the Great Ancestor, should have a ring such as I. I can communicate between them and the rings on the Honorable Ancestors who are in the hidden chamber with the Great Ancestor. I will alert your father''s ring first. The emperor should be sending people to quietly put the Hyperion down."


    "Good. Thank you," Shu said as Spook became still once more after a laugh.


    Agemo sat on his bed and withdrew four types of elixir pills from his storage bag before gazing at the talisman in his pocket. It was the same talisman he bought in the auction back in Kasara. While he was in the pocket dimension, the talisman kept making elixir pills full of dark, lightning, water, and ice spirit energy. He had been eating the elixirs to master his technique faster. He would quickly get used to vary levels of spirit energy use when performing his techniques.


    The dragon slept under the moon light while Shu starting eating the elixir pills and began refining it into his body. With each elixir pill, he felt stronger and could envision the technique in his mind, endlessly practicing them until the elixir pill was completely refined in his body. He opened his eyes and gazed at the fourth elixir pill. This pill contained the life force of the planet in a higher concentration level than directly absorbing it.


    He ate the elixir pill and the scorpion tattoo would glow as the energy went straight into his spirit reactor as it refined into spirit energy that his body could use as it went into his soul lake. Over the five years he trained in the pocket dimension, the life force of his planet changed the soul lake a random pockets of wisps of blue green mist emanated the same color as the planet''s life force. Satisfied, he stopped his cultivation and went to sleep.


    "Welcome. Welcome," Lu Xing greeted as the guests began arriving for the feast the following morning. "Please take a seat. Welcome. Thank you for coming to Lu Shu''s thirteenth birthday."


    "Welcome, please sit and enjoy the entertainment. The emperor and my brother will be arriving shortly," Lu Mei greeted as she showed them their seats.


    Of course, the ambassadors from other countries sat closer to the top of the steps in front of the palace, followed by the delegates from the city-states, and with the members of the Lu Clan at the end of theplaza toward the entrance. They all sat on the left side of the main plaza, to the right of thelarge table at the top of the plaza where Emperor Lu Yi would eat with his family in front of the palace at the top of the steps. The other side of the plaza consisted of the Yan Empire''s ministers, generals, and representatives of various houses. Empress Rong was already sitting at the table of honor as she smiled and greeted the guests while waiting for her children and husband to arrive. There were just too many people to fit into the throne room and the Lu Clan competition would also take place soon after.


    "Remember, Lu Shu, to be respectful at all times. Only display your spirit force when you are challenged. There are many important people today and many more Practitioners," the emperor said as he and Lu Shu were in the throne room inside the palace behind the plaza. "The center of the plaza is where the competition will be. Don''t worry, my mages will cast barriers so people in the seats will not be harmed. Remember, you must not kill anyone. I don''t want to deal with my ministers who will argue about the deaths if you caused them. Do not bring your dragon and puppet in the fight. Leave them near your seat. Of course, make sure your puppet watches for any devious activities. I cannot interfere. You can only rely on yourself."


    "Yes, father. I will do as you say," Shu nodded as he wore a gold shirt with black pants and gold striped shoes.


    "You''re not wearing the imperial garments," Lu Yi noted and his eyes narrowed upon seeing Lu Shu''s green jacket with metal plated shoulder pads. "Ah, that''s why.  Of course, the symbol of the Overseer. That is sure to intimidate them. What is it like to have horns? I don''t have any. What about the demon stone in your skull? Can you feel it when you touch your forehead?"


    "The horns feel uncomfortable sometimes, but my hair usually covers them. As for the stone, I can only feel it when I press my forehead a little. Otherwise, my forehead seems as smooth as any other. It just feels like a part of me," Shu answered. "However, I feel an increased hunger for meat. I''ve been eating magical beast meat a lot lately. I seem to be unsatisfied with any other kind."


    "Carnivorous," Lu Yi laughed. "No doubt, your tastes will continue to change. Soon, it will not bother you to eat human meat when your demonic genes finally takeover your body. Interesting. Well, we can''t keep your guests waiting. Remember to smile politely and mind your manners while you eat. It is a pain, but we are royalty and must act with a certain etiquette during official occasions. Some people will be unhappy with their seating arrangements. Chief among them, will be my brother and sister. They are bound to be the first who will interrupt our feast. As far as their children are concerned, you can do anything short of killing them. Oh, and no dismemberment. Your mother enjoys it too much and will not settle for just one limb getting cut. She is quite mad they changed the date of the competition to today and knows they can''t wait until the feast is over. Frankly, she has never been more enticing."


    "Uh, alright. I''ll keep the dismemberment to the minimum, father," Lu Shu nodded nervously as the duo walked outside the plaza.


    "His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Lu YI has arrived! He is accompanied by Second Prince Lu Shu," one of the royal guards roared, causing everyone to stand and bow deeply when the father and son arrived and stood before their places.


    "Long live Emperor Lu Yi. Long live the emperor. The Yan Dynasty is eternal," everyone in the hall repeated five times until they sat down.


    "HAHAHAHA! Welcome, friends and dear ones. Today is the celebration of the thirteenth year since my second son and third child, Lu Shu was born. I thank you all for coming from such a long distance to join me in this special celebration. Now, let us feast and enjoy the entertainment," Lu Yi roared and clapped his hands.


    "Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty," they all bowed and the feast officially began. Servants and maids brought the food and drinks while dancers entered the hall and began their routines. Of course, each of them were young beauties that caused several men to helplessly glance in their direction. Today, Lu Shu sat on his father''s right, instead of Lu Xing who sat to Lu Shu''s right, while the queen and Lu Mei sat on the emperor''s left. Many ambassadors and delegates would walk up to the table to toast with the emperor. The emperor allowed them to toast to Lu Shu but did not allow him to drink as he was a child and was going to compete in the competition.


    Emperor Lu Yi and Empress Lu Rong faked smiles as they eyed their relatives at the end of the plaza. They kept wondering who would make the first room. Lu Shu didn''t care as all he thought about was the magical beast meat in front of him. He ate, in an orderly fashion, with his chopsticks as he began putting the pieces of meat into his mouth. Occasionally, he would drink water to wet his mouth before resuming his meal. Lu Xing shook his head at seeing his brother so at ease and the two began to talk about Shu''s travels while the puppet sat beneath his chair as the dragon leapt onto the table and also ate the meat. No one dared to disrespect the dragon as they were sacred in the Yan Empire. Especially the golden dragons, which were the symbols of the empire.


    "Honorable Ancestor," Lu Yi stood up in surprise as he saw Lu Feng. "What brings you here?"


    "To congratulate your son, of course. He is my three or four time great grandson and direct heir of my own person. I also bring a gift from the Great Ancestor. He gifts Prince Lu Shu with a Saint level magical beast. This tiger cub is a Gold-Eyed Lightning Tiger. This tiger cub has not stripes yet but they will be irregular, like tribal tattoos. As it matures, its tail will develop a spikes with purple lightning crackling from them. It is ranked seven among tiger magical beasts, but they only one gold in color. You know how our clan loves gold. Happy birthday Shu," Lu Feng smiled as he handed the cub to Lu Shu."


    "Aw! It''s so cute. It''s the size of a kitten," Lu Mei admired as the sleeping cub moved in Shu''s arm. "I wanted one."


    "You wanted something cute and got a Gold Radiant Phoenix, the second most powerful magical beast phoenix and second only to the Sacred Phoenix of legend," Lu Rong sighed. "You wanted it because it was cute and now it looks majestic. Tigers don''t look cute as they mature. Sit down. You''re drawing stares."


    They all stood and bowed as Lu Feng laughed. He said he was leaving for a few years to visit his old student, Seto. He told them that the other ancestors were already in closed door training and were not to be disturbed for at least a decade. Lu Yi nodded and they all sat down as Lu Feng left. Everyone else in the plaza stared in shock as they watched the Spirit Sage leave. They did not expect to see one in the Yan Empire and wondered how many more were in hiding.


    "Your Imperial Majesty, may I inquire as who that Esteemed Spirit Sage was?" one of his ministers asked as he stood and bowed politely, silencing the plaza as they also stared at the emperor''s direction.


    "HAHAHA! He was once known as Lu Feng, the same Lu Feng of legend who slaughtered one of ten ancient clans and reduced them to only nine. He is one of my many ancestors who are currently in closed door training. You must have heard about Spirit Sages before. They care little about Mortal Realm affairs and spend most of their time cultivating while isolated from the world," Lu Yi laughed, causing the people''s hearts to seize as he implied there were more than one Spirit Sages within the Yan Empire.


    Just having one Spirit Master made an empire or nation recognized. They were truly made speechless by the emperor''s relaxed remark. Naturally, some city-states and ambassadors were disturbed as they had clearly estimated the Lu Clan''s might. After all, Lu Yi cared little about conquest. It was obvious such pacifist behavior would make other nations see him as a weak emperor. Not only did the Yan Empire have many Spirit Knights, they learned it had several powerful hidden experts.


    "HAHAHA! This is great news for our Yan Dynasty. It is sure to survive for thousands of years," the minister laughed, causing others to also laugh merrily while the rest laughed weakly.


    "That ass. Of course he would make the first move," the empress whispered an hour later when one middle-aged man in fine robes stood up and bowed at the emperor.


    "Brother, such a fine feast requires a higher level of entertainment," the man laughed as the hall grew silent once more. "It is unbefitting to show our esteemed guests entertainment of such low caliber."


    "You dare say my dancers are inadequate, Lu Ce?" the emperor roared.


    "Not at all, brother. I merely say that we begin the true entertainment. How about bouts of contest between the young Practitioners. Some of our guests would also like to test their own, I''m sure," Lu Ce smiled as the dancers quickly left the plaza as all eyes turned to the emperor to hear his decision.


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


    (Author: NOOO Cliff hanger. Well, you all know it was coming. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. The fights and mind games will soon begin. About time too. I think it transitioned well to it. Until next time!)

 Book 2: Chapter 2- Arctic Emperor Reigns

    (Author: Hello! The time has come for the fighting to commence. Lu Shu''s birthday feast is interrupted by his uncle, Lu Ce. Lu Ce seeks to humiliate his brother in front of the guests and, they too, also harbor similar intentions. Sometimes, being a noble is more dangerous than being a peasant. Lu Feng decided to come out to visit his disciple, Seto. The Honorable Ancestors are not really hiding. Only Lu Feng was. They were just cultivating in closed door practice. However, Lu Yi gets a little mad. Hint for next chapter. I know. I''m evil. Enjoy.)


    ------------Chapter 2: Arctic Emperor Reigns-----------------


    "Hmph. You think me a fool, brother. You are just as impulsive as you were five years ago when you made your daughter fight my eldest son, Lu Xing. Do you think I do not know you wish to regain face for her loss? Tell me, Lu Li, are you a fool like your father? Do you seek another chance against Lu Xing?" the emperor snarled.


    "Of course not, Imperial Uncle," Lu Li bowed.


    "Brother, why bring up the past? Your second son is a Practitioner. So too, is my first born son. I am merely suggesting a contest between the next generations. There is no harm in that," Lu Ce smiled.


    "Viper," Empress Rong yelled as she slammed her fist on the table, waking the tiger cub. "You will have your little contest. However, don''t expect your son, Lu Tian, to face Lu Shu so easily. He is scum in my eyes. If your son defeats three others, he will fight Lu Shu."


    "My thanks, Empress. Lu Tian will not fail you. Boy, thank the empress," Lu Ce smiled as he gestured to the center of the plaza.


    A large boy walked to the center of the plaza. He was also thirteen years old but stood six feet tall. It was evident that the boy was someone blessed with powerful physique. Most people who gazed upon the boy wearing a full set of silver armor could not believe he was truly thirteen. Lu Ce smiled as if he had already won. His sister, Lu Fei, smiled as she sent her daughter to the center of the plaza as well. Her name was Lu Qing. She was fourteen years old and already a beautiful young woman.


    "What is the meaning of this?" Lu Yi asked as he saw his nephew and niece bow but not fight.


    "My apologies, brother. I also wish my daughter to face Lu Shu. Worry not, how about we have them face ten representatives of the sub branch?" Lu Fei bowed.


    "So be it. In the end, you will learn that your children are nothing. Proceed," Lu Yi spat.


    Ten members of the sub branch stood up and bowed to the emperor before facing Lu Tian and Lu Qing. Lu Tian drew a katana as with a blade four feet long. Seeing such a tall boy tower above the others with his large blade, many people felt sorry for the five who surrounded him. Then they saw Lu Qing draw two short swords as she faced the other five.


    Lu Tian roared as he slashed with his katana. Two of the boys spat blood as they failed to block his horizontal slash. They were sent flying toward the guests, but slammed into a barrier instead. They fell to the ground and did not get up. Lu Tian laughed and fire crackled from his body. It wrapped around his katana and he slashed at the three remaining fighters. They screamed as they could not block or dodge in time. The crowd averted their gaze as the three ran, crazed, in all directions until the fire killed them.


    Lu Qing had also easily achieved victory. While her cousin overpowered his opponents, she moved to fast for them to follow. Wind seemed to gather at her feet and she moved so fast, it was as if the five opponents were moving in slow motion. She knocked the blades from their hands and smashed the side of her swords in the back of their necks. They were knocked unconscious before they could land a single blow.


    "I am Lu Tian, a genius among geniuses. I am a third stage Spirit Shaman. Come, Lu Shu. Let me test your might!" Lu Tian laughed as he turned to gaze at Shu. "Cousin Qing, permit me to go first."


    "As you wish, Tian," Qing nodded after looking at her mother.


    "Oh? It''s over?" Shu asked as he lazily looked away from his plate and at the stage. "Two heavily wounded, three dead, and five unconscious. You really went all out. I''ll just fight you both. I''m still hungry."


    "Lu Shu!" his mother yelled as she feared for her son.


    "Why worry mother? I am at the fourth stage," Shu asked, shocking Lu Ce and Lu Fei tremendously.


    "What?" Lu Fei gasped.


    "Impossible! How can you be at the fourth stage?" Lu Ce yelled.


    "You call me a liar, uncle? There is no point to lying here," Shu said and turned into wisps of shadow.


    In a flash, they saw him appear in the middle of the plaza, gazing at his cousins. A trail of shadows was left behind from where he started. He opened his arms and let out his spirit force. It blasted away his cousins and they were forced on their knees as they almost hit the barriers in front of the guests. Lu Shu sighed and drew his katana, Arctic Emperor. He brandished the blade and wisps of baleful aura appeared. His demeanor seemed tyrannical as the baleful aura spread fear, paralyzing Lu Tian and Lu Qing. They struggled to regain their composure from the fear emitted by the aura.


    "You called me out. Why do you stand still? You wanted to humiliate me, no?" Shu smirked. "Come, and show me your might. There are others who wish to fight and I wish to see them and exchange pointers."


    This made all the delegates and ambassadors uneasy. They had also brought Practitioners at the fourth stage, seeking to overpower the second prince and show their might. However, they did not expect the prince to also be at the fourth stage. Some did not mind as they were confident with their own pupils. Lu Qing and Lu Tian stood side by side as they stared at Lu Shu. They had felt jealousy and envy from their parents as they were often told to become strong to defeat Lu Shu since three years ago. He was all they talked about and they were not praised, despite their accomplishments.


    "I''ll strike from the left while you strike from the right," Qing said.


    "Right. I''ll distract him," Lu Tian nodded as they no longer underestimated Lu Shu.


    Lu Tian roared and ran toward Lu Shu. He swung his katana high and slashed it downward. Lu Shu relazed his lef hand on the katana and suddenly blurred as he appeared at Lu Tian''s right in a flash of darkness and  stabbed at him. Lu Qing appeared in front of the blow and crossed her swords as she tried to block it. Lu Shu''s strength was too tyrannical to black and she was sent, flying, and crashed into Lu Tian instead. Lu Qing quickly stood up and disappeared as wind covered her body. Lu Tian bellowed as he stood up and wrapped his katana with fire.


    Lu Qing appeared on his behind him and became a bullet of wind as she attempted to slash him with her swords. Lu Tian also used the same move he used to kill the three opponents from earlier, and sent out a wave of fire at Lu Shu. Lu Shu spun in a circle and made a horizontal slash, sending a whirlpool of moon blades made of water spiraling from his position. The wave of fire was extinguished as the water blades cut it several times and Lu Qing was blown away, as if she was hit by a truck. She moved incredibly fast, but the power of his technique was as if she rode a bike at a moving truck.


    "No," Lu Fei gasped as she saw her daughter slam into the barrier above the guests.


    Lu Qing spat blood on impact and fell to the ground. The royal guards looked at her and told the guests that Lu Qing was just unconscious. Lu Fei was relieved while Lu Ce fumed. How could both his children be defeated by Lu Yi''s sons? Why was his brother blessed with genius sons above his own children? Why? Why? Those thoughts echoed in his mind as he saw Lu Tian pale when his fire wave was easily distinguished. After all, how could his fire technique defeat a living water spirit technique, the one called Radiant Howl?


    "Do you surrender?" Lu Shu asked.


    "Never!" Lu Tian roared and slashed at Lu Shu.


    The plaza rang as metal clashed with metal. Lu Tian desperately tried to hit Lu Shu with every blade technique he knew, but they were all deflected by a flick of Shu''s katana. Lu Tian tried punching him with his fist covered in fire. Lu Shu merely blocked it by letting the fist hit his palm which was covered with water. Lu Tian was at the third stage. Even if he was incredibly gifted among other third stage Spirit Shamans, Lu Shu was also stronger than most people at his own stage. Lu Shu did not strike Lu Tian down and merely moved out of the way or deflected the katana instead of dodging and blocking. In the end, Lu Tian''s stamina ran out and a single palm at his chest knocked him out.


    "Thank you for the lesson," Agemo bowed and sheathed Artic Emperor.


    "HAHAHA! What a show. I''d like to challenge Prince Lu Shu," a boy grinned as he stepped forward when the barrier was withdrawn to take away the cousins.


    "And who are you?" the emperor roared. "You wish to challenge my son, without addressing me first?"


    "Ah," the boy paled as the emperor released the spirit force of a Spirit Sage. Clearly, the emperor had reached the end of his temper control.


    "My apologies, Imperial Majesty. I am a delegate from the Xu City. I have come on behalf of the my father, the city lord. I am Liu Mang, son of Liu Bang," the boy bowed as cold sweat ran down his spine.


    "Hmph. Proceed," the emperor said as he dissipated his spirit force, the crowd unexpectedly releasing their breath as they did not know they held their breath in shock of his power.


    "Prepare yourself. You are not the only fourth stage Spirit Shaman here," Liu Mang warned as he drew a long sword. "I will defeat you."


    "Come and try," Lu Shu grinned, eager to test himself against someone who could give him a challenge.


    Both fighters initiated a spirit movement technique and released a small gust of wind as their weapons clashed. Liu Mang used the element of light while Lu Shu used darkness. The crowd watched as sword clashed against blade the battle became a battle of speed. Liu Mang yelled as a beam of light exploded from his left hand. Shu dodged it and sent five moon blades of water at Mang, the blades spreading out like a spider web enclosing on an insect that flew into it. Mang hastily slashed his sword in all directions, but was pushed back by the force. Water splashed all over the platform and Shu grinned as lightning crackled over his blade. He yelled as he stabbed his blade into the ground, sending a wave of lightning that grew larger as it rapidly spread in Mang''s direction.


    Liu Mang didn''t panic and surrounded himself with wind spirit energy. Concentrating at his feet, he levitated ten feet off the ground, avoiding the lightning. Shu anticipated it as wind spirit energy users could levitate at the third stage and used his Radiant Howl technique again, sending another set of five moon blades at him. Mang cried out as he was unable to block them all this time and crashed into the barrier behind him. By the time he looked up, he saw Shu appear with a burst of darkness spreading from his body, Arctic Emperor touching the boy''s neck.


    "I surrender!" Mang cried as Shu drew a drop of blood on the boy''s neck.


    "Emperor Lu Yi," an ambassador began as Liu Mang left the stage. "I request a pupil of mine to spar with Lu Shu. He had befriended the Hyperion who, I am embarrassed to admit, even fooled me to believe he was human. I''m afraid he is angered at the loss of his friend and wishes to fight Prince Lu Shu. However, he is a fifteen year old at the fifth stage. I wonder if Emperor Lu Yi will permit this request of mine?"


    "Ambassador from another nation. This will be hard to deny," Lu XIng thought as he stared at his father.


    "So be it," Lu Yi nodded, shocking the crowd as they couldn''t believe he actually permitted it.


    "Dear, how could you permit this? He is of a higher cultivation stage," Lu Rong asked.


    "Hmph. A single stage is nothing. If Lu Shu applies his knowledge and training, he is sure to win. This is also a good training for him. He is too strong among people of his own level. I know my son and I can tell that Liu Mang disappointed him. That boy was too predictable. He read that wind Practitioner like a book. Besides, I believe all his opponents were only Practitioners with weapon spirits. Hopefully, he fights someone who uses more than one element, like himself. The more elements an opponent uses, the more angles he can attack and defend with. Being too cautious will hurt his growth," the emperor waved and nodded at the ambassador once more.


    "My thanks, Emperor Lu Yi. Truly, you are undeterred by sudden requests," the ambassador bowed. "Zack Howe, you''re up."


    "Yes, Prime Minister," a blonde boy grinned and walked onto the stage with a large axe in his hand, bowing at the emperor before looking at Lu Shu. "Hello, Prince Lu Shu. I am Zack of House Howe. I am a fifth stage Spirit Shaman who uses the elements of earth and light. Let us exchange pointers well."


    "Light and earth," Lu Shu muttered as they began circling each other.


    Zack appeared in a flash and hacked at Lu Shu from his left side. Shu was surprised at his speed and barely managed to block the attack. The boy appeared behind him and kicked Shu. Shu was knocked forward five feet before he managed to turn around, but the boy was gone. He jumped back as spikes of earth appeared from the ground and looked up as he landed. Zack was hovering in the air and sent a large wave of wave of earth at Lu Shu as his axe slashed the ground. Shu covered his blade with lightning and slashed at the wave of dirt and rock, slicing it in half.


    "Not bad, Prince Shu. Allow me to take it up a notch," Zack grinned as his axe began to release a celestial aura.


    "Fuck," Shu cursed as he wisps of shadows surrounded him as he blocked the axe from his blind point.


    Zack appeared as if he was teleporting as he hacked at Lu Shu from different angles around him. Artic Emperor began to emit baleful aura as Shu released his spirit force with a shout, a White Ocean Tiger spirit roaring behind him for five seconds. Zack was knocked back by the spirit force and was shocked. As far as the boy knew, no one at the fourth stage should have such power. Shu deflected a blow and cut Richard''s leg, drawing spirit energy from the boy.


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    "What? He can absorb spirit energy?" the ambassador gasped as he stood up in shock, clearly not expecting Lu Shu to be able to match Zack.


    "HAHAHA! That kid. He is really is a demon," Lu Yi laughed in his thoughts.


    "My spirit energy is draining. I need to end this fast," Zack muttered as he began to store earth spirit energy into his axe.


    "If the prince can take this blow, I will gladly surrender," Zack cried, hoping to end the match sooner.


    "Then I will return the favor," Lu Shu agreed as a black cloud appeared next to him.


    The crowd stared in wonder as the black cloud began to replicate, lightning crackling from each cloud. Soon they connected and began to spread, quickly surrounding Zack and blocking the audience from view. Zack shouted as he used his most powerful technique, slamming his axe onto the ground. The ground shook as it exploded all around Zack. Everyone involuntarily stumbled from their seats as they saw such power. Most of the clouds were destroyed in the blast, allowing them to see the plaza full of dust from the explosion. As it cleared, everyone wondered where Lu Shu went as he had disappeared.


    "What? He escaped?" Zack cried, shocked as he saw Lu Shu with several cuts on his legs as the black clouds condensed into one and revealed him.


    "Sorry. My technique allows me to travel between each of the clouds. I literally become lightning. Thank you for being merciful," Shu bowed as his legs itched from the cuts.


    "HAHAHAHAHA!" the emperor laughed. "Wonderful! Just wonderful. That''s my boy. Another great victory. As there are no more challengers, I will---"


    "Excuse me, Your Imperial Majesty. I would like my son to fight him," a voice said, shocking everyone as someone dared to interrupt the emperor.


    "Who the hell are you?" Lu Ce roared angrily. Even though he did not like his brother, he was loyal to the throne and would sacrifice anything for the clan.


    "I am a delegate from the Nara Empire," the ambassador in golden armor bowed. "I am Yoshida Tsugumo, brother of  Emperor Shingen Tsugumo."


    "The Nara Empire? Ah. My apologies, Esteemed Guest," Lu Ce stuttered loudly.


    "My son, Yoshi, is of the fifth stage as well. As your son seems strong, I would like my son to exchange pointers with him. He has attained a true Archon body and is to be betrothed to one of the ancient clans. May I ask that they exchange pointers?" Yoshida asked, a grin on his face that he failed to hide as he did not bow low enough.


    "This, I...will allow. However, if he dies, I will kill you and destroy the Nara Empire. You think I fear the ancient clans? I, Lu Yi, fear no one! You saw my ancestor, Lu Feng. He slaughtered one of the clans and can do so again!" Lu Yi said darkly as Yoshida clearly waited until he saw enough of Shu''s strength. "I will not let my son die a meaningless death."


    Shu felt something break in his mind and a scene from his memories appeared. He swayed to the ground as his body burst spirit force, blowing away the fragments of dirt and rock around him. Everyone stared at Shu as they didn''t know what was going on. Suddenly, the living water technique appeared a few inches above his body as it seemed to wrap him like a cocoon, its head roaring above his as its insect-like body seemed to wrap limbs around him that looks like cerulean veins that glowed and had wisps of it seeming pulse from its body.


    "Lu Shu?" Lu Xing cried, concerned for his brother.


    "Don''t cry. Don''t cry," Lu Mei whispered to the tiger cub as she stared at her brother.


    The White Ocean Tiger spirit and the mask spirit appeared above him. Everyone was shocked to see dual-spirits, save for Lu Yi who already knew from Meng Ce''s report a few years ago. The pupils in Shu''s eyes narrowed like a tiger''s and the mask spirit actually materialized on his face. His crimson wings sprout from his body as baleful aura emitted from Arctic Emperor. The temperature seemed to grow colder and the people, whose cultivations were not high enough, could see their own breath. Shu became immersed in the memory, oblivious to the real world.


    "They''re here! The government is here! They brought guns!" one of the scientists cried.


    "Get those containment control gates down. They are eight inches thick of pure hard steel. It should delay them for a few hours, even if they had bombs!" Agemo cried. "I want the facility on lockdown. Good thing we already deleted all the data and escorted all the children out of here. Grab whatever''s left and head to our secret facility. COntinue Project O there. Head Guard Hiroki-san, you know what to do."


    "It was an honor to serve you and witness your ambition, Agemo-dono," Hiroki cried, the rest of the guards mimicking him as they headed to their stations.


    "Tanaka-san, please prepare Firestorm. I will remain here to delay them and keep them unawares," Agemo nodded at the remaining scientist.


    "You''ll die, Agemo-dono! We need you. Without you, Project O would not even have been approved or witness its first success. You are the first, true success. We need you to continue the project," Tanaka cried.


    "No. You only need my D.N.A. and my research. There is a large safe about six feet in diameter. Inside are several containment units that have my blood. There should be enough to replicate it and use it to analyze and improve the project. If they see me here, they''ll believe I am hiding a crucial component of the project. My sensei and the world do not approve. No, they cannot believe that it is necessary. You and the others must continue the project. Those children are the future. I might be called a devil, but I won''t let those kids die a meaningless death. They are not science experiments! They are my ideal. Science has always been made for the betterment of mankind. Some experiments are considered the work of a devil, but sometimes they are necessary acts of darkness to prolong the light. Go. I cannot see you off."


    "Agemo-dono. forgive me," Tanaka cried as he bent on both knees, bowed his head on the ground, and left.


    Lu Shu cried as he returned the reality, falling to his knees in grief. Maybe he wasn''t as bad as he thought. He died in a pretty cool way. Staying behind and using himself as a distraction to buy others some more time. That was honorable. He wiped his eyes and stared at Yoshi, confused as to why the boy felt terror.


    "Lu Shu, my son, are you alright?" Lu Yi asked.


    "I''m fine father. I was just reminiscing an old memory. I will defeat my opponent now. I won''t fail you," Lu Shu cried as his spirit force dissipated while he let his spirit energy flow in his body.


    He stretched his wings as he tried to stabilize the immense spirit energy he released earlier. However, the audience didn''t, no couldn''t, believe he was so strong. The next thing they saw him do terrified them even more. Ice seemed to form at the back of his waist and three trails of segmented triangles shaped to form  long, plated tails. The tails seemed to have a life of their own as they swayed above them as they got longer. Even though the tails did not look like a scorpion, a white green liquid dripped from the tails, packed with highly concentrated amounts of the planet''s life force. So much energy entering someone would instantly shatter their veins and arteries as they were not accustomed to having that energy in their body.


    "You''re not the only true Archon. I practice the Titan Creator true Archon body technique. I have made a pact with the planet and use its very life force in my cultivation. Not the spirit energy around you like most other Practitioners. Prepare yourself, I won''t hold back against someone who dares to look upon me from a higher stage and wait, like a pussy, for me to reveal my power first," Lu Shu said coldly, appearing tyrannical before Yoshi.


    "True Archon?" one of the sub branches gasped. "The main branch has someone like that?"


    "This can''t be," Lu Ce gasped as he fell to his knees. "This is his true power? He can control his element with ease and even use them to such an extent as to form extra limbs. I truly lost against my brother. Why have the heavens always favored him and his family? Why?"


    "Yoshi! Be careful!" Yoshida cried as he feared for him.


    "These wings use a lot of that vermillion energy, I should use them for a powerful attack to start and dispel them after," Shu thought as he rose into the air.


    "Barriers!" Lu Rong cried as she suspected that the fight would soon commence.


    Invisible barriers shimmered a white light as they formed while Shu curled up, covering his body with his wings. Each individual feather seemed to shimmer with vermillion energy as he became like a sun, blinding the crowd and causing many to involuntarily cringe from the concentration of power. Shu yelled as he uncurled his wings into a full stretch, sending each feather at Yoshi like a field of arrows. As they rained down, the living water spirit technique retracted back into his body, recovering his spent spirit energy.


    Yoshi cried out and desperately focused light spirit energy into his hands as he made several hand signs. Holding a magical item from his storage bag, he quickly made a formation barrier above him consisting of five layers. The first three layers broke as if they didn''t exist, and only a few of the arrows broke through the fifth barrier. Yoshi screamed as some of them cut him as he desperately tried to block them with his katana.


    Two of the scorpion tails stabbed into the ground, slowing Shu''s fall to a stop and allowing him to land on his feet with ease. Shu laughed and ran forward. The area in front of Yoshi began to blur as Yoshi felt he was fighting four different swordsman at once. Each of the tails moved in an unpredictable pattern while Shu''s own blade was too strong for him to block as he was pushed back.


    "Did the prince take pills to increase his spirit force? He has way too much spirit energy for someone at the fourth stage!" Yoshida cried.


    "Silence. You dare accuse my son for something he didn''t do?" Lu Yi roared while he inwardly smiled at the power of his son. He really had to send gives of high quality to General Meng Ce, but didn''t know how to thank the Overseer.


    "Magical beasts, to me!" Yoshi cried and three large, black dragons appeared onto the plaza as they flew over the barrier and landed next to him. "Breathe your flames at Lu Shu!"


    "That bastard!" Lu Xing roared and slammed his fist into the table while Bahamut flew into the air and enlarged to its full size.


    Bahamut roared its own flames, blocking the fire from the other three, shocking everyone in the crowd. Lu Shu smirked as he covered Bahamut with two of his scorpion tales, fully protecting its body with a thinner armor of ice around its wings. The last tail formed a large ball of ice that burst at Yoshi. The three other dragons hastily breathed flames at the thick ball of ice, but Yoshi still had to dodge it as they only decreased its size in half.


    "You wanna play with help? Fine, allow me to do the same. Bahamut, take care of those lizards. They are no match for an Emerald Steel Dragon," Shu smirked.


    "Not if I--Argh!" Yoshi screamed as his storage bag was snatched as Wraith appeared and stole the storage bag. "WHat is that thing?"


    "This? It''s my puppet. Why? Expected a Practitioner to use a golem? Puppets are just tools, like that magical artifact you used to attempt to block my feathers," Shu waved as he got Yoshi''s storage bag from Wraith. "Ah, good work. Didn''t expect you to do that."


    "He dared to fight dirty in a one-on-one duel, master. I returned the favor," Wraith bowed before disappearing into his shadow.


    "Now what are you going to do now? No more sudden formations with magical items and your dragons are otherwise preoccupied," Shu sighed as he tossed and caught the storage bag repeatedly.


    Bahamut roared as it overpowered the other dragons. Emerald Steel Dragons were slow but had highly resilient scales and immense strength. It quickly bit one of the tails off one dragon as it turned its body to use its wings as a blade, cutting another dragon with a deep slash in the chest. The third dragon quailed as Bahamut rammed into it and smashed a claw on its neck as it moved to bite the head off.


    "Easy there, Bahamut. I know you''re eager to test your power since we left, but I can''t have you kill those three. They aren''t wearing collars so they must be bound to this guy," Shu said, causing both Yoshida and Yoshi to sigh with relief.


    "Now it''s just you and me. Don''t hold back and use only your skills with spirit energy and the blade. Let us fight like samurai," Lu Shu said as he motioned to a royal guard who gave both spirit bags to their respective fathers.


    All four dragons left the plaza as the crowd watched the two boys circle each other. Yoshi had light green energy emit from his body, using his wood spirit energy to heal his wounds. Lu Shu narrowed his eyes as wood spirit energy was known for its great healing abilities that nearly rivaled that of light mages. Earth spirit energy also formed on Yoshi''s body, becoming armor as hard as diamond. Yoshi knew he could not hold back against the prince, who was at the fourth stage. He was already humiliated at being at an even match with Lu Shu and could no longer afford to lose the match.


    "Remember not to kill each other," Lu Yi warned as he knew they were waiting for each other to make the first move.


    "I won''t lose!" Yoshi yelled as a Lu Yi clapped his hands once.


    The recent memory flashed in his mind as Shu readied Arctic Emperor and said, "Then prove it and defeat my Arctic Emperor with your blade."

 Book 2: Chapter 3- The Ancient Clan

    (Author: Hello! I don''t post chapters on Sundays. So no chapter yesterday. I''m currently writing chapter 7. Well, the fight reaches its climax. Two people with true Archon bodies go head-to-head after Lu Shu defeats his opponents. Lu Ce fails to humiliate his brother and Lu Shu. He actually increases their reputation instead. Just what will happen once the fight is over? Well, that''s what titles are for. You also learn how the eastern countries are faring against the Hyperion. Some asked why Shu didn''t just kill people. The answer: too many political issues will arise. Don''t worry. His temperament changes beginning in the__ chapter. Yeah. I plan on slowly changing his mindset. He will always be a good person to those he trusts. Everyone else is fair game. After all, he used to be a scientist for a noble goal, but people feared his actions and results. Well, enjoy.)


    ----------Chapter 3: The Ancient Clan----------------------


    The air around Lu Shu''s blade seemed to chill as Yoshi entered within range. Yoshi concentrated his spirit energy into his blade and slashed down as Lu Shu. Lu Shu drew his left arm across his chest and moved it outward, deflecting the blow and the two blades clashed. Yoshi felt himself lifted into the air by the impact and coughed as Shu punched his chest, his fist wrapped with crackling lightning.


    Lu Shu became a trail of shadows as he sped toward Yoshi. Yoshi touched the tip of his katana at the ground and sent a wave of rock as he twisted in the air, landing on his feet as the wave began to crash down at Lu Shu. Lu Shu cut the wave in pieces with four moon blades of water. He narrowed his eyes as Yoshi was gone, a large hole appearing where he last saw him. Lu Shu smirked as he concentrated water spirit energy into his hand. A White Ocean Tiger spirit appeared, roaring behind him as he punched the ground with his fist. Several geysers blew up from the ground, and Lu Shu laughed as he made a circular slash, sending lightning into the geysers. The ground incinerated as it conducting electricity due to the water splashed everywhere.


    Yoshi burst from the ground, several burn marks all over his body as his earth armor was unable to take the assault. As Yoshi began to glow that same green energy, Lu Shu stabbed his katana into the ground, freezing all the water in seconds. Parts of Yoshi''s body became frozen and he yelled in pain as some of his skin cracked before he broke the ice. Lu Shu appeared in front of him with a burst of darkness spreading around him and Yoshi barely managed to block the blow. They soon clashed all over the plaza as sounds of metal emanated with every strike.


    Lu Shu looked heartless with his mask spirit manifested on his face. It constantly restored his spirit energy, one of the perks of spirit manifestation. Lu Shu blocked a blow, pushing the back of his blade with his free hand to push Yoshi, and his katana, far away. Lu Shu brandished his katana and used his Radiant Howl technique, sending waves of water blades over and over, forcing Yoshi back. Unnoticed by most people, all the water that the geysers blew into the air were used to shape small black clouds high above the plaza. Yoshida had noticed but would dishonor his son if he interfered with the match and warned him.


    "It''s over!" Yoshi roared as the ground began to quake underneath him, forming a giant katana that seemed weightless in his hands.


    "You have lost," Lu Shu said as a giant, blue lightning bolt fell from the sky, shattering the giant katana-shaped rock.


    Yoshi yelled as fragments of the rock blasted against him, breaking some bones. As people stared at the fallen Yoshi, others saw the black cloud descend and enter Lu Shu''s mouth. Blue lightning began to crackle around his skin and Lu Shu began to laugh maniacally. He let the lightning spread into his bodies, watching them expand his veins and make them thicker. This was how lightning spirit users began stronger: fusing their spirit energy generated lightning with real lightning and absorbing it into their own bodies. While enduring the pain, they allow their body to become more in tune with the element.


    "Like I said before: You have lost. Disappear," Lu Shu said as he sent a beam of lightning toward the entrance, causing everyone to murmur as they wondered why he attacked the entrance to the palace.


    "What is this!" Lu Yi roared as he saw the lightning pierce through a person who was previously invisible. "Explain yourself, Yoshida!"


    "It''s not him father. It seems we have a spy here. A member of the spirit clan, but so weak  that he could pass as one of the servants or maids of the palace," Lu Shu grinned as he approached the dying boy. "Oh, he has a Mystic Stone? I can sense it with my spirit energy. I''ll take that."


    The crowd cringed as Lu Shu put his hand into the hole in the dying boy''s chest. They averted their gaze as the boy screamed while a marble was taken from his body, killing the boy. People paled, while others fainted, as Lu Shu put the marble in his mouth, absorbing the spirit energy in the Mystic Stone . The marble lost its shined and became a simple marble as he spat it on the ground. It was as if it were never used in the first place.


    "How did you do that?" Yoshida gasped as he appeared next to his son and began sharing his spirit energy to heal him. "Mystic Stones are the souls of Practitioners."


    "No, they are not. They symbolize the soul and become pure concentrations of spirit energy when fused into the body. Someone with my ability can rip out someone''s Mystic Stone to empower my own. However, why did someone of the ancient clans come here? He had a spirit reactor. I can literally feel its power in my body," Lu Shu murmured as a second reactor appeared in his Mystic Stone.


    While his own spirit reactor was a large demonic core with five sets of wings, the other spirit reactor was different. It was a giant demonic core that had shrunk and symbolized a third eye atop of a human-shaped skull. His two spirits had sunk into his soul lake as they became enriched with its power. Lu Shu can see the stars in the sky as the two spirit reactors became two moons high above the lake. Lightning crackled in the distance as it circled the lake while the waves became as mini tsunamis while the lake deepened and became dark.


    "You can take out someone''s Mystic Stone? Who are you?" a voice boomed as a man in completely covered in a black cloak appeared in the plaza, emanating the power of a Spirit Shaman of the tenth stage. "Why did you kill my good friend?"


    "Ah, young master of the ancient clans. Welcome Yoshida bowed as he bowed toward him.


    "A mere Spirit Shaman dares to interrupt the match and send a spy to attempt to attack my son from the shadows?" Lu Yi roared as he deduced the connection.


    "As the grandson of one of the lords of the ancient clans, I beg your forgiveness for my impudence," the teenager bowed as he pulled back his hood to reveal a youth of twenty years.


    "You''re only sorry you got caught. I overlooked such weak spirit energy as I assumed it was a servant of mine. You have made me a fool. Give me a reason not to kill you," Lu Yi growled.


    "I am the grandson of a lord of the ancient clans," the boy stressed.


    "And I am  the descendant of over a dozen Spirit Sages!" Lu Yi roared. "Just one of my ancestors slaughtered one of the ten of the mighty ancient clans. You number nine now. Do you think the Yan Dynasty fears you?"


    "Ah," the boy paled while Yoshida stepped toward Lu Yi. "Please forgive him, Your Imperial Majesty. He is to be my in-law when my son marries his little sister. He had only brought a minor child of the ancient clans to watch the feast. He was only at the third stage and had weakened his spirit energy considerably to avoid detection."


    "Enough of your lies. Kneel on your knees. All of you! You dare to humiliate my boy on his fucking birthday. I allowed you to challenge him and you send spies, bitched to outnumbered him, and still lost. Tell me, Lu Shu, how do we deal with these trash? I don''t mind killing them. None of them are Spirit Masters," the emperor sneered as he crushed them underneath a formation barriers, causing them to sweat and cough blood as all the people who angered him were on their knees due to his power.


    "This is going too far, Even for me," Lu Rong said as she put a hand on her husband''s shoulders.


    "Pfft. What do I care? It doesn''t matter if they are my brother, sister, niece, nephew, relatives, ambassadors, or whatever the fuck they came here under. They challenged me indirectly and took advantage of me. I listened to their lies and insults for days until I allowed them to come to my son''s birthday and host the competition at the same time," the emperor spat as he shrugged his wife''s hand away. "They will pay the price."


    "Under who''s authority?" a man in similar black robes appeared, showing the strength of the Fiend Adept.


    "HAHAHAHA! You think you scare me? I am at the ninth stage!" Lu Yi roared as he also forced the man on his knees. "Fucking true Archons. Just because your foundation is better, you assume you are the best. Let me enlighten you now, talent isn''t everything! Ha! You seem as powerful as someone at the third stage of Spirit Master. I''ve killed more powerful Fiend Adepts of the ancient clans than you."


    "I ask that you forgive him," the man begged. "He is my charge and--"


    "You failed to oversee his conduct," Lu Yi sneered. "We aren''t in the eastern kingdoms next to the Hyperion scum. This is the Yan Dynasty! I told my son not to kill anyone today, but I am willing to spare that brat of yours if you allow my son to cut off your head. Tell me, is your loyalty that deep or will you let that young master die?"


    "You can''t do this!" Yoshida shouted, anguish in his voice s he would be blamed.


    "Father, this atmosphere is too oppressive. Why don''t you let them kneel on the ground instead. The uninvolved guests are becoming uncomfortable," Lu Xing smiled, proud of his father''s might.


    Lu Yi waved his arm and the barriers dissipated. All the people involved obediently sat on their knees in the plaza. Lu Mei, who was distracted by the tiger cub, didn''t care about the competition at all as she was sure her brother would win. She looked up and laughed before looking down at the tiger cub, the people on the plaza feeling ashamed by being laughed at by her so helplessly.


    "Allow me to speak in my father''s place," Lu Xing began as his father sat down, irritated and attempting to cool down. "The ancient clans are strong. Even my father would hesitate to make you our enemies. However, we have enough experts to fight back against you. That much is also true. We could also annihilate the Nara Empire. That is a fact. As far as the sub clans are, there are too many rebellious figures. Lu Shu, please step forward."


    "What is it, Xing?" Shu asked as he retrieved his storage bag from his father and stood next to Xing, overlooking the plaza.


    "Father wanted to let you decide. However, we can''t kill them. There must be an alternative. What do you think we should do?" Xing asked as he gestured at the kneeling provokers.


    "I already got a spirit reactor from that dead kid. The ancient clans fight the Hyperion. I will let them go," Lu Shu said.


    "Thank you for your mercy," the Fiend Adept bowed as he stood up with his charge. "Worry not, we will not seek any vengeance for what happened. That boy was a minor being and not considered a loss. I cannot tell you the name of my ancient clan, out of fear of your hidden experts. I will be sure that we never dwell in the Yan Dynasty without addressing the Imperial Emperor for permission. As a gift for the second prince, please take this dagger. It uses death energy to make its blade soundless. Not even the wind can be felt when swing the dagger. Forgive us and thank you."


    "Oh, nice dagger," Lu Xing grinned as he took the dagger and handed it to Lu Shu. "It should serve you well if you want to assassinate someone. What do we do with the rest of them?"


    "Have the Nara Empire pay our family one trillion gold. That would follow the consequences under our international laws," Lu Rong suggested and Lu Shu nodded in agreement.


    "The what of our relatives?" Lu Xing asked.


    "The Great Ancestor will decide their punishment," Lu Yi said telepathically through his spirit sense, causing the members of the Lu Clan to pale as only they heard his words.


    "Then the competition is ended. Let us enjoy the feast. Hail Lu Shu! May he live ten thousand years!" Lu Xing roared.


    "Hail Lu Shu!" everyone yelled and relaxed as it was all over.


    "That was the most exciting birthday party I''ve attended," Lu Xing sighed and pat his brother on the back. "Nice work. You beat them all and even the ancient clans and the blasted Nara Empire representatives had to bow down to us. Fucking great day."


    "Language," Lu Rong warned while staring at her husband. "Killing them? Really?"


    "You would have them dismembered or tortured for their entire lives," Lu Yi replied as he rolled his eyes. "Don''t pretend to be merciful. No emperor would marry such an empress. His ministers would daringly suggest I take concubines as other emperors did."


    "Take him before I keep him for myself," Lu Mei pouted as she handed the tiger cub to Lu Shu.


    "Not a bad day. I fought all out and gained a spirit reactor. I wonder what the changes will be once my Mystic Stone fully harmonizes it," Lu Shu sighed as his mask spirit disappeared and felt his body become as heavy as lead. "Aw. So this is what it feels like afterwards. I feel so drained."


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    "Spirit manifestation. Not bad," Lu Yi smiled. "You will feel sluggish for a few hours. You made me proud. Your dragon also did good. Still, a wraith fused into a puppet......The Overseer really must like you. Enjoy the feast. You certainly earned it besides being born. HAHAHAHA!"


    Later that night, four other ancestors left the hidden chamber and began cultivation in in a four-square point formation in the guest house next to the palace. No one was permitted to disturb them, but news had passed quickly as the feast continued until midnight. If seeing Lu Feng,  single Spirit Sage was to be expected, seeing four more appear from the palace so easily was terrifying. Most nations were lucky enough to secure a single Spirit Master. The Yan Dynasty was truly underestimated.


    Still enraged, the emperor did not see his relatives off as he ordered them to see the four Spirit Sages who had the judgment from the Great Ancestor. As for the Fiend Adept from the ancient clan, he decided to wait until the feast was over to talk to the emperor. In the throne room, Lu Yi was sitting with his family, ministers, and generals as they stared at the ambassadors from the Nara Empire and the Fiend Adept with his charge next to him. Lu Shu was not present as he was cultivating to hasten the assimilation of the new spirit reactor.


    "The emperor will allow you to speak now," the Prime Minister declared as he bowed after a nod from the emperor.


    "Thank you, Imperial Majesty, for allowing my charge and I to live. My first name is Minho of the Song Clan. I married into the ancient clan, which I cannot reveal. My charge is Lenard. He is a descendant of that clan so I cannot reveal his clan name. I see that you are in the right when you say the Yan Dynasty is fearless. I understand that Lu Shu has a spirit reactor. I wonder if he is willing to be betrothed to one of our many young beauties?" the Fiend Adept bowed.


    "That is his choice. What do I care? If he loves her. He loves her. He won''t be emperor and can''t be married off to another lord," the emperor waved while Lu Mei''s expression darkened.


    "Lu Mei," her mother soothed and Lu Mei nodded as she understood it would only be a lord she, herself, approved.


    "My empire is not allied with the ancient clans, nor do we have need of it. We can defend our own from the Hyperion. We have ways of seeking them out. Just like the one that hid among the Nara ambassadors," Lu Yi smirked.


    "Ah. May I ask how you did so? Their Spirit Pulse seemed to look like a human''s gold Spirit Pulse," Yoshida asked, concerned as his empire was currently defending itself from the Hyperion as another nation fell a year ago.


    "You do not need to know, my lord. My father will not speak of it. However, we know that the Hyperion have become rather active in their activities in the shadows," Lu Xing said respectfully as this was an official meeting.


    "Oh. It seems Lu Shu has managed to assimilate it at last. HAHAHA! His profits still increase. He seems to have broken to the fifth stage. That spirit reactor was truly a gift. HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Lu Yi laughed as Lu Xing laughed as well.


    "That brother of mine.....Geez," Lu Xing laughed. "Better watch out Lu Mei. You are not as talented as either of us. He might catch up."


    "Don''t tease me in front of the minsters and generals," Lu Mei pouted while the ministers and generals felt at ease as the atmosphere softened.


    "Yoshida, thank you.  Since my son discovered the spy while fighting your son, he truly got an unexpected reward. I fail to see a reward better suited to him for winning the competition. I will send a million strong army to assist with fighting the Hyperion. of course, you must still send the trillion gold," Lu Yi nodded.


    "Thank you, Imperial Majesty. The forces will help us greatly," Yoshida nodded.


    Outside the throne room, Lu Shu was hastily washing the impurities from his body. He had officially reached the halfway point of the Spirit Shaman tier. Now, the two spirit reactors were moons whose light enriched the soul lake with abundant spirit energy. The life force of the planet was successfully converted into spirit energy from the new spirit reactor. However, it was not the demonic red spirit energy but the vermillion energy which had also become suitable to cultivate as spirit energy. The upper surface of the lake became vermillion up to ten feet. The rest, all the way to the deep covered in darkness, was a demonic red. The mask spirit stayed near the surface while the White Ocean Tiger resided in the depths of the soul lake.


    According to the Bone Demon, having more spirit reactors was good. However, he should not have another type of spirit energy within his body. The life force of the plane was tolerated because of the existence of the spirit reactors. The more spirit reactors, the stronger the absorption rate into the Mystic Stone as well the more pure the spirit energy conversion. Now that he was at the fifth stage, his soul lake would become an ocean. He could see the lake expand as the depths of the lake decreased while the water spread. Soon, he could not see the outline of the water anymore. Now, the three elements in his body began to condense into shapes of fish within his soul ocean. For what is an ocean without life?


    "Hello father," Lu Shu bowed as he entered the throne room and took his place next to Lu Xing on the aisle before the two thrones of the emperor and empress.


    "Good. Very good. Congratulations on your success," Lu Yi smiled. "Now we can resume. Fiend Adept, what is your true purpose in coming to my empire?"


    "Ah, as you wish. The ancient clans have noticed that the Hyperion are becoming more crafty. We have no shortage of Practitioners, but we lack enough mages for our mortal armies. The western nations are abundant with mages and respect them more than Practitioners. Thus, a lot of mages migrate here while Practitioners and martial sects establish themselves to the east. The ancient clans sent me to ask permission to request some of the mage academies and guilds to recruit mages to our cause. This is the official letter of request," Minho bowed as a member of the royal guard got the letter and gave it to Lu Yi.


    "Hmm. It is real. Very well. You have my permission for that. Are the ancient clans planning an expedition to the east?" Lu Yi asked.


    "Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. We aim to take back the lands the Hyperion took from us and discover more about our enemy. It is said that the Hyperion have a new Overlord. It explains the recent activities of the Hyperion. This Overlord is ambitious. I am afraid it won''t take long for news of a more active invasion spreads to the west," Minho bowed. "Thus, we are strengthening our relations with the nations to the west in hope that we gain more reinforcements for when the time comes."


    "This does not bode well. Lu Xing, you will be emperor when I reach the Spirit Sage tier. You must become an Arch Mage before then," Lu Yi advised.


    "Yes, father," Lu Xing nodded.


    "If that is all, you are dismissed," Lu Yi nodded and the foreigners left except for Minho who had a few more words to say.


    "Prince Lu Shu, I apologize on behalf of the ancient clans. Your ability to extract Mystic Stones is frightening. I suggest you refrain from doing so unless you wish to kill the Practitioner. Life without spirit energy is worse than death for Practitioners. Some have the ability to seal a Mystic Stone. Thus, they cut off the connection to their source of spirit energy. It is the same, but at least they have a chance of finding someone to break that," Minho advised and left the throne room.


    "I''m also surprised," Lu Shu said after a moment, shocking everyone in the throne room. "I was told it was a hypothesis by an ancient teacher. Who knew it was true. I think he did though, and wanted me to find out on my own."


    "The day is won. A great day indeed, for our Yan Dynasty. Lu Shu, I already have an academy in mind for you to attend. Both Practitioners and mages study there, some Practitioners also having a spirit reactor and cultivating true Archon body techniques. You will train there and become a God Eater. Wait, you already are one, huh? Think of it as actual training," Lu Yi said. "You have explored the world with General Meng Ce and profited much. Now is the time to settle down and learn knowledge from history, rather than experience. The past holds much knowledge and even your siblings have private tutors while they attend the mage academy in the capital. You might catch up with Mei though. Rather than talent, she lacks the motivation to become stronger. Some nonsense about how boys don''t like dating girls stronger than they are. Utter bullshit. My wife is stronger than me, but most believe me to lie."


    "Father!" Mei shouted while the empress smiled coldly.


    "What is this academy I am going to?" Lu Shu asked.


    "It is known as the Black Lotus Academy. It resides in the north. You will enter a teleportation array in the palace and go tonight. It is already late at night here, so morning should come in three hours over there. You will leave immediately," Lu Yi said while looking at his wife. "The entrance exam starts in eight hours and not even the son of an emperor is exempt. No transfers or registrations are allowed afterwards. The exam is simple: be at the third stage. It is nothing to you. Goodbye Lu Shu. Know that we love you and will miss you."


    "Uh," Lu Shu said as he was dragged by the royal knights. He certainly did not expect this. Bahamut quickly flew after him as it had waited for him in the throne room all this time.


    "Hey! The tiger cub!" Lu Mei shouted and a royal guard hastily ran after them with a sleeping cub.


    "So abrupt. Why is it so necessary that he goes there?" Lu Rong asked.


    "The Honorable Ancestors sensed a powerful demonic spirit energy in that direction. The demons are becoming, active as of late. The dragons are also stirring from their sleep. Soon, the four forces will enter into a war. Could be a decade and a few years, but it will come. The Pantheon of Devils will open in ten years. All four races are sure to be cultivating to reach the proper qualifications. Even magical beasts are permitted to attend. Lu Xing is already qualified," Lu Yi smiled as he looked at his son. "Lu Shu must reach the tenth stage of the Spirit Shaman tier. Qualifications start at the seventh stage. However, Spirit Knights, Archon Phoenixes, or the stage directly below; can survive up to the eleventh floor. The prizes start at the tenth. He must reach the thirteenth floor."


    "That hideous place? Why would he go there?" Lu Rong shivered.


    "You always refused, so you don''t know its benefits. Our Great Ancestor can''t go, but many of our Honorable Ancestors at the peak of the ninth stage of Spirit Sage don''t dare to cultivate further in hopes of entering that place. It happens once every thousand years," Lu Yi grinned as he seemed to look at his past memories as he closed his eyes. "That place is so dangerous, death lurks and arrives in many fascinating place. There is no greater feeling of being alive. Save for sex. Sex is good."


    "Too true, Imperial Majesty," many generals laughed while the ministers forced themselves to smile uncomfortably to resist the urge.


    "You really feel old when you send your child away. Good luck Shu," the emperor said as he ended the royal court meeting.


    "Prince Shu, here is the room where all the gifts are located please place them in your storage bag," the royal guard said as the other one cut up.


    "That''s a lot. I wonder what they are," Lu Shu admired as he placed over a hundred gifts, of various sizes, into his storage bag.


    "Prince Shu, here is your magical beast tiger cub," the second royal guard bowed as he gave the cub to Shu.


    "Thank you," Lu Shu said as he seemed like a little child holding a slightly large kitten. "Did it get bigger? I could have sworn it was smaller..."


    "We are ordered to take you to the treasury to withdraw more gold. We will wait here for your return," the royal guards bowed as they arrived in front of the treasury.


    Lu Shu nodded and fed the tiger some lion wine, causing it to purr happily before sleeping. He laid it on the ground and had Bahamut watch over it as he began piling numerous gold into his storage bag. Satisfied, he left the treasury with his magical beasts and arrived in front of a large teleportation circle inscribed onto the floor of a chamber under heavy guard.


    "A temporary teleportation circle has been inscribed in front of the academy. There a member of the royal guard is waiting for you. Once you arrive, he will enter the circle and it will vanish behind him. Good luck, Prince Shu. That academy is the best in its continent, out of eight others. Naturally, students of the other academies will dislike you. Please take care and watch for assassins. Here is the letter of recommendation from your father. Farewell and happy birthday," the royal guard bowed on one knee as he gave a gold envelope to Shu.


    "Only home for almost two days and I''m already sent off again. Will I ever spend a week here?" Shu thought, incredulous at his reality while he received the envelope and entered the circle.

 Book 2: Chapter 4- Entrance Exams

    (Author: Hello! The promised academy days have arrived. Shu is now headed for the Black Lotus Academy. There, he will meet other talented youths and participate in the entrance exams. How will people react to his results? How are students categorized? By the way, you find out how mages rank and how they compare to Practitioners. Hint: Arch Mage is weaker than Arch Magus. Lu Rong is an Arch Magus. Now you''ll know why Lu Yi said he was weaker. Yeah, the info has arrived. It''s school. Can''t start the fighting and jealous student conflicts yet. Some of that starts at the eighth chapter I am writing. Ivy Shao also returns then. Enjoy.)


    -------------Chapter 4: Entrance Exams--------------


    The royal guard waited with Lu Shu for the academy doors to open before entering the teleportation circle. Lu Shu drank some lion wine to stay awake as he yawned while people began gathering in front of the gates with their kids. Some people kept staring at him. Pissed off by so many stares, Bahamut grew to its full size and roared at them. Many scrambled away from Lu Shu, who sighed as he laid against the back of his dragon to nap with the tiger cub curled on his chest. Some of the people had seen the royal guard and assumed he was a member of a royal family somewhere. As they were in a different continent, it was natural most people did not recognize the insignia of a golden dragon as there are numerous kingdoms with dragons, but not in the continent the Yan Empire was in. That was because of the constant Hyperion assaults.


    "Hello, friend. Do you mind moving your dragon from the gate. Many people are getting scared," a boy asked as he released the strength of a fourth stage Spirit Shaman, drawing the admiration of the crowd as the boy was a genius among geniuses to be at the fourth stage at thirteen.


    In a flash, Lu Shu appeared in front of the guy and lifted him up by the neck. The boy paled as he chocked, his body sweating buckets of tears as he felt the spirit force of someone at the fifth stage.


    "Heavens above! That boy is at the fifth stage!" a person cried.


    "We thought we was an arrogant noble, but who would have thought he was stronger than the fourth stage!" another cried.


    "I was taking a nap and you dare threaten me when making a request?"  Lu Shu said darkly as he squeezed the throat tighter. "Have you now manners? You don''t threaten someone when you make a request. It''s a little something called manners."


    The boy coughed blood as Lu Shu threw him against the wall next to the gate. He nodded at Bahamut and it moved out of the way, cautiously making sure the tiger cub did not waken. Lu Shu attacked the boy, but he made sure to lay the tiger down softly. The crowd approved of Lu Shu''s actions despite the previous scare by the dragon. The other boy was in the wrong after all. The tiger cub woke as an official came in to allow them after they had finally finished their preparations despite the gate already being opened. It walked over to Lu Shu, who picked it up and fed it some lion wine while the dragon shrunk and landed on his head.


    "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Black Lotus Academy. We will now proceed with the entrance exams. Do note that those who do not pass at least four of our five tests will be rejected. The first exam is the only one you must not fail. The academy is divided by year and results based on the entrance exams. Furthermore, a fee of fifty gold and four silvers must be paid to take the exam. The annual tuition ends at Ten thousand and five hundred gold, thirty silver, and eight bronze coins. Tuition is subject to change based on student availability and results for the following years. You may now proceed into the academy after paying the fee. Parents are allowed to watch their children during the exams. Guardians and all other custodial relations will wait here and we will send you confirmation of their results. If you have a recommendation letter, please proceed to the front of the line. Thank you," the staff member bowed, gesturing into the academy.


    "The fee and recommendation letter?" a man asked as Lu Shu approached the gate first.


    "My name is Shu of the Lu Clan in the Yan Dynasty. Here is the fee and recommendation letter," Shu nodded as he gave the man the items.


    "Fee has been paid and....ah. Son of an emperor I see. Do note that relations won''t help you with the entrance exams. A God Eater! Already! I see. Please proceed into the academy and follow the staff to the testing area. Please wait until the first batch of twenty have arrived to take the first test. If less than twenty pass the first, you must wait for all twenty spots to be filled before proceeding to the next test. If there are no further people, that rule is invalidated and you may proceed to the next test. As it is customary for first name first here, please begin adjusting to calling yourself Shu. Shu of the Lu Clan is acceptable. Thank you and good luck in the entrance exams" the man recited and bowed until Lu Shu left to face the next applicant.


    "Not a bad school," Shu thought as he stared at the large, numerous white buildings around him as he passed several orchid trees and saw some ponds with lotus flowers in the center. Each building had the symbol of a black lotus flower. As he followed the staff, he noticed four different variations of the same uniform. Each uniform had a black lotus over the heart and a larger version at the center of their backs. The uniforms consisted of black shoes and a white under shirt. Boys wore pants while girls wore skirts a little above the knees. However, the buttoned jackets they wore were different, excluding the option of a hood. The four different colors were white, gold, crimson, and azure.


    "What are the color variations for?" Shu asked the staff member he followed.


    "Ah, those? It represents the status of the student. Crimson jackets means they are God Eaters, gold jackets mean they are mages, azure jackets means they are Practitioners, and white jackets means they are on the student council or class president. Crimson jacket bearers cannot be in the student council or class president. They can be either mages or Practitioners. Other than that, people who wore white jackets are always the most powerful of students, excluding those who wear crimson jackets. According to the man at the gate, your recommendation letter stated you killed a humanoid Hyperion. As it is the words of an emperor, there is no dispute over the claim," the staff member smiled. "It is good you have a crimson jacket. Must students who wear white jackets call themselves the elite and look down on others."


    "Why those colors?" Shu asked.


    "Well, mages have the most costly and lucrative lifestyle. To become a God Eater, you have to kill. Thus, we used the color of blood, crimson, to symbolize that. Practitioners have something called a Mystic Stone and it always starts with a soul lake. Thus, we use azure to symbolize that lake of spirit energy. White....I don''t know. The principal decided that when he found the school," the staff member sighed. "He is about as powerful as a Magus as he is a Spirit Master at the eight stage. Mage ranks are mage novice, mage apprentice when they choose a class, adept mage, elite mage, arch mage, mage lord, mage king, magus, arch magus, and Magic Overlord. Mages up to mage apprentice are comparable to Spirit Shamans. Mages from adept mage to arch mage are the same as Spirit Knights. Mage lords to magus are comparable to Spirit Masters. Finally, Arch Magus and Magic Overlord is the same as a Spirit Sage."


    "That''s a lot of ranks," Shu noted.


    "Not really, kid. It is easier for a mage to rank up than Practitioners as there are no stages. Just tiers. Explains why most Practitioners start out weaker, but can easily kill mages in later tiers," the man laughed. "Over there is the waiting area. Please wait until twenty are gathered to take the first trial. It''s a simple measurement test. You must be a mage apprentice or a Spirit Shaman of the third stage to pass. This is the only exam you cannot fail. You only get one fail forgiveness for the other four exams. Good luck."


    Shu easily passed the first test and only one, of the nineteen who arrived an hour later, failed to pass the exam. They waited for five minutes before they got another person and proceeded to the next exam area. For mages, it was an elemental affinity test. For Practitioners, they had to exert enough spirit force into their hand to break at least twenty wooden boards as hard as steel. Shu had lazily concentrated his spirit energy into his right hand and crushed the first board as he pulsed his spirit force from his hand. The tiger cub wrinkled its nose from the noise and slept soundlessly as Shu easily broke forty seven boards.


    There were more mages who failed and would be separated into a line with other people who failed a single exam. If they failed, they were out. Lu Shu sighed as they arrived at the third area of the exams after his group numbers were replenished. The third exam measured one''s mana or spirit energy capacity. If the Practitioner, or mage, was able to break a sphere by overloading it with mana or spirit energy, they passed. A single crack was also considered a pass, but shattering it was preferred. As Lu Shu already formed his soul ocean. He easily burst the sphere and moved on. From the initial twenty of his group, only he remained as he didn''t fail a single test.


    "Hmm. Only one of you has remained from the first group without being replaced. Less talented people. The rest of you had to wait less than this boy. Now, for the fourth trial. You must answer a series of questions. Your results vary depending on the answers," the proctor nodded and left Shu for last. "Alright. You''re up. Remember, the results vary. Good luck."


    "Hello. What is your name?" a woman asked as she began to exert spirit force on him.


    Unaffected, Lu Shu answered, "My name is Shu of the Lu Clan."


    "Have you killed anyone?" she asked, making the spirit force stronger.


    "I killed a spy yesterday," Shu shrugged. "I killed magical beasts. Killed Hyperion, both humanoid and beast. I killed a lot."


    "What do you think about the concept of good and evil?" she asked, as her spirit force entered the strength of the second stage Spirit Shamans.


    "It is just perceptions based on two opposing views. To some people, eating meat is good while others believe it is evil. There is no such thing as good or evil. Demons approve massacres of humans and humans approve massacres of demons. Both approve of killing Hyperion and magical beast. It is just a concept people made up to better understand the universe," Shu sighed.


    "If your enemy was on the ground, and you could kill him, what would you do?" she asked.


    "If he was useful, spare him. If he wasn''t, end him. Mercy is only cruelty to yourself. Why? The living desire vengeance and the dead hold none," Shu answered.


    "If a man made a move on your woman, what would you do?" she asked as her spirit force reached the peak of the second stage.


    "Wait to make sure he didn''t know she was single. If he did, I''d beat him up and kill him if there were no witnesses," Shu shrugged.


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    "Final question. What would you do to someone who betrayed you?" she asked as her spirit force reached the third stage.


    "Hmmm. I would cut off his limbs, run his body through a pike while avoiding his vitals, and have him bleed to death and let the crowd see the birds eat his flesh when he died. I would make sure that all would see it and prevent any future betrayals," Shu answered darkly.


    "Very well. You passed the test albeit barely," the woman nodded as she gestured toward the man. "He will explain the criteria of the test."


    "This was a psychological test as well as a test to measure the strengths of your defenses against raw spirit force. You have a screw loose somewhere due to your heartless nature to those who wrong you. I advise you change that and make it a bit more humane," the man said as he led the twenty to the final exam, some of them staring at Shu with nervous eyes.


    "I''ll change," Shu lied. If you treated him well, he returned the favor. If you wrong him, he would punish you in such a way there would never be a second time.


    "Welcome to the final exam. I am your principal and Spirit Master: Arthur Hog. Welcome to the Black Lotus Academy, first place winner of the inter-academic competition, held annually, for the past three hundred and seventy four years. We accept only the best of the best. I will now conduct the final exam. Please form two lines. One to my left and one to my right," a man in a brilliant white tuxedo and black tie and hair smiled, looking as if he was in his early thirties. "Good. Now, face the person across from you, in the other line. Defeat your opponent and you pass."


    Shu''s opponent paled as he stepped back. Shu gave a mental command to Bahamut, who expanded to its full size. Bahamut snorted at the other boy and revealed its teeth.


    "I surrender!" the boy cried as he wet himself and nine others repeated his words within the next ten minutes.


    "Good. Those who lost, please wait for the next twenty to arrive who have also failed one test. You will replace the first ten and the last ten must wait for their turn. As for the ten who passed, congratulations! Please obtain one hundred sets of the uniform and patiently wait in the auditorium for the new term year address. There will be food and refreshments at the tables, if you haven''t brought any of your own. Welcome to my academy. Work hard," Arthur smiled and Shu followed the nine others toward the largest building in the academy, after the library.


    "HAHAHAHAHA! Welcome. Remember to vote for Boss Weiss for the position of first year representative on the student council," many thugs grinned as Lu Shu and the others entered.


    Among his group, he was the only one wearing a crimson jacket. He looked around and barely a dozen wore the crimson jackets. Some students wanted to threaten him but suffered mysterious scars on their legs and ended up howling on the ground. Shu looked at his shadow and knew who had done the dead. Ten chairs were situated around each of the many round tables all over the auditorium. Based on the number of chairs and tables, Shu expected that very little more people would be passing the exams. He ate alone until a group of nine friends approached his table, four of them mages.


    "Oh, a God Eater. Un, can we sit here. Other people have occupied more than one chair at the other tables," a girl asked as she, two girls, and five other boys approached him.


    "Sure. I hope you don''t mind my dragon and tiger cub," Shu nodded as he fed the tiger cub a piece of magical beast meat.


    "Alright! Finally, a place to sit," a boy grinned and sat on a chair with a loud thud. "Name''s Joey Carta. I''m a Practitioner of the third stage."


    "I''m Max Underwood and this is my sister, Mary. We''re both Practitioners at the peak of the third stage," one of two twins with black hair and blue eyes grinned.


    "Hello. Nice to meet you," Mary bowed.


    "Thank you for allowing my request. My name is Bella Hale," a brown haired girl with green eyes bowed. "I am a Practitioner of the fourth stage of the Spirit Shaman tier."


    "That''s Kei and Kai Yamada. They don''t talk much. As you can see, one wears a gold jacket while the other wears an azure jacket. They''re cousins from the same clan. Kei is a Practitioner of the fourth stage while Kai is an apprentice mage learning necromancy. However, he is specialized with poisons," Joey grinned as the two boys nodded politely.


    "This guy with pale white skin and red hair is Daniel Gaunt. Kind of matches his complexion. A mage apprentice studying the fire element. The final girl is Jiyeon Choi. Normally her last name is first. She''s a mage apprentice who also has a generic class of white mage. You know, healing and magic barriers and stuff. Finally, we have Geo Craven. He''s a mage apprentice who comes from a long line of earth mages. We''re a pretty stable group, if I say so myself," Joey grinned as the three nodded after they all sat down.


    "My name is--" Shu began.


    "Shu of the Lu Clan. Spirit Shaman of the fifth stage. I heard the man''s burst of surprise from the gate. A lot of people have too. It''s why they are staring at us. Well, you," Max interrupted and the others saw the crowd avert their gaze as they stared around.


    "What''s up with those thugs by the entrance. Who cares about that Weiss guy?" Joey growled as he began eating chicken legs from the table. "He somebody important?"


    "I heard he''s some noble''s son from another country. He''s at the fifth stage also. People claim he''s already the best among us and is a shoo in for first year representative for the student council anyway. However, it''s a vote, so he sent his followers to threaten the first years to vote for him," Geo answered. "I don''t like how this academy already categorizes people, but it''s the best in the continent."


    "Shh! The principal is here," Jiyeon whispered as the smiling man in the white tuxedo walked onto the stage.


    ""Welcome and thank you all for coming to Black Lotus Academy. I am Principal Arthur Hog. We met when you all took the fifth trial. I am pleased to admit one hundred and eighty four students to my first year division! Remember, we train only the best. You may all be in the same classes, but some of you are much weaker than others. You must strive hard or might as well drop out. If you are not able to reach the eighth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation, or cast at least ten intermediate grade magic, within fifty years; you will fail and expelled. Please begin voting for who you believe should be the first year representative in the student council and the class president who will create the first year council. They can be the same person or two different people. Note that crimson jacket bearers are not eligible. Thank you for coming and enjoy the rest of your dinner. After an hour, attendants will come in and present you a list of all your classes depending on your status and cultivation stage or tier. Please turn in your list at the administration office within the library''s first floor. Thank you and enjoy the night. It is yours," Arthur bowed and left as quick as he came.


    "Well that was fun. Dumplings?" Joey asked as he passed the pot of food.


    "Always," Shu grinned and emptied half the basket while the others chatted about what classes to take.


    "Hmm? We''re not going to the same dorms?" Joey asked as they had neglected to vote at all after receiving a personal list for what classes they were eligible for.


    "The first years may take some of the same classes, but where you live is based on your cultivation. For mages, this rule does not apply," Bella said. "It was in the student handbook. Didn''t you guys get one from the auditorium?"


    "Nope," Joey asked.


    "They had a handbook?" Geo laughed.


    "Did you know?" Kei asked Kai.


    "I was with you. How would I know?" Kai answered Kei.


    "We didn''t know," Max and Mary answered in unison, chuckling at the coincidence.


    "I got one. So did Daniel," Jiyeon nodded while Daniel waved it before stuffing it in his storage bag.


    "Let''s go Bahamut. Later guys. Watch out for that Weiss guy," Shu warned as he rode atop Bahamut as it enlarged.


    As Shu arrived at his dorm, he went to the man in the office on the first floor and got his dorm room key. He asked if there were first year through fiftieth year students living in the dorm. The man had laughed and told him that classifications stopped after the first year and you were assigned either by your magic specialty or your cultivation stage and pick your classes from there. The first years was always the introductory phase to allow students to assimilate to academy life and the dorms.


    Most people didn''t bother to attend their classes as they were not mandatory. It was best to take a class that you needed lessons on. Each class was everyday, save the weekends. At most, people took eight classes, two hours each, or just one class that they really needed. Everyone only had one class that they could all take together: The History of the Academy. Everything else was based on whether they were Practitioners or mages. However, all those classes were for beginners. You had the option to take a class at a higher level if you wished.


    Shu browsed through the application form as he entered his room. He saw only one bed and assumed he had no roommate. He went back to the office to request for items for his room and paid for it with a few gold. Later, both Bahamut and his tiger cub were sleeping in their own beds as Lu Shu lit a lamp and began reading as his window ha a view of the moon. He had learned a lot under the Bone Demon, or Overseer, and didn''t see a point to going to classes on the darkness, lightning, and water affinities.


    He found a class he need to know called Essence of the Soul: Intermediate Studies. The class talked about Mystic Stones, how they developed, what spirit reactors did, and other pieces of knowledge. One very crucial piece of information he learned was that the soul had condensation levels. The higher the level, the more powerful the soul, the less spirit energy one consumed on average. From the description, it said that the soul was bound to only nine levels and had nothing to do with their cultivation except allow the Practitioner to absorb spirit energy more easily.


    It one broke to the tenth level of soul condensation, then he defied the Heavens. Instead of an ocean of water in the Mystic Stone, the Practitioner would have an ocean of stars. According to the class description, he had reached the second stage of the soul: the soul ocean. Most people stopped here as most enemies focused on using material attacks. However, Lu Shu had already fused the Eclipse Indestructible  Body technique to his body, making all attacks from people below him useless, save for those soul attacks and weapons with special properties. Shu decided to focus on condensing his soul and not waste time thinking about what magical armor he had to wear. After checking the box next to the class title, he laid back and began to sleep.

 Book 2: Chapter 5- Black Lotus Pagoda

    (Author: Hello! Shu has successfully entered the Black Lotus Academy. Now he has picked a class that will help him in his path to immortality. He learned about a class that taught about soul condensation: the method to strengthen one''s own soul and spirit energy capacity. Now you''ll learn more about the Immortal Realms as well. Also misspelled Arctic Emperor without the ''c'' and currently editing. Man...Enjoy.)


    -----------Chapter 5: Black Lotus Pagoda-------------------


    "Essence of Souls: Intermediate Studies?" the official laughed, incredulous as Shu appeared in the office on the first floor of the library. "You know there''s a prerequisite, right? You have to be at the fifth stage and at the second level of soul condensation, the proof that you have at least reached it."


    "I am," Shu answered as he emitted his spirit force.


    "Are you nuts! You might damage the books and scrolls!" the official yelled and quickly covered his mouth. "I get it. You are at the fifth stage. First year and at the fifth stage. We got ourselves a monster. Okay. You''re approved. Your class is from 10a.m. to noon. Try not to be late."


    "Oh, right. The time table is similar to Earth. Never really considered that due to my training. Never did follow a schedule," Shu thought as he received an official copy of his schedule.


    "M-21. M-21. Ah, here it is. M-21," Shu smiled as he entered one of the more spacious buildings in the academy.


    He entered the class room and found eleven other students in the room. Most of them were girls, but all the students were older than him by a year, at least. He decided to take a seat in the front and patiently waited for the class to start.


    "Hmm? I don''t remember seeing you? You in the wrong class, God Eater?" one of the students asked, politely, as he was the only one wearing a crimson jacket in the room.


    "No. I am a first year at the fifth stage of the Spirit Shaman tier. My name is Shu. I come from the Lu Clan in the Yan Dynasty," Shu nodded as he stared at the other students.


    "What? First year? How many are at the fifth stage, among first years?" one of the senior students asked.


    "Just two others. One is a thug named Weiss. I don''t know the other person''s name, but people say she is a princess of some nation," Shu answered truthfully.


    "Good morning, class. Welcome to Essence of the Soul: Intermediate Studies. We will be studying the nature of Mystic Stones in this class," a professor began when he walked into the room. "Hmm? What''s a God Eater doing here? Hyperion don''t use soul attacks."


    "Hello, professor. Sorry to say, but they have weapons that do," Shu said and pulled out the two flying moon blades, the students admiring the purple flames on them. "The Hyperion humanoid I killed used this. Furthermore, Hyperion beasts have a certain howl that can stun people."


    "May I?" the professor asked and Shu levitated the moon blades to him and watched him inspect the flames. "This! It''s true. Somehow, the humanoid Hyperion have infused their spirit energy into these blades. I''ve never seen a Hyperion make such magical items. I don''t seem to recall seeing you on campus before. Are you a first year?"


    "Yes, professor," Shu answered as he put the blades back in his storage bag.


    "I see. Well, welcome to Black Lotus Academy. Now, let''s begin the lesson...." the professor said and two hours passed. "Okay then. See you tomorrow. Remember,  Mystic Stones embody the soul of a Practitioner. Until next time."


    "Hello, my name is Hinako Kaizuka. I am at the sixth stage of Spirit Shaman tier," a girl with dark brown hair green hairs smiled, her body already developing nicely to make guys stare at her once. "Is it true Hyperion beasts have a soul stunning attack through their howl?"


    "I only saw one of them do it. It was my first time seeing one and there were too many to look at the finer details to differentiate them. Sorry," Shu nodded. "Um, do you know the way to the cafeteria? It''s lunch time. Also, do the dorms provide food for magical beasts within the rooms?"


    "Oh, I can show you to the cafeteria. As for the rooms, they are all enchanted from the fourth stage Spirit Shaman doors and up. This is because most people have a magical beast by then. Only they won''t feel hunger or thirst. The mages haven''t been able to convert mana into nutrients for the human body yet," Hinako smiled and Shu followed her to the cafeteria, some of their classmates also chatting with them as they headed there.


    "Now the cafeteria might be a little bit noisy. A lot of people start fights, but fighting is not allowed in the buildings. The only exception would be combat classes, the cafeteria, or the stadium, a dome shaped building which is the third tallest, but encompasses the most space in the academy. There are three cafeterias. One is reserved for white coat, another is reserved for the faculty, and this is the one for everyone else," Hinako said as she pushed open the doors. "Oh? They''re pretty loud. Best to get your food quickly and eat somewhere else if you can''t protect your food."


    "How dare you! I, the Great Weiss, was supposed to be the first year representative in the main school council and form the first year student council. Give up the position and the white coat!" Weiss roared as he drew a large, two handed sword and pointed it at the princess he saw before."


    "Hey, Shu, those the two fifth stage Spirit Shamans you mentioned? What a lively bunch," one of his senior classmates laughed while the others agreed.


    "Why should I? The people voted for me. It''s not my fault you lost. You had your thugs present a horrible first impression. People don''t like that. I, Princess Cassandra, will not bow to a bully," the princess said as she drew her rapier. "Strength is not everything. Might is useless if you can''t hit your opponent."


    "Why aren''t the senior students doing anything?" Shu asked.


    "Well, people with higher stages of cultivation only care about their cultivation. If you don''t unintentionally involve them, they just watch the lesser students fight as if they were entertainment. The weaker students are always the most lively," one of his classmates grinned. "I''m at the peak of the seventh stage myself.  Most of us only care about tournaments we''re eligible for and new spirit techniques and magical items. Let kids be kids. We can easily break every bone of their bodies. However, most of us don''t stay at campus."


    "Where do you guys go?" Shu asked.


    "All the best academies allow their students to get real life experience in life-or-death situations. The students call it, The Hidden Valley of Dragons. See, the mountains to the north are full of magical beasts. The forests around them are too. However, students have heard rumors of an underground valley full of draconic magical beasts. The principal and the teachers all admit it exists but tell anyone who finds it, and makes it back alive, not to tell others of its location," Hinako answered, a sad expression on her face. "It''s because most people die in the mountains already. The principal hinted that the entrance is in the depths of the mountain range, the mountains that are covered in snow. I went there with my brother once. He had his arm torn off by a frost dragon magical beast. We barely escaped as it turned toward some mages who used fire magic at it. The worst part was, we were only at the foot of those snowy mountains and didn''t explore it at all."


    "Is he alright?" Shu asked.


    "Yeah. He''s back at my clan. Luckily, one of my clan''s elders specializes in the soul. He''s using his spirit energy to regenerate his arm slowly. Before I came back, his arm fully regenerated. However, it will take some time before he gets used to it. He graduated anyway and wanted to see the hidden valley before he left," Hinako smiled as they got their lunch and sat down at a table.


    They watched as the Weiss began attacking Cassandra. Shu looked over and saw one of his classmates begin betting with others at their table. The senior students really didn''t care at all. The strong ate the weak and the weak suffer the strong. That was the life of Practitioners. He looked over and saw that mages held their fights differently. They hesitated and he overheard them saying the price of a mana stone wasn''t worth it to beat his opponent.


    "Oh, this magical beast meat is great," Shu smiled as he put large pieces of them in his mouth with his chopsticks.


    "You eat a lot more meat than vegetables," Hinako cried, but she also had a lot of meat.


    "It has spirit energy in them. Eating more magical beast meat will definitely enrich the body more than regular meat," Shu grinned, while the truth about his hunger due to his demonic genes was kept secret.


    "Die!" Weiss roared and sent a large fireball at Cassandra who dodged it while it continued its path towards Hinako.


    "Hmph," Hinako sighed and waved her hand, disintegrating the fireball as if it never existed.


    "Fire element user huh?" Shu grinned as he saw flames flicker around her hands while she waved her hand to destroy the fireball.


    "You''re pretty observant," Hinako smiled while Weiss accidentally sent another fireball at them when Cassandra dodged the attack.


    "Hey!" Shu roared as his lunch burned to ash as half of the fireball hit his back while the other spread.


    "You''re clothes are not even singed," Hinako gasped as she looked to see if he was okay.


    "I know a pretty good technique," Shu said as he got up and started gathering spirit energy into his right hand.


    Lightning crackled around his right hand and he pushed his hand at Weiss''s direction, sending out a pulse of lightning. Weiss yelled in pain as he was pushed back by the force, the audience staring to see who did it. Shu became a trail of shadows and appeared next to Weiss in a flash. He lifted him up by the throat and slowly tightened his grip as the boy''s legs dangled in the air. Shu tossed Weiss into the wall, punching him in the chest as Weiss slammed into it. Cracks formed on the wall as Weiss coughed blood. The crowd followed Weiss, with their eyes, as he fell to the ground. He twitched once before losing consciousness.


    "What? He burned my food," Shu shrugged and returned to his seat, after getting more food, as others began talking about him. They knew the third person of the fifth stage among, first years, was a God Eater. However, they didn''t expect him to beat Weiss so easily.


    "I''m so glad this is like a buffet," Shu smiled.


    "You didn''t kill him, right?" Hinako asked. "It''s not against academy rules, but you might get attacked by his family. Cutting a limb is also bad, but breaking bones is okay. The medics can heal that."


    "He''ll be alright. He just won''t be eating any solid food for a while," Shu shrugged.


    A month passed since the first day of instruction. Since then, Hinako and Shu had been learning about soul condensation. Shu had even attained the third level, shocking his classmates. His soul ocean had doubled and more stars could be seen in the night sky where his two spirit reactors shined a soft light like a moon. His three elemental affinities had turned into sharks. His spirit sense range was now a mile away.


    Since the incident, Cassandra had established herself as on of the top ten beauties. However, Weiss had changed tactics. Instead of opposing her openly, he decided to bide his time. Everyday, he has people who dislike Cassandra to join him. Two factions had appeared and most of the senior students had begun betting whenever the two sides clashed. Most people also forgot about Shu. He had kept a low profile since then. He didn''t mean to. He was just busy cultivating in his spare time.


    "Figures you would be here. If you had a weakness, it would be your craving for magical beast meat," Hinako laughed as she sat across from him in the cafeteria. "How are your magical beasts now?"


    "Bahamut is about eleven feet tall and twenty feet long," Shu grinned as he fed a piece of meat to the mini-sized dragon. "His flames can burn steel now. It''s unfair really. He''s already at the seventh stage while I am only in the middle of the fifth stage. Eating magical beast flesh to cultivate is cheating."


    Hinako laughed and said, "How about the tiger? You named him yet?"


    "I decided to name him Supaiku, for the spikes on his tail. He just started to form him and he''s two feet tall and five feet long. So far, he hasn''t been able to make himself smaller. I have to leave him in the room because of it, but he doesn''t cry if he''s alone anymore," Shu sighed. "Have you reached the third level of soul condensation yet?"


    "No, I feel like I am at the bottleneck for it. I need some sort of insight. No! Don''t tell me," she said as she saw him smirk.


    "So, any news about the others? I don''t really pay attention to what''s going on in the academy," Shu said as he put a piece of meat in his mouth.


    "Cassandra has been gathering some of the first years together. She still believes she can make peace with that Weiss guy," Hinako answered.


    "Weiss? Who''s he?" Shu asked.


    "Don''t you remember? He''s the guy you strangled, threw against the wall, and nocked unconscious when you punched him so hard, he coughed blood," Hinako answered.


    "Oh, that guy," Shu grinned. "So he''s still trying to be the first year representative. Geez. How do you know this?"


    "I hear some rumors while browsing the library for magical beast research," Hinako answered. "I also met your friends. They said they sat with you during the principal''s address before the academic year started."


    "Ah, Joey and them. Yeah. So the two factions are still at war? Don''t they care about their cultivation anymore?" Shu asked.


    "Some people just like positions of power more," Hinako answered. "I heard the professor say you are looking for a new technique to learn. I have to say, the three techniques you already know are way too unfair. Your water spirit technique even evolves as you do. I saw you turn one of the blade waves of water into ice as you slashed with your katana."


    "Yeah. Since condensing my soul to the next level, I can freely manipulate water into ice without creating water first. I also have a lot more spirit energy now. It makes me wonder why other people don''t condense their souls," Shu grinned.


    "Most people don''t have the talent. Some people dropped out our class, remember. Now there''s only me, you, and the guy at the seventh stage. His name''s Brian Walkers. Remember him?" Hinako asked.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Yeah. He''s the guy who said that the senior students often betted on who would win between the fights of the first years," Shu nodded. "Do you know any spirit techniques that have to do with the ice element. Been meaning to learn one."


    "The Black Lotus Pagoda should have some. However, you need to withstand the formation''s spirit force while you are there. The higher the floor, the more powerful the spirit techniques. However, the best aspect about the pagoda is the formation array actually helps your cultivation due to the immense density of spirit energy there. It is in the basement of the pagoda," Hinako answered. "However, some of the more powerful techniques are forbidden as they can hurt one''s cultivation. Some people can''t withstand it and actually die while trying to learn the techniques. It has about twenty one stories. The higher you go, the more powerful the technique. However, if it proves too powerful, either you don''t get any insight to practice it at all or you die."


    "Oh, good. There might be some that could prove interesting. I''ll head there then. Come, Bahamut," Shu said as the dragon landed on his head. "Thanks. I''m gonna go find a new technique. See you later."


    Shu quickly left the cafeteria and headed to the large pagoda. He froze in his tracks as he spread his spirit senses. He detected over a hundred demons within the pagoda. He knew because their Spirit Pulse was a demonic red, like his. However, thanks to Spook, a part of which used to be the crimson ring, his Spirit Pulse looked golden in color. Shu took out a book on the demonic languages. He didn''t want to be found out that he was a demon and had asked for a book from the Overseer in case he met one and wanted to converse with it. He could already talk the languages as he was of the highest tiers of demonic lineages, but the book would serve as a cover.


    "What are you doing in human lands?" Shu asked one of the demons that looked like cross between a monkey and a bat eight feet tall.


    "You know my language?" the demon gasped. "We were sealed here, by the one you humans call The Black Lotus Immortal. He tamed us and took control of our souls with some kind of ritual. We guard this pagoda until it no longer exists. The only way to be free is if someone tames us. The Black Lotus Immortal has allowed it, but no one survives the pact. The only other way is if a demon of nobility orders us. Their rules are absolute among demon kind. Sadly, they don''t exist in the Mortal Realm."


    "I have the soul of one in my body. The Snow Emperor Pearl the Great Ancestor gave me!" Shu thought. "To think the demon race had such a thing. No wonder the Great Ancestor was forced to flee. If he gave me one so nonchalantly, he must have killed a lot of them."


    "Explain about the demon nobility," Shu ordered, seeing that the demon was forced to answer him due to it being tamed.


    "There are many noble, ancient races. However, demon nobility refers to Demon Emperors. I don''t know much about the ranking, but every demon knows the top three ranks among demons in the Immortal Realms. The rank of Demon King refers to a demon who owns an entire planet in the Immortal Realms. A Demon Emperor refers to one who rules an entire galaxy. The highest beings are the Demon Gods. Their might is eternal. They literally cannot be defied or hurt by anyone," the demon answered, awe in its voice. "According to demon lore, the Immortal Realms number seven and are as boundless as the universe, as if every planet was absorbed into one eternally big planet. However, a Demon King is nothing as some cities have little populations or have weaker life forms. Humans go by Immortal King, Immortal Emperor, and Immortal Sovereign. Magical Beasts....I don''t know."


    "Is it possible to visit each realm? What are the differences?" Shu asked.


    "The name of the realm usually depicts the environment. It is possible to visit each one, but you have to return to the Mortal Realm first. I heard the way back is so dangerous, you have to at least be a Demon King to succeed. Something about killing the guardians of the Mortal Realm to prove your worth. It is best to be a Demon King. Not one in name, but the actual cultivation. There are many false Demon Kings who claim to be real as they rule a minor city. I hear there is an Immortal Gate. You must be at the Spirit Master tier to enter, but I suggest waiting for the Spirit Sage tier. Going at a lower tier is asking for death," the demon warned.


    "I see. Thank you," Shu nodded and entered the pagoda.


    "That human had a powerful soul," the demon noted before it became as still as a statue as it returned to its duties to guard the pagoda.


    "Whoa," Shu gasped as he entered the pagoda. The very center of the pagoda was completely empty to the top floor which was not empty space. Each floor had two sets of stairs, one on the right and left of the entrance. One stair went to the next floor up while the other was the next floor down. Each floor had eight statues between several long book cases. Each one held the image of a demon. The plaques below described the cultivation stage, race, and assured they would only activate if the pagoda were in danger. Above every stair case was a black sigh with large, gold letters.


    Each sign stated, "Fighting is prohibited within the Black Lotus Pagoda. Violating the rule will result in dismemberment and the body will be devoured by the demons guarding the pagoda. No one will be spared."


    "Best to behave here. Make sure not to even puff a single ember," Shu warned Bahamut, who nodded as it flew from atop his head to his right coat pocket.


    "Whoa! It''s Shu!" Joey cried as he appeared behind him with the others Shu met. "Long time no see, man. What class did you take?"


    "Essence of Souls: Intermediate Studies. That''s it. I spent the rest of my time cultivating in my room," Shu answered and saw a pin with a swan with a gold crown of feathers on its head. "What''s with the pin?"


    "We joined Cassandra''s faction against Weiss. We couldn''t handle his bullies ganging up on us when we were divided to go to class," Bella answered. "He''s really persistent with his goal."


    "You should join," Jiyeon advised. "Weiss''s thugs don''t mess with first years who wear the pin."


    "Did you guys forget? Shu kicked that guy''s ass on the first day of school," Joey laughed. "Weiss would make sure he wouldn''t bother Shu. He couldn''t even strike back or defend himself."


    "Did you come here to cultivate in the formation array?" Mary and Max asked in unison.


    "He cultivated in his room all this time," Kei answered.


    "He probably came here for spirit techniques," Kai agreed after he saw Shu nod.


    "I''m fine cultivating in my room. My body technique doesn''t suite well with formation arrays. They cut you off from the world," Shu answered as his true Archon body technique cultivated the planet''s life force and natural spirit energy.


    "Oh. You must have picked one of those abnormal Archon body techniques. That sucks," Geo nodded. "I heard some Practitioners forever stay at the second stage if they can''t get their hands on an Archon body technique. Most cultivate what they get their hands on, no matter the price. Good thing I''m a mage. We just absorb the mana from around us and continue increasing our mana capacity until we have enough to cast more powerful spells. That''s when we can learn them, if we mastered weaker spells. Right, Daniel?"


    "Yup. Some elements cost a lot more mana than others. Of course, wide area spells cost the most. That and summoning magic," Daniel agreed. "Kai, Jiyeon, Geo, and I came here to browse the spells available while the others cultivate. I''ve been here before. The east and northern parts of the floor are all Practitioner techniques. You should search from there. You saw the signs, right? They''re not a lie. Most people came here during the first week. After seeing so many deaths, no one has dared to fight here. Arguments are allowed, but nothing else. No magic, no spirit techniques, or anything else. Only words with no power behind them. Whatever you do, don''t let someone''s words provoke you into attacking. Some smart people got rid of their enemies that way."


    "Thanks for the tip. Later guys. Good luck against Weiss. If you need any help, just look for me," Shu nodded and started walking up to the next floor.


    Shu began using his Phantasmal Sky technique, black shadows flowing from his body like strips of aura. Since reaching the third level of soul condensation, he had a better grasp of his techniques. Now he does not leave a trail of shadows behind him when he uses the skill. If he had enemies, they would no longer be able to rely on following the trail to find him. Shu skipped all the way to the twentieth floor as he stood in front of a large statue that barred his path. Several others were also there, two of them being Cassandra and Weiss.


    "Why won''t this statue move? Dammit, the most powerful techniques, besides the ones in the principal''s personal library, are in there. Only staff members or students at the eight stage of Spirit Shaman stage can go in there. Them, and also those mages who can dual-cast two advanced grade magic," Weiss cursed.


    "If you went in there, the first year students would be doomed," Cassandra laughed. "No one would be able to stop your tyrannical lust for power. You''re lucky the seniors don''t try to stop you."


    The statue moved as someone appeared from the stairs behind it. It was Brian Walkers, Shu''s classmate. Brian was holding a book he found there and nodded at the statue as he waited for it to fully move out of the way. He gazed around the crowd and his eyes widened as he saw Shu. He waved at him and beckoned him to come closer.


    "Hey, man. About time you came here. Geez, you should have picked up a few spirit techniques by now. Just relying on three is not good," Brian laughed.


    "Three?" the crowd asked as they parted for Shu to pass.


    "Fuck, It''s him," Weiss cursed and quickly ordered his men out of the way as they saw the God Eater first year.


    "That''s the guy who stopped our fight and beat up Weiss," Cassandra noted.


    "Hey, Brian. Did you reach the third level of soul condensation over the weekend? " Shu grinned as he passed through the crowd.


    "Ha! You think I stopped there? I''ll have you know, I reached the fourth level," Brian laughed.


    "You asked the professor for a tip, didn''t you," Shu asked.


    "Well....for the fourth, maybe. It''s my hard work that did the rest," Brian admitted with a nod as the statue barred the path behind him as he passed the front of the stairs. "Anyway, what are you doing up here? The statue won''t let you up."


    "Just watch," Shu grinned.


    Shu looked at the statue, placed a palm on it, and said, "Awaken and move aside. I am no mere human."


    The statue looked at him in surprise as it felt demonic spirit energy enter its body. The statue looked like a giant lion with images of stone fire around each paw, the hair of its tail actually flames instead. The stone covering broke and people covered their eyes as a red lion with an orange mane and green flames around its body roared. Everyone took a step back, in shock, as the former demon statue moved aside to let him pass. They noticed it no longer remained covered in stone.


    "Did you speak the demonic language," Brian asked as he noticed the book in his hand. "Did it have some kind of command? Why did the stone break when you poured your spirit energy into it?"


    "You''re not the only one with secrets," Shu grinned. "Unless you''ll tell me how to reach the fourth level?"


    "Not happening," Brian smirked. "Okay, mysterious junior. Lucky bastard. You go in during your first year. Took me two years before I met one of the hidden requirements to go to the twenty first floor. However, most techniques might kill you. The rule for that floor states that you cannot go down if you have not grasped the technique. That way, if the technique kills you or injures you, the book or scroll stays there to prevent others from suffering the same fate. Not only that, you don''t have to return it, like the other books and scrolls, when you master it. That means only you will know the technique. You and the principal anyway."


    "How many techniques did you learn?" Shu asked.


    "Three succeeded outright. One put me in a week long coma, but I learned the technique. The last four, besides the scroll in my hand, nearly killed me and weakened me for a few weeks. I''m a walking miracle among the seniors. I even got a nickname: Brian the Undeath. I think its a pun comparing me to a cockroach. Cuz they just don''t die. You know, I''ll make that my title when I reach the Spirit Sage level. The Undeath Immortal. Pretty sure no Spirit Sage has that title. HAHAHAHAHA!"


    Shu chuckled and walked up the stairs. The lion demon bowed its head before sitting in front of the stairs again. Rumors spread around the people and they started talking about the hidden requirements Brian mentioned. Many began leaving the floor to talk with some seniors they knew. Hopefully, one was willing to tell them the details. Only Weiss and Cassandra lingered for a while with a few others at the fourth stage, among them were the other God Eater first year students. One of Weiss''s thugs had superb memory and recited Shu''s demonic words and poured his spirit energy into the lion. Angered, the lion suddenly pounced on him and bit off his head.


    "Anyone hear what he said? Maybe he didn''t recite that God Eater''s words," one asked.


    "No, he had perfect memory. None of us heard his words, but he did. He copied them to the letter. I''ll have to bribe some of the seniors for a technique they learned from here. They should have kept the book," Weiss cursed and left the twentieth floor with his men.


    "So this is the twenty first floor," Shu sighed with awe as he reached the top of the stairs. There were tons more shelves than the other floors and even the floor with the most books, the second floor. However, each one of them contained vastly superior techniques than the ones on the other floors.

 Book 2: Chapter 6- Great Spirit Integration

    (Author: Hello! Shu discovers the Black Lotus Pagoda and meets familiar faces. He heads to the top floor and passes, using his demonic spirit energy to gain the approval of the floor guardian. Now he searches for a new technique. However, this technique is one that will make everyone know his name in the future. Reminder: Arthur Hog, the principal, is a Spirit Master. Enjoy.)


    -------------Chapter 6: Great Spirit Integration----------------------


    "So many techniques. Ah, what do I choose," Shu grumbled as he browsed through several book cases.


    "How about finding a Practitioner technique with several stages. Similar to the living spirit technique in your body, but with different effects as you increase your mastery over the many stages," Spook chimed in.


    "Someone might hear you," Shu whispered and looked around.


    "I checked. No one is on this floor. You can relax," Spook grinned. "I''m serious though. The greatest Practitioner techniques are ones with several stages. Not only that, a Practitioner, with high enough mastery and damn good gaining insights, can create further stages and make the technique his own. Your Radiant Howl technique is, no doubt, a powerful spirit technique. Blades of water that you can manipulate. You can make it ice, you can make it swirl outward, like a whirlpool formation. However, it is but a material spirit technique. You don''t need to find another with that evolving technique at your disposal."


    "You''re talking about soul techniques, techniques that target a person''s Mystic Stone. How does that apply to magical beasts, Hyperion, and mages? Mages don''t have, or need, Mystic Stones at any level. Also, Hyperion and magical beasts have demonic cores," Shu sighed. "Since I learned that in class, I''ve mostly been researching how to strengthen my soul''s defenses in case I encounter such an expert on soul attacks."


    "Demonic cores are the souls of Hyperion and magical beasts. As for mages, or ordinary creatures, soul attacks can still kill them. Soul attacks target a person''s life force. Hyperion and magical beasts cannot live without demonic cores. Practitioners cannot live if their Mystic Stone is destroyed. Sealing it just bars them from using spirit energy. It has a higher degree of difficulty to learn, but it is the most effective in combat. Most creatures don''t condense their soul or own a soul-protecting artifact," Spook answered. "I believe it is something you should learn. It will help you in killing the Hyperion. Trust your talking ring. I was made from two rings owned by the Great Ancestor and fused together by a Spirit Sage. Trust your ring. I''m here to help and guide you, under orders by the Great Ancestor. It''s why I was made."


    "Right. I''ll look for one," Shu agreed. "Thanks. It''s good to know someone with vast amounts of knowledge."


    "Speaking of knowledge. I suggest putting all your valuables in me. I have a spatial ability. You can store unlimited amounts of stuff in me. Not only that, no one can access what''s in the ring or sense that I have such an ability. Everyone will think I am just a simple skull ring. I was forged by a Demon Emperor, the Great Ancestor, himself," Spook grinned with pride.


    "What should I keep in the storage bag?" Shu asked.


    "Keep most of your gold in me and leave about two hundred million in that storage bag. As for the lion wine, keep three barrels in that storage bag, Just a barrel, alone, is enough for most Spirit Shamans to kill for. Keep your clothes in there too. More realistic. However, the jacket the Overseer gave you should be with me. It''s good stuff. Other than that, keep ten percent of your spirit pills in there. Put the true Archon body technique manual in me," Spook began. "Oh, and the dagger too. Since you revealed the flying moon blades, keep them in that storage bag. I think that''s it, since you have that stone talisman in your pocket all the time. Oh, put the pearls of liquid elixir containing the essence of the elements and the planet''s life force in me. You definitely do not want to be questioned about how you got those. In fact, just put the stone talisman in me too. You don''t need it when you''re in campus. Use it when you head to the mountains to find that hidden valley."


    "Uh, right," Shu said and did as Spook advised, sorting his storage bag and putting most of his valuables into Spook.


    "Now it won''t matter if someone steals from you. Now, use your spirit sense. Some of the more powerful techniques can emit spirit energy, even if it is written in a book or scroll," Spook grinned before becoming still again.


    Shu drank a few sips of his lion wine and focused his spirit energy into his eyes as he closed them. He opened them slowly and began walking to the northern section of the floor, stopping before a few statues that towered over scrolls and books on pedestals. He could vaguely feel spirit energy come out from those texts. Shu began looking at the titles, not daring to read the contents within. He only unrolled a scroll enough to see the title and he only opened a book if he did not see the title on the cover or spine.


    "Wraith. Bahamut. Guard my body if I fall into a coma. Make sure I am not to be moved in the slightest. Wraith, tell the demon lion at the bottom of the stairs to bar the path until I descend. It should comply as it knows what I am," Shu ordered.


    "Yes, master" Wraith said and leapt from his shadow as Bahamut extended to its full size and laid down behind him, facing the stairs.


    "Okay. Time to learn a new technique," Shu grinned as he picked up a white scroll with the image of a black phoenix with purple tail feathers encircling a black lotus and unrolled to the title with a brief description before warning of the scroll contents.


    "Hello, junior. You wish to learn one of the techniques personally made by me, the Black Lotus Immortal? This technique is profoundly difficult. Why? Because you can use more than one element for this technique! I had the beast spirit of a Evil God Phoenix. I used this technique to combine the elements of fire, wind, and darkness into the ultimate soul technique!" the scroll stated. "Elements? They are just aspects of spirit energy. Is the fire a Practitioner creates the same as fire he can manipulate? No. He turned his spirit energy into fire. What you will combine is not the element you convert your spirit energy into, but the essence of elemental spirit energy you use to do the act itself. I did not really combine fire, wind, and darkness together. Its properties exist, but they coexist in harmony without destroying or neutralizing each other. Of my five ultimate techniques, this is the sole soul technique I created. It is not the most powerful, but it is the most deadly. If you have dual spirits, the better you''re off."


    "Interesting. Combining different elements together and it still wasn''t his most powerful technique. What a monster," Shu admired. "Pity it is his only soul technique. I better keep reading until the true contents of the scroll starts."


    "Junior, if you have dual spirits, you should keep one manifested at all times. I personally used my weapon spirit in conjunction with my Practitioner weapon. It will allow you to get used to manifesting your spirit. Whenever you use the soul technique, a part of you will fuse with your spirit. I felt as if I was an almighty phoenix as I burned and slaughtered my enemies. This is a risk you must take. Some spirits are more powerful and feral than others. You might even lose all sense of sanity until your spirit energy is depleted. The connection is that strong," the scroll warned.


    "The soul technique that I will impart to you is called Great Spirit Integration technique. What you will fuse with is not your own spirit. Your spirit is the catalyst for your elemental spirit energy. What you will bind with is a Great Spirit. This scroll is a key to the Spirit Realm. There, you must contract with a Great Spirit and make its power yours. If you succeed, the knowledge in the scroll will imprint itself in your mind. Mages summon spirits to do their battles for them. You will become a Great Spirit and fight with its very power. You will assault both the material and the soul of your enemy," the scroll read. "If you are ready for this indescribable experience, open the scroll and take its power."


    Shu sat down in lotus position as he manifested his mask spirit on his face. He held Arctic Emperor in his left hand as he laid down the scroll. He waited for Wraith to return and position itself to protect him before laying the scroll on his lap, unrolling it with his right hand. The whole pagoda shook as a dark black light shined from the scroll. People cultivating under the formation array, in the basement of the pagoda, stared up as the formation was momentarily disturbed. Shu lost consciousness as his very soul separated from his body as the body slumped into a stupor. The principal, Arthur Hog, stared at the pagoda in surprise. He knew the pagoda only shook if someone was attempting to learn one of the five ultimate techniques of the Black Lotus Immortal.


    "Someone wishes to learn his technique? Which one is it?" the principal murmured and felt pity as he believed the student would fail and die.


    Shu woke up in the middle of a great plain. The grass waved, to and fro, as a cool breeze swept over the plain. Shu stood up and felt weird. He looked over his body. He did not have Spook on his right hand or Arctic Slayer in his left hand. In fact, all he wore has a simple white silk pair of pants. The tribal scorpion tattoo was prominent on his back. Furthermore, he could feel so much spirit energy around him, it was as if he had to struggle not to absorb it in his body. The tattoo glowed a jade green and Shu could feel a reaction from the White Ocean Tiger as well as the mask spirit he materialized.


    Shu decided to walk in a single direction and walked for what felt like hours. He never tired, hungered, or thirst while he was there. It was as if the spirit energy was supplying him with his bodily needs. The sky was not really blue as it had an aurora to the north, the rainbow light spreading from it like a glow. He kept walking to that aurora, hoping to find something. Finally, he saw the end of the plain as it bordered a mountain with a large cave in the center.


    Narrowing his eyes with suspicion, Shu exited the plain and entered the cave. The longer he stayed, the more powerful his spirits became. The White Ocean Tiger only grew more massive, snowflakes trailing its every step as frost appeared with every breath. His soul ocean just kept expanding slowly, as if the foundation below was stretching aimlessly. His mask spirit dematerialized on his face and appeared on the tiger''s face, fully forming to cover its entire face. The change continued as armor formed on its legs.


    Finally, Shu approached a golden marble altar. He followed the steps to the altar as lava boiled around it. The mountain was really a volcano! Above the altar were five giant creatures. These were Great Spirits. There was no doubt in Shu''s mind. He was meant to find them. One spirit was a large phoenix with black feathers and a crimson crown of feathers atop its head. The second spirit was a large dragon with azure scales, gold claws and spikes, and two mismatched eyes, one gold and one silver. The third spirit was a giant, black tortoise with a radiant purple chell that seemed to be made of crystals and sky blue eyes that seemed majestic as Shu gazed on them.The fourth spirit was that of a giant gorilla. Its fur was as black as empty space and it towered over the others at a hundred and fifty feet. It, alone encompassed a third of the giant hollow of the volcano leading to its circular peak.


    However, it was the fifth that seemed to call to him. It seemed like a fox, but had longer fur from the top of its head to a tail that was as long as its body, but shaped like a serpentine dragon. White scales were on its underbelly and beneath the tail as smooth white fur covered the sides as well as the tail itself. It was as if a dragon''s underbelly was fused to that of a fox. Even the fox''s paws had claws like a dragon. Behind the ears were ancient, wooden horns that extended to the back like antlers. It seemed so holy and majestic, Shu could not bear to look at it all the time, as if he felt all the guilt from his past life bring pain to his heart.


    The other four Great Spirits saw his reaction and disappeared, as if they never existed. The dragon fox floated to the ground, shrinking until it was the size of a bear as it reared its head back high. It looked down at him, like a king upon a knight, and Shu felt as if it could see into his very being.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "You are in much pain. Betrayal and the death of millions lay in your hands, dyed with the blood of the innocent and the guilty. You are not someone who lived one life, however short it was. You died for your ideals and most of the world cursed you for it. Men, women, and children have died for it. Even in death, your work continues to end lives with the belief that it will save many more. The study and pursuit of science truly is the gift, and curse, of mankind. It is a wonder how the Heavens have allowed your existence, but there are many others who have destroyed entire planets in their rage. Tell me, why have you come?" the dragon fox asked. "Why seek power once more? Why do you seek to inflict harm upon the soul and the body?"


    "I killed millions?" Shu gasped as he stared at it in shock. "What have I done? I only know I sacrificed my life to give the children more time. For what, I still don''t remember."


    "They are coming. The memories returning as you increase your cultivation. As your soul is empowered and condensed, more memories will restore themselves and those fragments will become whole. However, I believe it is best for you to forget. The last time a Mortal came here, he called himself the principal of Black Lotus Academy. The very first person was called himself the Black Lotus Immortal. The principal chose the gorilla. The Black Lotus Immortal chose the dragon. Both emphasized power and might. I do not. Why did you choose me?" the Great Spirit asked.


    "I, I dunno. My spirits seemed to call out to you, as if they share a connection to you. I merely followed the aurora over what I assumed was a mountain. The calling became stronger and I knew it was you as I saw you," Shu answered.


    "Then you must have a beast spirit. I see that it is true. A White Ocean Tiger spirit. Yes. So it must be," the Great Spirit nodded as it gazed at his chest. "Even that mask spirit seems affected by the White Ocean Tiger, shaping fangs on its surface. Know that there are many Great Spirits. This Spirit Realm is really a prison, keeping us here. Binding us here. Your technique will free me and seal me within your Mystic Stone. However, it will no longer be a mere marble. It will become a Mystic Crystal and none will be able to sense it, if you wish."


    "I thought that only forms on the fifth level of soul condensation?" Shu asked.


    "You will even reach the sixth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation. This is all due to you fusing with me as the rest of my body is sealed within your soul realm. It will turn from an ocean to a planet. A vermillion colored planet with the depths being a demonic red, as your ocean was before. However, there is a price for my power. Will you pay it?" the Great Spirit asked.


    "Of course. It''s why I came here in the first place. I just didn''t expect the realm of my soul to form a planet so soon," Shu nodded.


    "Very well. The Pact has been made. Now you will pay the price. There are three people on your planet who have forcibly summoned, and imprisoned, the Great Spirits. They abuse their power and augment themselves to attain power they should never have had. You must slay those vermin and free the Great Spirits from their pain. Kill those Great Spirits, for they have become tainted and corrupted. Your principal is not one of them and you must remind him of that price. The four Great Spirits you saw before were illusions. If you had picked them, I would have devoured your soul. When you awaken, you will be in a berserk state. Your mind cannot take the pain and lost its sanity. You must bring yourself back. Good luck. I will be watching. I am now a part of you, body and soul," the Great Spirit warned and Shu''s mind went blank as he returned to the real world.


    The principal looked at the pagoda as he felt a tremor in his Mystic Crystal. That damn lucky student did it. The Great Spirit within him told him as such. It also reminded him of the price he had neglected to pay. He immediately set out for the pagoda as the whole tower shook violently. He knew the student would awaken in a berserk state. He, himself, went berserk and destroyed twelve small towns before he regained his sanity.


    "Everybody leave that pagoda now! No one is to dwell within!" he roared, his voice booming into the ears of everyone in the campus. Students scrambled out of the buildings and ran to the pagoda, curious of what would make the principal make such an uproar. The students in the pagoda also scrambled outside and could see a black light turn white from the top of the pagoda. That black light had shined since Shu went in and lasted for sixteen days.


    When Shu awoke, he screamed in agony. His human ears burst as they were soon replaced by blonde hair, as if they never existed in the first place. The hair on his head was still blonde, but two gold-furred fox ears appeared on his head. Shu held his head as he rolled in pain, a green glow appearing from his eyes and mouth as the planet''s life force began being sucking into his body, as if his body had become a black hole. Black impurities burst from his body as the white shirt and coat he wore exploded. The marble, that was his Mystic Stone, changed into a crystal, just as he was told.


    Within the Mystic Crystal, the dragon fox was sealed and represented the core of his soul planet as it expanded to an entire realm of consciousness. He had developed a spiritual realm and a planet of spirit energy, proof he had reached the fifth level of soul condensation. The loss of impurities signified him breaking the bottleneck to the sixth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation.


    He lost his mind in the pain and grabbed Arctic Emperor. Roaring inhumanely, he destroyed the wall of the pagoda and burst into the sky as vermillion wings sprouted on his back. He yelled in fury, stunning all the students below, some coughing out blood as his yell stunned their souls. The faculty moved to slay him, but the principal stopped them. Chanting while making hand signs, he created a golden formation array on the floor, about thirty feet in diameter. Gold chains sprung from the formation and pierced through Shu''s forearms and thighs, wrapping around his limbs and dragging him to the ground.


    Shu was unable to break free from a Spirit Master''s formation array. He kept wildly swinging his katana at the gold chains made of spirit energy, to no avail. The formation barriers formed walls and a roof. Soon, no one could see, or hear, Shu within. Only the principal could.


    "That lucky bastard. He made a Pact. Now he can practice the Great Spirit Integration technique. I should definitely have him among the first year representatives in the inter-academic competition. Another year of being champion. HAHAHAHAHA!" the principal laughed in his thoughts as he began making plans of which students he would bring. For first years, he could only bring twenty. Cultivation stage, or spell mastery, did not matter. Then, he could only bring fifteen of every cultivation stage, up to the seventh from the fourth stage. That would make sixty Practitioners and he would have to bring sixty mages. Specifically, those in different fields of study. The more diverse, the better.


    "Principal," the students and faculty bowed as they approached him and the formation barrier.


    "What? Did I not say to get away! This student is merely paying a price for a technique learnt from the twenty first floor. You other first years better not lag behind. As for the other students, you don''t need me to remind you about the competition in two months, do I? I''ll only take the best with me there. I don''t give a fuck who you know or who you''re related to. I need winners, not rich losers," the principal said, darkly. "Get to your training! That is, unless you want to be dumped in the mountain region, all alone."


    "Yes, principal," they bowed, and hurriedly left the area.


    After being assured it was safe by the principal, the faculty also left. The principal erected an eighty foot barrier formation that was completely black. No one would know what happened inside or sneak inside either. Then, he looked at the formation barrier as he saw it break apart. Shu was breaking it. It was the constant absorption of the planet''s life force. Suddenly, his body couldn''t contain it and became encased in a blue green colored energy that took the shape of a scorpion. Then, the principal knew Shu had a true Archon body.


    "[Titan Creator] body technique," Arthur realized. "As expected of Prince Shu of the Yan Dynasty. Rumors of the prince being so powerful had spread and it seems they were true. Heh. That emperor finally has a child who became a fellow Practitioner. Still, I can''t let him destroy my beloved campus," the principal laughed and punched the scorpion body into the ground, pummeling it until it showed a moment of breaking apart.


    With a yell, spirit energy formed a gorilla''s hand as the principal slammed his palm on the scorpion, disintegrating it. Wraith and Bahamut were watching from outside the black formation array, fearing for their master. Even the tiger, Supaiku, had arrived. After a period of two days, the formation passed and Shu was on the ground. Blood was everywhere and the tile floor was shattered in many places.


    "What a nasty berserk state. I certainly don''t want to find out what will make him enter that state, in the future. Best send a message to his father about what happened. Got to maintain damage control," the principal thought as he straightened his robe.


    "Master!" Wraith crowd as the three ran to him.


    "Relax and hide in his shadow. He''ll be fine. When he wakes up, tell him to practice his new technique for the coming competition. Tell him to visit the many offices for details," the principal ordered and disappeared faster than a human eye could blink.


    Shu woke up in the morning of the next day. He felt so hungry, he ate a hundred pounds of magical beast meat before he asked what was going on. Hearing the details from Wraith, he discovered he had gone berserk and actually made a hole in the pagoda. Since he left the pagoda, the demon guardians could not kill him. He learned about his bodily changes and the words of the principal. He felt a stronger connection to the planet as he could easily absorb its life force. His body felt rich with spirit energy, as if he was born with it.


    Wraith told him that all of his friends visited him. Particularly, Hinako and Cassandra. Hinako, as she was his close friend, classmate, and felt guilty for suggesting him to go there. Cassandra visited him with the hope to make him her ally in convincing Weiss to stop trying to usurp her position. Wraith was always watching from in his shadow and Bahamut refused her in Shu''s place with a growl.


    "You can shrink!" Shu cried as he held Supaiku in his lap, the Gold-Eyed Lightning Tiger now the size of a cat. "Not very small, but now I can take you with me. I know Wraith is as strong as I am, thanks to being bound to me like a magical item. Bahamut is still at the sixth stage. Ha! I''m as strong as you now. Still, now you are of the fourth rank and can shrink. You still crackle lightning from the pikes on your tail. I wonder when you guys can talk?"


    "They can talk when they reach Spirit Knight cultivation. Welcome back, Shu," Spook chimed in. "It will be telepathy though. They don''t acquire human speech until the Spirit Master stage and evolve into a humanoid form at the Spirit Sage stage. Half human, half magical beast. Stronger than both though. You really went crazy. You even encased yourself in a scorpion-shaped body out of the planet''s life force."


    "That''s awesome!" Shu grinned.


    "No, far from it. You were berserk, unable to differentiate friend from foe. You became an animal. You must not trigger that state. You were stopped before the planet''s life force destroyed your body. You must remember to remain calm and keep in control of your emotions," Spook warned. "Still, congratulations. Now, you can practice the Great Spirit Integration technique. Well done."


    "So everything turned out great," Shu sighed.


    "No. They didn''t. You have lost all but a small sliver of your humanity. Your spirit reactors have enlarged and still represent moons in your realm of consciousness.. Your soul ocean has become a planet. Furthermore, that dragon fox has altered your body. A significant change is that you can now eat magical beast meat raw. You no longer need to eat meat like a human," Spook warned. "Shu, master, you will never be the same. You fused your spirits into one. Once you begin training, you will know the true change."

 Book 2: Chapter 7- The Tigers Rage

    (Author: Hello! The fox ears and demon horn are permanent. His vermillion wings can appear at will. However, there are others who have horns and wings so those don''t stand out. Although such inhumane changes are not normal, it depends on the Archon or true Archon technique. Now come''s the time for the training for the inter-academic competition. It''s not like a tournament. Anyway, Shu is now almost anything but human. He is a Practitioner, they cast away their Mortal bodies to defy the heavens and attain the power of gods and immortality. It''s bound to happen. Someone angers Shu and, well, the rest is in the chapter. Reminder: I don''t post on Sundays and I try to post everyday, provided I have a chapter for it written down. I am currently writing book 2 chapter 12. Enjoy.)


    ------------Chapter 7: The Tiger''s Rage--------------------


    "What happened to the scroll?" Shu asked as he noticed it was blank.


    "All its knowledge is in your head. I assume that the stages will reveal themselves whenever you make a breakthrough. You fused with the dragon fox and attained part of its body. However, the spirit you should integrate with your technique should be the White Ocean Tiger. Although, I think it should be called Armored Tiger Ocean God. Due to the influence of the Great Spirits, the two spirits in your body fused together. Thus, you have successfully evolved your spirit. A rather unorthodox method, but not a bad one," Spook answered.


    Shu nodded and headed to the grass fields behind the pagoda. Past the fields were the forests that led to the mountain. However, no magical beasts resided on the grass fields and was the perfect place for people to practice their techniques. Shu immediately closed his eyes as he began to read the specifics about the first stage. The technique required fusing with a Great Spirit, but you can choose to materialize your own spirit when you practice the technique.


    First, Shu began to meditate, drawing his spirit energy to cover his body. His demonic horn shimmered as it had a new place on his head, the top of where the center above his forehead would be, hidden by his hair. It was about two centimeters. Shu assumed it replaced the other two demonic horns, but felt more spiritual energy within them than the other two. The horn was also as white as snow, like his new ears. Due to fusing with the dragon fox, his senses had heightened. He would often cover his ears as he was not used to the superior hearing he now had.


    Finally, the spirit energy formed a layer over his body. Shu began to envision his Armored Tiger Ocean God and armor appeared on his arms and legs as he yelled an involuntary roar similar to that of a tiger. Then, he began to practice the fist and palm techniques he saw in his mind, as well as the kicking techniques. Whenever he kicked or punched, a faint outline of a tiger''s paw would appear, shaped in the same position. Finally, after eight hours of non-stop practice, he could finally form a tiger''s paw perfectly.


    "The first stage is the easiest, as you have to survive the Pact," Spook reminded. "Now you must learn how to roar like the tiger. It will be your first sound wave technique and easiest soul technique to use. How you incorporate the sound of its roar to your fist and feet is the second stage. You should probably reach the second stage in time for the competition."


    Shu spent the next day trying to create the soul technique: Tiger''s Roar. When he punched and kicked, he could freely use any of his elements to encompass the attacks. Lightning tiger paw attacks were swift and held much destructive power. Dark tiger paws were like illusions, but still hit as they were spirit energy. It was as if he punched multiple times with a single punch, each strike hidden in the shadow of the other. Water tiger paw strikes were smooth and elusive. It was as if he was dancing. If a person tried to match the strike, he would not resist and channel that force to counter with another limb, using the opponent''s own power against him. He could even freeze his target.


    Still, no matter how much he screamed, he couldn''t feel any spirit force behind it. Then, he thought about sound waves. It wasn''t a blast, but like a circular wave of sound originating from his mouth. He didn''t convert his spirit energy into the elements as he used the essence of his elemental spirit energy as the basis of his shout. Then, he started seeing results. Nearby creatures and birds would become stunned as he roared four layers of spirit energy.


    The outermost layer of sound contained the essence of darkness. It would hide the image of the spirit energy and make it seem invisible. The wave would resonate with water essence and enter the body, most of which is liquid to begin with. Then, it would freeze, as if ice slowly crept inside as it spread like poison. The heart of the technique was the innermost layer, which contained the essence of lightning. This lightning was how he could create the shockwave that would start it all.


    "The scroll was right. You don''t combine the elements. Not really. You can combine their essence. After all, Practitioners can make the element they have affinity with, but they are all made with the essence of the element. The aspect of the element the spirit energy contains. I am just fusing those aspects together, returning the spirit energy into its pure, undivided state," Shu gasped. "It''s like the human body. It has so many aspects, but they combine and exist in harmony to make the body. It''s like how my blood does not boil as my nerves are stimulated. This Black Lotus Immortal.....absolutely terrifying."


    "Uh, master, you might want to learn how to control that sound wave. Bahamut, Supaiku, and I were also affected. Not as much as ordinary life forms, but the effect is there," Wraith asked.


    "HAHAHA! I felt nothing," Spook laughed. "Good. Seeing as you can comprehend it now, I will return to my dormant state. Congratulations."


    Shu let Bahamut ride on his shoulder as Supaiku followed him to his dorm room, Wraith always on guard for any hidden foes. Shu put on a different jacket, still crimson but with a hood. There were straps within the hood to keep it over his head as they connected to the collar. With his ears covered, Shu headed to the cafeteria. As they entered the cafeteria, many people stared, warily, at Shu. They clearly remembered Shu going berserk. Shu paid them no heed and took three large plates of magical beast meat with some side dishes. Sitting on the table, he left one plate, piled high, for Supaiku as he began eating his lunch.


    "Welcome back. I think your diet got worse," Hinako smiled. "Wait, are you at the sixth stage?"


    "Yeah," Shu grinned. "What did I miss in class?"


    "We didn''t know about your advancement to the sixth stage, but people who visited you discovered you have a Mystic Crystal. I''m shocked. You reached the fifth stage of soul condensation. So quick too. Did it have to do with what you learned in the pagoda''s top floor?" she asked.


    "I''m just lucky I even survived," Shu sighed as he shook his head. "I heard about the inter-academic competition. What''s it about anyway?"


    "Oh, right. A list of people who are already chosen was posted outside the principal''s office. Everyone is busy cultivating and learning new techniques. One of your friends was chosen. I believe it was Jiyeon Choi. She was chosen for her white magic. Pretty much most of the sixty mages were already chosen. However, she was chosen as one of the first year representatives, not one of the sixty mages. You were also chosen as one of the first year representatives, not one of the Practitioners," Hinako nodded. "I was chosen for one of the fifteen spots for the Practitioners of the sixth stage."


    "What is the inter-academic competition? It''s not a tournament, is it?" Shu asked.


    "It depends on what path you follow. For mages, it''s a competition of games like marathons, battles between summons, and stuff. For Practitioners, the first two parts are always the same each year. The first part is always to follow a path to the peak of some isolated path. From there, we head into one of the isolated areas. Our job is to survive against the magical beasts as we collect the talismans of other competitors. Each area is segregated from the other. Because you are at the sixth rank, with Weiss and Cassandra at the fifth, we will have more than fifteen Practitioners of your cultivation stage in the area. All the others will be of the fourth stage. First year representatives are excused from the restriction of only fifteen people per cultivation stage. Of course, only ten of the twenty first years can be Practitioners. The most competitive area is the one with the most contestants," Hinako began.


    "The area with the fourth stage Practitioners. Is that bad?" Shu asked. "Since we will have three less Practitioners added to that group."


    "No. Most academies see that stage as a sacrificial pawn. The more people, the better. It means that other first years will be in the higher groups, giving their school a higher chance. Only sixty four people, per group, are allowed to advance to the main tournament of their respective stages," Hinako sighed. "The seventh stage group always has one hundred and thirty five people, with no add-ins. You know, nine schools and fifteen people restriction."


    "Did you get chosen last year?" Shu asked.


    "I chose not to go. I wanted to watch my brother compete," Hinako shook her head. "I also wanted to see what it was like before I joined it. You can''t quit once it starts. People die. For the mages, the most is staying on the sickbed for a month. Their competition feels more like an ordinary school''s competition. You know, those schools for scholars. The exchange and observation of technical application of words, but with magic instead. I''m going into closed door training. Hopefully, I can reach the third level of soul condensation to increase, and enrich, my spirit energy. Later, Shu. See you then."


    "Bye," Shu waved before finishing his lunch.


    Before he got up to leave, he heard someone say, "Ah, Junior Brother Shu, wait up."


    "Hm?" Shu frowned and turned to see a group of students walking to him. They were all senior students of the sixth stage. A few looked a year older while most were older by two or more years. The academy did give up to fifty years to reach the eighth stage to graduate. Unless you had a foreign influence, or sudden insight, it would normally take many years to reach the eighth stage.


    "Ah, thanks. See, four of us seven were already chosen to represent a few spots for the competition. We wanted to see the first year who would join our ranks," a boy grinned. "The competition is dangerous. What matters is your skill in survival and fighting. I heard you reached the sixth stage because you learned an awesome technique. You definitely have to have some mastery if you want to survive. The biggest threat are students from the other academies. Not even monsters you cannot hope to fight are a bigger threat."


    "It''s because the students of the other academies want us to lose. We always win. Well, overall anyway," a girl chimed in. "We''re outnumbered by one hundred and twenty people, at the least. Some might go to extremes and recruit an older first year at the sixth stage. So long as recruits are below fifteen, they can join. That''s the highest I know of any academy. However, it means they lack talent. However, students with talents are only good seeds. See you later. You are a first year, so you can''t refuse!"


    Shu watched them leave before he stocked up on magical beast meat. He paid for about a thousand pounds and left for the forest. He had the body, and the soul, at the best possible condition. Now was the time to master his technique. He would have Wraith travel, in the shadows, and find magical beasts for Shu to kill. The more powerful the magical beast, the harder the labor. However, it was the best way to train and life-or-death situations would allow Shu to become used to using his technique, improvising it if he encountered a situation that rendered it less effective.


    Once he got used to killing a few magical beasts at the sixth rank, he decided to go to the mountains. Wraith advised against it, but Shu wanted Wraith to leave him and Bahamut. Wraith would find magical beasts so Supaiku would be able to train and hunt, like a real magical beast. Bahamut made a chuckling noise when Shu noted that SUpaiku had gone fat from eating without training.


    "Let''s go, Bahamut. First, we''ll travel the mountains. We won''t go to the heart. I want to at least get some experience fighting the monsters in the mountain and how they tracked and hunted. It will prove useful when I decide to try to find that hidden valley," Shu said as they watched Wraith and Supaiku disappear.


    Bahamut roared as it flew into the sky. Shu followed it, using his Phantasmal Sky technique to weave through the trees. As he ran, he also trained his Black Cloud Desolation technique, his lightning spirit technique he mastered the least. He tried to maintain a fist-sized cloud around both hands as he ran through the forest. Occasionally, he would shoot spears of blue lightning at empty spaces in the forest, creating small pits with each lightning bolt. He would often manipulate the clouds, until he only needed a cloud the size of a thumb to create enough lightning to incinerate and explode a whole tree.


    He was also able to expand the cloud to three hundred feet in an instant. He could freely move within the cloud, able to hide inside the tiniest speck of cloud without revealing himself. At night, he was practically invincible as his clouds would be invisible and he could easily escape any magical beast, striking them with a spear of lightning when they least expect it. He was finally able to use the hidden trump card. A highly concentrated and condensed black cloud of lightning that he could eat to temporarily increase his strength and speed. The drawback was great fatigue and exhaustion of spirit energy.


    He also began using the dagger he got from the ancient clan member. The skull dagger really was a great asset for any stealth attacks. His arm never made a sound whenever he wielded the dagger. He would use the dagger whenever he needed to ambush a magical beast. The more he hunted, the more he felt a hunger to kill stronger magical beasts. It was as if he had a goal to become the most powerful on the mountain. He would often track by smell and sound, heightened beyond normal human capacity. He would stalk his prey, brandishing the skull dagger as he imagined tearing the flesh.


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    Even now, he began shaping his palms and slightly bent them, in imitation of claws. his lightning paw attacks simulated a tiger clawing at flesh. He discarded his palm techniques and began using claw and fist techniques. He also began learning grappling techniques. He would often wrestle with the weaker magical techniques. He didn''t want to kill them outright. He wanted to learn how they fought, how they think. All in order to become a stronger, faster hunter.


    "You know, master, you scare me sometimes," Spook said.


    "Hmm?" Shu asked as he was eating the leg of a magical beast bear he killed on the mountain. "I scare you?"


    "You''re eating the magical beast meat of a bear. Raw. Your acting more like a beast everyday. Constantly hunting. It''s been a month. You should spend the rest of your time back in civilization. You have got to get rid of your bloodlust. You''ll scare the humans," Spook advised.


    "I guess I should....what''s that? I smell blood, a lot of it, but I''m not the one who caused it. Someone''s on the mountain," Shu said as he stared east. Someone was running, frantically, from the mountain and to the village. No, not someone. A group. They were running from something. Something dangerous. Something delicious.


    "BAHAMUT!" Shu roared and leapt on his dragon''s back as it sped toward the action. He spread out his spirit sense and counted three people: two girls and a boy. One of the girls was carrying the boy while the other one desperately tried to fend off what seemed to be a monster.


    The trio looked up as they saw a huge shadow block the sun. They saw a large, shining green dragon with a student with golden fox ears wearing the crimson jacket of their academy. He leapt from the dragon and landed next to them, the dragon landing in front as it blocked their path.


    "Hi there! Uh, don''t mind the blood on my clothes. It''s not mine," Shu said as he looked at himself, seeing them take a defensive stance at him. "You might want to get out of the way. I have business with that magical beast. It looks tasty, I mean dangerous."


    "Tasty?" they thought as they quickly moved aside.


    Shu grinned and pulled out Arctic Emperor. He didn''t want to use the skull dagger in front of others. He observed the magical beast, looking for a weakness. It stood at fifteen feet tall, had four limbs, and had mammoth-like tusks. Its face was like an eel, but had six golden eyes that closed horizontally. It had four limbs and its fur was dark blue, a bright red mane around the back of its head. Its tail looked like a tree root, but moved as if it were a living snake.


    "Oh, how can I eat you," Shu said. "If only we didn''t have an audience. Oh well. I''ll settle for draining you dry of all your spirit energy."


    Shu roared, stunning the magical beast and forcing it to crash onto the ground as its velocity was too fast. Shu created two large, black clouds and had them cover the blade of his katana. He used his Phantasmal Sky technique to appear at its neck in a flash, cutting down with his katana. Blue lightning crackled, showing a blue lightning rainbow as he beheaded the magical beast. Resisting the urge to lick the blood that sprayed on his mouth. He placed a palm on the magical beast, draining its spirit energy. Its fur dulled and Shu quickly carved out the demonic core from its head.


    "Bahamut, that''s your lunch," Shu said as he pointed behind himself as he walked to the trio, a quick moment of envy on his face as he watched Bahamut fly to the corpse. "Here, it was chasing you. I have a lot of demonic cores I can sell. Next time, you shouldn''t head to the mountains. At the fourth stage, you guys are just asking to be eaten. Later."


    Shu''s vermillion wings broke out from his back as he tossed the demonic core to the uninjured girl. They watched him leave, unable to believe their eyes. They had heard about the first year God Eater who broke into the sixth stage. They didn''t think they could actually meet him.


    Shu first headed to his room to cut his hair, bathe, and wear clean clothes. He sighed as he wore his hood over his head once more. Wraith and Supaiku had been waiting in his room as they had arrived a week prior. Wraith returned into his shadow as Supaiku followed Shu, now at the fifth rank. Bahamut actually made a breakthrough to the seventh stage. Shu sighed as he strapped Artic Emperor at his waist and left his room. Many people, below his cultivation, bowed as he walked to the cafeteria. After all, he was a sixth stage Spirit Shaman. Another reason was that he walked with his spirit armor on his arms and legs still. He radiated fear, danger, and power. Some bowed out of respect of his cultivation stage. Others bowed in case it would anger him not to.


    Along the way, he saw the professor. The professor was headed to the faculty cafeteria. They exchanged a few words and the professor advised that he wait until he was a Spirit Shaman to condense his soul further. True experts continued condensing their soul past the soul lake forming at the second stage. However, the physical body could only withstand so much. In order to grow a powerful soul, the Practitioner needed a powerful vessel. They left once the professor gave Shu a few more pointers about how to harness his spirit energy.


    Supaiku purred happily as Shu gave him a large plate piled high with magical beast meat. He stroked its back before eating his own pile. He looked up and saw Joey and the others, tired and slightly injured. Hinako also joined him as she had returned from her closed door practice. She also looked tired and sat next to him.


    "Whoa. You guys look beat," Shu commented. "What happened while I was gone?"


    "Weiss, that asshole," Joey cursed. "Max and Mary got broke their bottlenecks and advanced to the fourth stage. I did a half month later. I was the only one who joined the first year representative list after beating Weiss''s thugs. Mary and Max did not want to be targeted by Weiss and opted out. However, Kei and Bella reached the fifth stage. The only problem was that they were not picked because Weiss ambushed them before their qualification matches for the open spots. They were forced to compete with the other members of the fifth stage for the regular fifteen spots. Luckily, they managed to win."


    "That coward almost cost us our spots," Bella agreed. "Geo qualified as he learned a single intermediate spell: earth golem summoning."


    "That leaves Daniel, Mary, Max, and Kai out," Jiyeon said. "Another first year fire mage was chosen so Daniel didn''t qualify. Kai also did not qualify as he can''t control the toxicity of his poison spells."


    "I tried to learn as many spells as I could," Kai shrugged. "Next year, those mages better watch out."


    "Why are you so tired?" Shu asked Hinako.


    "I''ve been cultivating so long, I''m not used to moving so much anymore. I recently broke through to the seventh stage and I have to participate among the seventh stage Spirit Shamans," she smiled weakly. "Where did you go? You don''t look like you did closed-door practice."


    "I don''t need to. I needed to get my body used to the sixth stage. I have the body and a higher soul condensation level than anyone at my cultivation stage. I needed to get more practice using my techniques. I also had to get Supaiku to grow stronger. This little guy is at the fifth stage now," Shu grinned as he pet Supaiku''s head. "It''s just not fair how they rise so fast. Still, I''m surprised you reached the seventh stage. Are you the youngest?"


    "Yes. I was especially chosen for the competition because of my fast cultivation rate, However, my fighting prowess is not great. I mainly fight using formation barriers. That''s why I came here. The principal is a master at them. I hope to learn some of his techniques when I head to the top floor of the pagoda," Hinako grinned as she drank some water. "I''m not like you. I don''t improve my techniques by killing magical beasts or hunting them for food. If you didn''t cultivate, then you must have went to the forests and mountains behind the pagoda."


    "No wonder you radiate such an oppressive atmosphere. Even now, I feel like you can kill me if I even stumbled on your path," Joey shuddered. "How many did you kill?"


    "Only magical beasts," Shu shrugged. "The forest held too many weak magical beasts. Once I got the hang of my techniques, I started hunting in the mountains. I didn''t go to the snowy mountains in the heart of the mountain range. I''d probably get killed there. I spent the last few weeks hunting and mapping out the mountains. I''ll know where to go and how to avoid the denser areas of magical beast, in the future."


    "Fuck. There''s Weiss now," Joey cursed as they all saw the familiar, white-haired kid with his bunch of thugs. "Even mages flock to him now. Cassandra''s worried a war might break out amongst first years. The principal was warned, but he said he didn''t care, so long as no one is missing a limb or got killed."


    Shu didn''t know why, but he felt angry when he stared at Weiss. Killing intent flowed from his body, suffocating many people. Once someone reaches a high enough cultivation, they could utilize an aura of killing intent. It was similar to baleful aura, but the aura is violet and not black. Of course, one had to kill a substantial amount of people. Such violent aura could only be made through effort. Shu had killed millions on Earth and dozens of magical beasts. How could he not develop a fiendish aura. Even the seventh stage senior students were alarmed.


    "Weiss. I don''t know why, but you continue to piss me off. I can tolerate you cursing me silently, but now you messed with my friends. I can''t kill you, but I will break you. You and your whole pathetic faction," Shu growled and disappeared.


    Weiss looked around and saw Shu behind himself, howling with pain as Shu kicked him in the genitals. Shu grabbed the head of one of the mages and smacked it against another. Shu stabbed a Practitioner with his fingers covered in spirit energy, intentionally missing the vitals as he couldn''t kill. Weiss drew his two-handed sword and slashed at Shu. Shu spat on the floor and caught the sword with his bare hands, spirit energy protecting his skin fromt he edge as he caught it using his tyrannical strength. He jerked the sword and kicked Weiss in the chest, sending him flying.


    A mage quickly cast a fireball on his back, but Shu was uninjured. Pissed off, Shu punched at the mage with a dark tiger paw, punching the kid eight times with a single punch. Due to his tyrannical strength, the boy crashed through the wall. Many senior students cheered, enjoying the action as it was above their expectations. They were not chosen for the competition and had no need to enter closed-door training.


    "How dare you! Men, let''s trap the bastard in a formation!" Weiss roared and his Practitioners stood in front of him in a pyramid formation. Shu narrowed his eyes as he was trapped in a four-square point formation.


    "HAHAHAHA! You think you can trap me in one of the two most basic formations? Do not test me!" Shu roared, blasting his spirit force into the barrier. Weiss and the others coughed blood as several cracks were made before it shattered.


    Supaiku enlarged to its full size and pounced at Weiss''s men. It bit and slashed some of them, careful not to kill them. Saint level magical beasts were intelligent. Furthermore, a magical beast that had bound to a master would also gain a boost in intelligence. Weiss paled as he had no more men to fight for him. His weapon was knocked out of his hands when Shu had kicked him. Shu brandished his katana as he walked to Weiss, slowly. Weiss could hear his heart thump louder with every step Shu made, the fear growing stronger as each slow step felt like hundreds of swords were pressed against his flesh.


    "I beat you once, and you only came back more determined. I can''t kill you, seeing as the academy needs you. However, I can cripple you for a few days. You won''t even be able to move once I drain you dry of all your spirit energy. You''ll recover, seeing as you have a Mystic Stone. Know despair," Shu grinned, cruelly, as he grabbed Weiss''s face and drained his spirit energy from his body.


    "Spirit sealing technique?" one of the senior students frowned.


    "I think so. It''s not a permanent one as the God Eater said the guy would recover," another said.


    "That mean the faction war is over? What do we bet on now?" another sighed.


    "We can bet spirit pills, gold, and demonic cores on how they fare in the competition!" one shouted.


    Many seniors began huddling together to exchange information on who were already competing and who would most likely qualify for the remaining spots. There was only a week left until the chosen were finalized. The stronger students gave lists of people to find info while the rich and noble students would use their connections to discover the info of the other academies. Then, they would team up with the gamblers of all the other academies. Why did they do this? Many nobles and powerful figures would be watching the competition. There was plenty of benefits to be had while watching the games.


    "That felt good," Shu sighed with relief as he sat down on his chair. "Good work Supaiku."


    "Uh, I guess Cassandra''s faction wins?" Joey asked, tilting his head in shock as the tiger returned to its adult cat size and continued eating its meal.


    "Yeah. No more worries of ambushes by Weiss," Bella agreed. None of them were scared as they saw Shu smile at his magical beast. They knew he was kind to those who showed him kindness. They made a note, in their hearts, never to anger him intentionally.


    "You really need to eat some vegetables or some noodles," Hinako commented. "You''re not a magical beast."


    "I''ll eat some chicken vegetable dumplings. They''re the best. Whoever created them, thank you," Shu grinned, nodding at the ceiling in respect, before heading off to grab three bowls of dumplings. He would have nodded at the sky, but they were indoors.


    "I guess we better eat now," Geo sighed, amazed Shu can still eat after all that blood he and Supaiku caused.


    "Yeah. I agree with that," Daniel said, rubbing his stomach as he walked over to the food.

 Book 2: Chapter 8- The Shao Clan

    (Author: Hello! You were wondering and now she''s back: Ivy Shao. It will soon be time for a new development. Sunday is over so here''s the chapter. Thanks and enjoy.)


    -------------Chapter 8: The Shao Clan--------------------


    Three days later, the academy was buzzing with news as all the students had returned from cultivation. Many students gathered as the top ten beauties had arrived. Many students gathered in the cafeteria, anxious to see the beauties return. One of the ten beauties was a guy. He was so perfect, to the girls, they turned the Nine Beauties of Black Lotus to Ten Beauties of Black Lotus. If there was a flower boy king, he was it. Even the female professors made some questionable behaviors when he passed them by.


    "They''re coming," Joey grinned as he rubbed his hands with excitement. "We''ve been hearing abut them for so long. Now they''re here."


    "Boys," Mary sighed. "However, I am curious to meet the flower boy."


    "I just hope he''s not like Weiss," Max said, shivering. "What happened to the guy anyway?"


    "His faction broke up. Also, I heard rumors that he spends most of his time trembling in his room. It''s next door to Shu''s old room as Shu transferred to a more luxurious dorm. The sixth and seventh stage student dorms are heaven," Bella sighed.


    "Yeah, but we don''t spend much time in our rooms. It''s our magical beasts who enjoy the luxury," Hinako commented, already fast friends with Bella and the others.


    "I heard one of the ten beauties is an earth mage," Geo said. "I hope I get to see how she uses her magic."


    "Almost all of the Ten Beauties of Black Lotus are the top thirty students of the academy. Beautiful and powerful. The world is truly unfair. However, most of them don''t have battle experience," Hinako said. "Like most students: we are all too busy cultivating and practicing without experiencing life-or-death situations. However, one of them has. She even got accepted into the academy a year early, at age twelve. She is one of the three members of the Ten Beauties of Black Lotus who are members of the ancient clans, like me."


    "WHAT!" everyone, but Shu shouted, sitting down sheepishly as the cafeteria glared at them.


    "You''re not surprised?" Hinako asked Shu.


    "I had my suspicions when you said your clan had someone who could regenerate a whole arm for someone. Mages can heal wounds and reattach arms, but most have to be an Arch Mage. If a Practitioner is healing, it would have to be someone at the Spirit Master stage," Shu nodded. "So the Sano clan is one of the nine. What clans are the other three from?"


    "Allow me," Joey said as he pulled out ten cards, each of them with information on the Ten Beauties of Black Lotus.


    "The hell? Where''d you get those? I thought they ran out," Daniel asked, catching the stares of everyone at the table. "What? They''re hot. Can''t a guy admire a girl from a distance?"


    "Okay. They''re names are Kristy Ngo, Isabella Rivers, Elizabeth Hong, Hannah Moon, Allison Taylor, and Crystal Cruise. They''re the top six beauties, from the top down. Rank 10: Melissa Woods is the last person and I skipped, to her, because ranks 7 to 9 are all members of the ancient clans," Joey said.


    "It even has that knowledge?" Jiyeon asked. "How many perverts stalked them to find out that information?"


    "I dunno. They must be rich," Joey shrugged. "I only care about the weakest one: Hannah Moon. She is at the fifth stage and a third year. She''s cute."


    Jiyeon narrowed her eyes while Bella asked, "Hinako, who are the members of the ancient clans? Are they all from different clans?"


    "One of them is my cousin. The other two are from separate clans. The ninth rank beauty is my cousin, Hailey Sano. She and I are not direct descendants of the head of our clan. Thus, we are allowed to study outside the clan. We have true Archon bodies though. All of us must if we are to defend ourselves from several jealous clans. We''re not as talented. Members of the main branch will already pass already the tenth stage of Spirit Shaman before they turn twenty. Just like the rest of us, I don''t think we can be Spirit Knights, Archon Phoenix in my case, before we''re twenty," Hinako smiled sadly as she laid back on her chair. "All the resources are focused on the main members of the clan. Then again, they are the future of the clan and many members of the main branch are constantly at each other''s throat for the head position of the clan. Most die young, either assassinated or poisoned in public."


    "What are their names?" Shu asked.


    "From the seventh rank down, they are Ivy Shao, Miguel Drakon, and Hailey Sano," Hinako answered.


    "Ivy Shao?" Shu repeated, his eyes widening as he remembered seeing her back in the Yan Empire.


    "Shu!" a girl''s voice cried as the Ten Beauties of Black Lotus walked in. Four of the ten wore white jackets while the other six wore crimson jackets.


    "It is you," Shu laughed as he stood up, seeing Ivy walk to him.


    "Hmm? You look different," Ivy gasped, looking him over. "I knew you would come here. I thought you would have applied early."


    "You''re a member of the ancient clans. No wonder," Shu sighed as he shook his head with disbelief. Ivy Shao had also changed. She had straight, purple black hair that curled as it reached her shoulders. She had bright green eyes and already had a figure of envy. He looked back and saw the top six were even more beautiful. So much so that it hurt his eyes.


    "I heard you reached the sixth stage already. Nice. We can compete together in the competition. I''m at the peak of the sixth stage though," Ivy smiled.


    "So this is the boy," a girl with light brown skin, long black hair, and soft hazel eyes smiled. A few boys even sighed with awe as they heard her voice. Her name was Isabella, the second ranked beauty and the strongest of the ten, already at the peak of the seventh stage. She was nineteen years old, the oldest of them all. Some of the adults looked at her. Some with lust,. Others with envy. After all, the school said you had fifty years to reach the eighth stage of Spirit Shaman to graduate. However, there was an unspoken rule that said you could not call yourself a graduate if you passed after the age of twenty. The faculty also pressured those older students to transfer. How could they not?


    "You''re Isabella Rivers!" Kei and Kai cried in unison.


    "Hello," Isabella smiled.


    "Yes. This is Shu of the Lu Clan. However, he seems to have changed," Ivy smiled.


    "You''re not going to insist I have a makeover, will you?" Shu asked, incredulous.


    "You already had a cute makeover. I love those golden fox ears. Can I touch them?" Ivy asked as she peeked below his hood.


    "Oooh! I want to too!" Mary and Jiyeon cried, Bella nodding as well.


    "I am not cute!" Shu cried.


    "Isabella? Oh, it''s a God Eater," the only boy of the Ten Beauties of Black Lotus noted. "Hey there! Props for the jacket. The only good Hyperion is a dead one."


    "This is my boyfriend, Miguel Drakon," Isabella smiled, causing many boys'' hearts to break.


    "Nice to meet you," Shu said as he and Miguel shook hands.


    "I''m sorry about Lenard''s actions. He is a direct grandson of the head, but not the son of the eldest and favorite son. I am, but I''m the fourth son," Miguel laughed. "I hope the dagger served you well."


    "It has. Sorry if I offended you," Shu said as he showed the skull dagger.


    "No worries. That spy really was just a servant. They are trained to sacrifice their lives to protect, and serve, from the shadows. As he died while discovered, he would have been executed for his failure. Because of you, he did not have to be humiliated in front of his family. Nor did he bring them shame as he died while on duty," Miguel assured Shu. "Anyway, we better head to the others, Isabella. Let Ivy sit with her friend."


    "He is a dream," Mary sighed, watching Miguel go.


    "He''s taken sis," Max sighed.


    "He''s not," Bella said, pointing at Shu, who was otherwise engaged with a piece of magical beast meat and a staring contest with his tiger.


    "Take it. Damn glutton," Shu scoffed and grinned as he watched Supaiku eat as he gazed at the others. "What? I thought we were eating? We made our introductions."


    "Good luck," Hinako said, patting Ivy on her shoulder. "Later guys. I''m going to train until we depart."


    Shu and Ivy began talking while the others were gathering their food. They talked about the strengths and weaknesses about the various magical beasts they encountered in the forest and mountains. Bella and Geo also talked with them, eager to learn more for when they would hunt there. The others would sneak glances at the remaining Ten Beauties of Black Lotus.


    "So what is the grand prize?" Shu asked as he began eating dumplings.


    "It is access to the Vault of Kings," Ivy answered. "Each year, the nine academies compete for permission to access the Vault of Kings. The greatest empire of the north, Jakkom, has owned the land of this entire continent since the earliest surviving record made by sentient life. Even the continent''s name was changed countless millennia ago. Countless treasures exist in the imperial vault. Plus, the empire has five Spirit Sages, the largest number."


    "If you only you knew," Shu thought as he thought about the fourteen Honorable Ancestors.


    "The winning academy gets vast amounts of resources. Such as a billions of gold, magic tomes, Practitioner techniques, magical items, and magical beasts to serve and protect the academy. The winner of each competition gets to pick three items from the vault. Second place gets two while third place gets one. Also, the fabled Pantheon of Devils will come in a little less than ten years," Ivy said with awe and fear in her voice. "These next few years are imperative to increase your cultivation and obtain the treasures of the Pantheon of Devils. It is the utopia of all power and treasure in the Mortal Realm."


    Shu''s lightning blue eyes seemed to spark while he envisioned what he could gain while Joey asked, "Pantheon of Devils?"


    "It is an ancient building within a separate dimension. The lone entrance and exit opens once every thousand years. It is said that a Demon God and Immortal God gamble on who would gain the treasures. The Magical Beast God is responsible for the creatures and obstacles within the Pantheon," Ivy answered. "For people like us, we can only go up to the thirteenth floor."


    "How do you progress through the floors? Find the entrance to it?" Daniel asked.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "No. It is never that simple. Even though they are floors, it is really a test. The higher the floor, the more difficult the test," Ivy answered. "Some floors have multiple tests. You are trapped in there until you complete every two floors. For completing every even numbered floor, you are asked whether you wish to leave or rest for a hundred days before you continue. The prizes lay in the eleventh to thirteenth floors."


    "For telling me this, I''ll let you touch my ears," Shu resigned as the others stared at him. He unstrapped the hood from his collar and let the hood fall onto his back. Ivy blushed as she felt his ears. Shu had his eyes closed as he waited for her to finish.


    "Done?" Shu asked as he strapped the hood to his collar. They all watched as armor on his legs and arms appeared, his countenance looking oppressive as a mask covered the lower half of his face. They swore they saw lightning flash in his eyes. Their eyes widened as the color changed to orange. They could literally see countless galaxies within his eyes.


    "What are you doing?" Shu asked.


    "Uh, your eyes changed color. They''re orange now. I think I can see the galaxies and universes in your eyes," Joey answered. "They glow too. Your eyes I mean. With the armor on your limbs, the mask, and hooded crimson jacket; I swear you look like a villain."


    "You look awesome," Kai and Kei said.


    Shu stared at the reflection from the skull dagger and saw the change in his eye color. As he stared deeper, he discovered they were right. His eyes narrowed as he didn''t know what was going on. He went to place his empty plates by the designated dropping area near the trash bins.


    "Your eyes look like that of the Dragon Fox. You never really looked at its eyes, right?" Spook said as Shu was out of earshot. "You have the eyes of a Great Spirit now. You''ll soon see things others can''t."


    "Something wrong, Shu?" Ivy asked as Shu returned to his seat.


    "Ah, it''s nothing. This is just a side-effect from the technique I learned. Same with the ears. I learned the technique of the Black Lotus Immortal," Shu laughed. "Is the Shao Clan okay with sending you here?"


    "Oh. Well, I am the fifth daughter of the chief. After me, he finally had a son. Besides him and eldest sister, my other three sisters and I are not contenders for his position," Ivy smiled as she stared at her food. "Right now, the Shao Clan is preparing for the Pantheon of Devils. I was allowed to come here, thanks to my uncle. He told them about the prize. I have a chance in being one of the three people to gain access to the Vault of Kings among the students of the sixth stage. The item I pick might just save my life. Of course, I will be given other items. However, I cannot freely choose what I might get. By going to the competition, I can exactly what I want. Last year, I was third place and got a single item amongst the fourth year students."


    "If it''s anything similar to my clan''s imperial vault, there''s bound to be many priceless treasures," Shu thought.


    "Mary, Max, Kai, and Daniel; are you guys going to come with us to the capital to watch the games?" Bella asked.


    "Yeah," Daniel nodded. "As mages are displaying their spells and theories for various spells and rituals, I plan to go to learn about them. Kai is also interested. Sorry we can''t watch your matches. We''ll let you guys know how Jiyeon and Geo fare by telling Mary and Max."


    "I just want to watch Kei and Bella kick Weiss''s ass," Max growled while Mary nodded in agreement.


    "Will we be traveling together?" Joey asked.


    "Yes. We are all are flying magical beasts, if we don''t have one already," Ivy nodded.


    "I can ride Bahamut," Shu said. "He can probably carry you all. He''s twenty feet tall and forty five feet long now. He''s getting big."


    "Is he a serpentine dragon?" Ivy asked.


    "Nah, he has a lizard body with wings. Bahamut is an Emerald Steel Dragon at the seventh stage. I don''t know when he stops growing," Shu shrugged. "I can ride Supaiku as he is now as tall as a horse."


    "Good because draconic magical beasts are not allowed. Draconic magical beasts are the most powerful, besides one-of-a-kind magical beasts, and are banned to give the other competitors a chance to compete. They are just too powerful," Ivy said. "Still, I can''t believe you already have two magical beasts bound to you. If they weren''t Saint level magical beasts, I would have thought you were too hasty."


    "Well, let''s meet at the gates when we depart to the Jakkom capital with the other students," Bella said. "We better make our last preparations. Bye!"


    "I heard you have a true Archon body," Ivy said, as the others left.


    "How do you know that?" Shu asked.


    "Of course, information spreads about Practitioners who have spirit reactors. The ancient clans have always inter-married with those people to insure they don''t create chaos on the planet while improving our own power," Ivy answered. "Still, you are able to rip out someone''s Mystic Stone and absorb their spirit energy. Many were startled by the fact that you also absorbed the spirit reactor."


    "I didn''t exactly plan for that much, but I absorbed the spirit reactor," Shu nodded.


    "Still, you look better now. You are no longer afraid of being bullied. Before you lost your memory, you asked me to give you a makeover. You were attacked and suffered that incident on the way to see me," Ivy explained. "Now you''re even more powerful than me. As we have true Archon bodies, we can definitely reach the tenth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation before the Pantheon of Devils. We might still be Spirit Shamans, but true Archons are much more powerful than other Spirit Shamans of the same cultivation. We''re sure to get placed well. Our only issue is if we fight other scions of the ancient clans."


    "Is that why you only got third place?" Shu asked.


    "Yes. If we have a chance to eliminate them, the sooner the better," Ivy answered. "This year, the top sixty four won''t be in one-on-one battles. Only the top sixteen. Due to my clan''s connections, I found out that the Jokkam Empire wants the tournament to be more entertaining. Since, many powerful clans have sons and daughters competing, it would be more entertaining to have more trials before the main tournament."


    "We''ll just have more opportunities to fight them," Shu grinned.


    "Not only that, members of the student''s clans and families will be there. I heard that a Spirit Sage is being sent, to represent your clan, all the way from Kasara. The Ancestor''s name is Lu Feng," Ivy said.


    "Oh. Damn," Shu said, thinking about how his ancestor annihilated the tenth clan of the ancient clans. "Will the ancient clans retaliate?"


    "No. None of our elders are confident to kill Ancestor Lu Feng," Ivy said. "He is a regular Archon, but killed several Fiend Adepts and Fiend Immortals. I don''t know the exact reason, but people say the clan caused his wife to die after giving birth. Others say that he got angry after the clan tried to kill him. No one knows the true story. It was because of him that we are cautious about regular Archons. You can say we were arrogant back then. The ancient clans, of today, are nowhere like them. We even enlist the aid of mages now. All to slay the Hyperion."


    "Yeah, he''s scary," Shu said, looking at Spook. "But I haven''t seen that side of him. Anyway, we better make our preparations to leave."


    "Okay. Bye, Shu," Ivy smiled and waved as she left first.


    "What do you know of the Vault of Kings?" Shu asked Spook.


    "From the knowledge I obtained from the Great Ancestor, when he made my two previous forms, the Vault of Kings is really extraordinary. The empire existed before he returned to the Mortal Realm. It is no exaggeration that their vault must be incredibly vast and rich. It is a good thing I was made. Only an Immortal can see your demonic red spirit energy, unless you intentionally reveal it. An example would be that demon lion statue," Spook said. "My advice would be keep your mask armor manifested on your face. Don''t materialize it on your arms and legs. Don''t use reveal your wings or skull dagger. Keep your Great Spirit Integration technique a secret. Use your other techniques if you have to. Oh, and use your flying moon blades. There are grips on the crescent moon blades. The curve cuts, but you don''t have to make them fly all the time. Try to keep your true fighting style, with Arctic Emperor, a secret."


    "Ah, right. I forgot about those," Shu cried as he took them out his storage bag. Two, large blades floated above his hands. Each of them had purple flames and a metallic wood was between the points of the crescent moon blade. The curve of the moon was about a foot and a half long, at the center. It would be useful for close range while he could make it fly from medium to long range. It seemed that it had changed once more, as he had grown stronger.


    Shu went to the store at the academy and hand them craft straps on his back for the moon blades. As he could control them with his spirit energy. He could easily unsheathe and sheathe them on his back. In his room, he held his Sentinel Bow. No changes had been made, but the two carvings were different. The top was the Armored Ocean Tiger God while the carving at the bottom was the Dragon Fox. The top he expected, and he assumed the Dragon Fox was because of a part of the Great Spirit was fused with him while the other part became the core of the soul planet in his realm of consciousness.


    The bow felt powerful, so much so that he didn''t think anything would be able to block the arrows. It was a Divine Weapon. He wondered if a Demon God made it. The archer could not have been human as he could fire it more than once. Since it was a Divine Weapon, he just associated it with a Demon God. Either them or a Creator God. If Demon Emperors ruled entire galaxies, it was highly probable that they could make planets. After all, Practitioner and mages could ascend and they could control the elements.


    Shu put the Sentinel Bow in Spook and looked out the window, saying, "I''ve trained my body, soul, and techniques. Now I gotta fight once more. I can''t lose. No matter if its the ancient clan scions or other powerful students, I will defeat them all. I will never yield, powerless, before my opponents. I even took my own life to buy time and took my enemies'' lives with my own. I didn''t let them beat me then. I won''t let anyone beat me now."

 Book 2: Chapter 9: The Capital of Jakkom

    (Author: Hello! The inter-academic competition event has begun. Remember. Only fifteen people are chosen per stage. From the fourth stage to the seventh stage. That is already sixty people. The exception to the rule are the twenty first years, ten of which will join the Practitioners while the other are mages. Sixty mages are chosen based on specialization and mastery over spell casting, spell theory, and spell manipulation. Summons and rituals also apply. Their grading criteria is different. It is more intellectual than it is physical. The only injuries or deaths are caused by spells, summons, and rituals gone wrong. As you have read, Black Lotus Academy is the top academy of nine schools. Evidently, it is ranked first and a lot of other academies are jealous and aim to take them down. Well, enjoy.)


    ----------Chapter 9: The Capital of Jakkom--------------


    On the morning of departure, all eyes were on the giant, emerald dragon with its master on top. Strands of golden hair could be seen beneath a crimson hood as a mask covered the lower part of his face. They could only see those glowing, orange eyes. As they looked upon them, they felt as if they were seeing through the eyes of a good, seeing the marvels of the universe in his eyes. What''s more, he openly cultivated in front of them. They could see giant strands of blue green energy rise from the ground and enter his body.


    One seventh stage student, not chosen to compete, did not like that Ivy talked to him. When he attacked Shu earlier, all that remained was his broken body in a pit next to the dragon. Seeing the seventh stage student defeated so easily, none of the other students dared to anger or disturb him. Even the principal seemed to favor him. There was no doubt that he was the strongest first year. They could only watch, enviously, as Ivy joined Shu on Bahamut''s back. They also saw five of the other first years join Shu. Even Hinako, another member of the ancient clans joined them. The even saw her cousin, the rank 9 beauty Hailey Sano, also sit on Bahamut''s back.


    "We''re getting a lot of attention," Joey laughed.


    "It''s not us. It''s Ivy, Hailey, and Shu. Really, Shu. We haven''t even left and you already beat someone up," Hinako sighed.


    "He attacked me. What? Did you think I would just knock him out? In the real world, it is much better to actually kill the guy. You must kill to win all future battles. If you let even one of the enemy live, there will be unforeseen consequences that will make you wish you didn''t," Shu shrugged. "He''s just lucky we are at academy grounds. If we were already at the sky, I would have broken his limbs and watch him fall to death."


    "We are now leaving for the capital of Jakkom! It is known as the Black City. Countless millennia ago, immortals returned to the Mortal Realm and created the kingdom of Jakkom. They left their descendants here, as they were too weak for the Immortal Realms. The entire city is appears as if it were made of black glass. Like obsidian glass. He head to that city now, to maintain our position as the number one academy in Jakkom! The top of the nine academies!" the principal roared as he rode a shining white phoenix that was even bigger than Bahamut.


    It was a Saint level magical beast known as a Radiant Cloud Phoenix. If a student did not ride their own a magical beast, or that of another student, they rode on the backs of rank 6 magical beasts known as Blue Crown Sand Eagles . They were large eagles as powerful as a Spirit Knight with a circle of blue feathers on their heads. However, it was way too crowded and people had to sit, too close for comfort, and the eagle would have to slow down if they began to slip. Ivy and the others were glad Shu already had a magical beast. It was even a flying magical beast. Most students haven''t bound a magical beast as the first is always the most important one. It had to have the most potential in order to control the other magical beasts.


    Some could even call it a hierarchy. If a magical beast was stronger than the one bound before it, most of them end up killing each other. Higher classed magical beasts usually had a higher intelligence and did not do such things. However, it was rare to find such an intelligent magical beast at the lower, more affordable, ranks. Most people buy their magical beasts. It was just easier, safer, and had a higher success rate of making it obey.


    After three hours in the air, they could finally see Black City. It really was as the principal said. The whole city was black and light reflected off the surface of the buildings, as if they were made of glass. The capital was seventy five miles long. Despite the black buildings and towers, the people wore bright colors, like white and sky blue. Each of the guards wore a full suit of gold armor. However, their armor was enchanted and they were all Spirit Knights. Even though the Yan Dynasty and the Kingdom of Kasara had the most Spirit Knights, they could only claim as such in their continent. In Jokkam, there were not a few hundred Spirit Knights. There were a few ten thousand Spirit Knights. However, compared to the Yan Dynasty, they had little Spirit Sages and Spirit Masters.


    "Holy shit!" Joey said as he could not sense the spirit energy of all the guards. "They''re all Spirit Knights."


    "Yeah, man. Holy shit," Daniel agreed, shocked as well.


    "This is the most powerful, and largest, nation in the entire planet. While Spirit Knights guarding cities are rare in most of the other continents, they are plentiful in Jokkam. They all belong to the Black Guardian Dragons, a powerful sect in charge of guarding the country from mages and Practitioners who are not representatives of an army. By creating a sect separate from the army, Jokkam is protected from all kinds of people, no matter their cultivation or lack of. The main branch is situated in the balley to the east of the capital," Hinako explained. "If the Hyperion dare come to Jokkam, they''ll already be annihilated before they set on shore as there are several branches on islands going south east. In the Jokkam Empire, the nobles and clans fear no one. Well, they fear the imperial family."


    Shu gazed around, with his special eyes, observing all the cultivations of the life forms in the city. While there were many guards in sight, there were far more hiding in the shadows. They landed in the palace courtyard. The palace, alone, was ten miles. They all looked around as knights in gold armor, with golden horns on their helmets, walked toward them. Each of them walked in military formation, shields raised and swords drawn. They only lowered their shields when the principal, and all his students, had their identities verified.


    All the contestants were shown to their tents as they were set up in front of a segregated part of the city. Within was a large forest with rivers and a waterfall. There was also a large, outdoor stadium, similar to three times the size of a football field. These areas were the ones the Practitioners would have to compete. On the other side of the city, closer to the palace, were several buildings and clearings for the mage competitions.


    Shu and Ivy said goodbye to the others as they headed to the tent where the sixth stage Practitioners of Black Lotus Academy would be resting. Inside, Shu and the regular fifteen members were waiting. After an hour, a man in a lavish, dark blue tuxedo walked in. He was accompanied by many maids and servants. He smiled and bowed his head as they gathered in front of him.


    "Welcome to Black City. In our fair city, it is our great pleasure to host the inter-academic competition once again. It is customary for our city to host a feast. Tonight will be the feast for those of the fifth stage participants and all the mages will be the next day. The third day will be for the sixth and seventh stage participants. The fourth stage participants will not be allowed to join the feast. After the day of your designated feast, your competition will begin. Each day, the stages will participate in different areas of this section of the capital. I hope to see you all at the feast on the night of after tomorrow," the man smiled. "Feel free cultivate and prepare your mind and body for the competition. Farewell and good luck."


    Shu spent most of his time sleeping. He had always been hunting and training. Sometimes, the body needed rest to adapt to the changes. When the night came for the feast for the sixth and seventh stage Practitioners, Shu was told to take off his hood. People would stare at him as he entered the palace. Shu narrowed his eyes as he saw some people who also had inhumane characteristics. He made sure to remember their faces.


    "What''s wrong, Shu?" Ivy asked as she appeared with a tray of fruit.


    "There are a lot of powerful people here. Some are clearly hiding their power. Some have their intentions obvious, by the looks on their faces. They''re trying to gauge our spirit force," Shu grinned.


    "You''re pretty assertive," a beautiful girl noted as she walked up to them. "Hi. My name is Rian Hong, a member of one of the ancient clans. Nice to see you again, Ivy. Who''s the boy? He seems strong."


    "This is Shu Lu. He''s from the Yan Dynasty''s Lu Imperial Clan," Ivy said. "Shu, this girl won first place amongst the fourth stage Practitioners. She''s a true Archon who studied the Titan Creator technique."


    "Just like you," Rian smiled, causing Ivy to stare at Shu.


    "I see. You have a high sensitivity to spirit energy, but what you are sensing is not my spirit energy. You''re sensing the planet''s life force," Shu realized. "Now that I think about it, I sense it within you as well. Did the tattoo form on your back as well?"


    "Yes," Rian nodded. "I don''t really like it though. However, my clan''s main branch cultivates the Titan Creator true Archon body technique. I have a single spirit reactor, but I have two kinds of energy in my body. It''s very difficult to cultivate as the spirit reactor can''t change the planet''s life force into two kinds of energy all the time."


    "It''s different for me. I have two spirit reactors," Shu nodded. "It is quite convenient."


    "I heard, from my clan''s intelligence reports, that you gained a second spirit reactor by absorbing it from a Mystic Stone you ripped out of a spy of the Drakon clan. It looks like a skull, right?" Rian asked.


    "Yeah. Does the type of spirit reactor have a special purpose? I haven''t read a book about spirit reactors," Shu asked.


    "First, are you a seventh stage Practitioner?" Rian asked.


    "No. I am a first year sixth stage Practitioner," Shu answered.


    "First year?" Rian gasped, seeing Ivy nod silently. "I''m impressed. Most people who are that strong, at thirteen, are scions of the ancient clans, like Ivy and me. I''m thirteen too. However, I was at the peak of the fourth stage. Ivy was just at the beginning of the fourth stage. I can see her spirit force, but I can''t sense yours. Either you are hiding it, or your power is too high among Practitioners of the sixth stage."


    "HAHAHA!" Shu laughed, as Ivy walked over to Isabella and Miguel as they beckoned to her.


    "Well. Their true purpose is different per person. They reveal their hidden characteristics when you reach the peak of the ninth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation," Rian answered as they sat down on a table after getting some food. Some boys stared at her dark brown hair as it curled down her shoulder. Her pony tail fell onto her left shoulder and she had blue green eyes that glowed as well.


    "Your eyes, is it an effect from your transformation upon gaining a true Archon body?" Shu asked.


    "Yes. I was afraid I would gain horns or wings," she said. "Besides a bias towards magical beast meat, the only other inhumane change was my eyes. I can see the life force of the planet. My sensitivity to it allows me to see past any methods to conceal it. However, I can only see it emanate from your Mystic Crystal. You are not absorbing it, but signatures still exist in the body as well as the tattoo on your back."


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "Interesting," Shu said. "Thanks. I hope you get a good rank in the competition."


    "Wishing luck on the opponent? I am a student representing Gold Crow Palace," Rian teased.


    Shu smirked and said, "You''re not mine."


    That girl had left a good impression in Shu. She was knowledgeable and had many interesting features. It was a pity they were on opposing sides. Shu sighed and went to talk with Miguel, Ivy and Isabella. Ivy seemed a little sad, but Shu didn''t notice it as he asked about the other eight academies. Six academies did not really stand out. From the fourth rank down, they were Iron Bull Academy, Red Dragon Temple, Blue Phoenix Palace, Green Hare Tower, White Lion Temple, and Violet Jade Academy. These six always competed against each other, not challenging the top three as they had blood debts to each other. Their Practitioners only cared about killing each other.


    "Why?" Shu asked. "Their ranking might be different if they stopped and consolidated their strengths."


    "Each of the six schools lie in the outskirts of the continent, like a six star-point formation. Their schools existed first, after Black Lotus Academy. They''re like warring tribes, each one fighting for dominance. If someone from another school ventured into the self-proclaimed territory of another school, that person would be dismembered and have his head sent back to his family. Even now, the only reason they are only glaring at each other is because the empire does not allow their in-fighting in certain cities. The empire tolerates it because they provide protection from foreign nations," Miguel answered.


    "I thought Practitioners at the Spirit Knight stage, and above, could not interfere with mortal affairs. They can''t kill the army or the ruler of the royal house," Shu frowned.


    "That rule only implies if they''re the ones attacking. If it''s defense, the rule only applies to not killing the ruler. The only exception would be if the ruler personally killed a relative of the person in question, or gave the order," Isabella answered. "Usually nations employ academies and martial sects to take care of others, avoiding the rules altogether. Since each of the academies want to kill each other so badly, they obviously train to become very powerful. The more powerful they are, the less likely the empire will be attacked."


    "This is good for us as we can focus on our real competition. They are far more powerful than the six other academies. They alternate between the second and third rank. The third ranked school is Steel Horn Temple. Last year, Gold Crow Palace took the second rank back after four years of defeat," Miguel said. "One of them, Rian Hong, even beat our Ivy Shao for the top rank. Ivy got third because she was lost and had to face the loser of Rian''s next opponent, who became second place. I expect you two to get the top spots for the sixth stage Practitioner division. Our school is ranked first. We like to keep it that way."


    "Tomorrow, our competition starts. Let''s all do well," Isabella shouted. "Black Lotus Academy is number one!"


    The other eight schools stared at Isabella as she released a spirit force of someone at the peak of the seventh stage. She was a competitor to beat. Some looked at Miguel, Ivy, and Shu. All of them took a mental note to remember the four of them.  Some boys and girls envied some of the other Ten Beauties of Black Lotus. Over half of all fifteen spots were taken by them. The only one who was not there was one of the ten who was at the fifth rank. Ivy was there, but she was not at the seventh stage. Hinako and Hailey nodded as they joined Isabella''s cheer.


    "So we compete at last, little sister," Elizabeth Hong, ranked third of the beauties, smiled as she saw Rian approach them with some members of her school.


    "Second sister," Rian bowed. "I can finally challenge you. Hello Shu."


    "Hello Rian," Shu said as Elizabeth stared at her.


    "You joined Gold Crow Palace to defeat me. At the age of seventeen, I am embarrassed to be at the same cultivation stage as my fourteen year old sister," Elizabeth laughed. "However, don''t expect to fight me so soon. We don''t know what the capital will throw at us tomorrow."


    "We will be the ones to knock down the Undefeated Black Lotus Practitioners," a group of students declared.


    "My, my. So many challengers," Isabella smiled. "I don''t know about the fifth and fourth stage divisions, but the sixth and seventh will be ours."


    "Ha! Like hell it will!" some of the Gold Crow students roared, sending out their spirit force. As they were a collective group of Practitioners of the seventh stage, many students fell to their knees. Most of them were students below the beginning of the seventh stage. Only the peak students of the seventh stage were unaffected. Hailey and Hinako were on their knees. Even Ivy was on her knees.


    "Something smell''s good," Shu said, shocking everyone as he seemed unaffected. "It''s meat! Magical beast meat, but what is it from?"


    Everyone stared at Shu as he got a plate and began piling it with meat. He narrowed his eyes as he saw a group of students from Steel Horn Temple block him. They were at the seventh stage and resisted the spirit force. They saw Shu as a threat to their sixth stage classmates and barred his path. Annoyed, Shu appeared behind them in a flash, their bodies halfway in the ground. No one had seen him move and instantly paled. The Gold Crow Palace students were so shocked, they dissipated their collective spirit pressure.


    "That looks good," Rian noted as she sat next to him. "Oh. No wonder it caught your attention. The magical beast that meat came from is not powerful, but its flesh is truly delicious."


    "Want a bite?" Shu asked as he held a piece of meat out to her with a pair of chopsticks.


    "It is good!" Rian cried as the crowd could not believe how relaxed they were. "This meat is surely the meat of a Two-Headed Magma Hound. What cultivation stage, I don''t know. However, their meat is indeed a delicacy in itself."


    "Oh? Do you know what other magical beast meat taste good?" Shu asked as he took out a jade slip and began recording what Rian told him by using his spirit energy. "Man, I really want to have a taste of these things."


    "For now, let''s eat," Rian smiled as she brought another plate and the two ate, oblivious to the other students.


    "Well, we are at a feast," Miguel said, easing the tension as everyone knew the matter was settled. "Let''s settle our disputes in the games. For now, let''s eat."


    "Who was that?" one student asked. "He buried three seventh stage Practitioners of Steel Horn Academy in a flash. I didn''t even see a blur."


    "According to our intel, he''s Shu of the Lu Clan, the imperial clan that rules the Yan Dynasty," another whispered.


    "I heard a Spirit Sage of his clan will be watching from the stands," a student from another academy gossiped.


    "It''s the famous ancestor, Lu Feng. Feng Lu here. He''s the very Spirit Sage who single-handedly wiped out the tenth ancient clan. He''s a living legend. A paragon to those the ancient clan bullied in the past," another sighed with praise.


    "Ancestor Feng is coming?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Yes. I guess your clan did not tell you," Miguel answered as he, Isabella, Elizabeth, Ivy, and the Sano cousins all sat around the same table. "Our elders said to do nothing. I''m sure the scions of the ancient clans were also told not to antagonize Ancestor Feng. Since we go to the same academy, we are explicitly told not to harm Shu. I''m sure the other academies will target Shu."


    "He''s certainly more powerful than I expected. To bury seventh stage Practitioners so fast, not even I saw it," Isabella nodded. "If you bother enter the top eight, Ivy, then I don''t know if you will win."


    "So long as I place in the top three and get to choose an item in the Vault of Kings, I don''t mind," Ivy answered.


    "You''re still young. It''s not yet time to consider a love interest," Elizabeth said as she saw Ivy stare at Shu. "Remember, the ancient clans must grow stronger to invade the Hyperion lands and take back the world from them. We might even see them in the Pantheon of Devils, if our cultivation reaches the requirements. All of them are sure to be their top members in the future. Talented cultivists are nothing but good seeds. It matters not if they are dead."


    "We are all competing against each other too," Hinako reminded them. "However, it does not matter. So long as we take all the top three spots, our clans are sure to have a chance in surviving the floors of tests of the Pantheon of Devils."


    "Victory!" Hailey cried, and they all toasted to that as the night of the feast ended.


    "You nervous?" Shu asked Ivy the next day, his mask spirit materialized over the lower half of his face as his hood covered his head. Supaiku and Bahamut were left in the tent for different reasons. Bahamut was prohibited altogether. Supaiku could not fight alongside its master unless he were in the top eight. That was the three round elimination to decided the top three positions, with the losers of the second round fighting for third place. Shu was the only first year at the sixth stage. With fifteen people representing each of the nine schools, the total number was one hundred and thirty five regular competitors and one exception to the rule.


    To enter the top eight, one hundred and twenty eight had to be eliminated. Of all four categories, the fourth had the most first years will the seventh had none. These were the most competitive as they either numbered too many or represented the elite of their schools. There was no doubt that the ones to look out for were the scions of the ancient clans. However, the Practitioners of the sixth stage included Shu as they witnessed his tyrannical speed during the feast.


    "Let''s go," Shu said, and the other fifteen students nodded as all the Black Lotus Academy representatives headed toward the forest. It was there that the first of the games would begin. It was a known fact that the principals of all the academies told their students to eliminate anyone who was not a fellow student. If they entered the top eight, the alliance is broken as they would have no other choice. The less outsiders who entered the top eight, the better their school''s ranking would be.


    Each of the students wore the same black jacket, save for Shu who had one with a hood. Over the chest and at the back of their jacket, a giant, blooming lotus was floating over a pond. These black jackets were their school''s colors. This would help the students, and the spectators, to know how each school fared. All the spectators would be in the stadium, but they could watch how the students fared through the Spirit Knights on flying magical beast, each holding a magical item which would broadcast the events below.


    Shu had his moon blades strapped on his back and Arctic Emperor at his right side. He was ready. ivy and the other competitors already had their Practitioner weapons at the ready. No one knew what the first game was, but they could not let their guard down. All the academies would want to eliminate the top academy''s students. Even if they had grudges, some would still target them.


    "I think the tournament for the top eight of the fourth stage competitors is today," Ivy said as they all waited for the other students to arrive. "Joey was the only one of our students not eliminated. Our school pretty much has one shot to get one of the top three ranks of that division."


    "He''ll, at least, get third place. That, I''m sure," Shu said. "For now, we dominate our division. We can''t be stopped here."


    Everyone nodded as they saw all the wary stares from the other students. Soon, they would all be assembled and the first of the games would begin. There was not time to worry how the other divisions did. They would have to survive their own games first.

 Book 2: Chapter 10- Hundred Token Seal

    (Author: Hello! The games begin! The last chapter was a taste of how the schools viewed each other, history of the Jakkom Empire, and the introduction of the other eight academies. One hundred and thirty five people stand in Shu''s way for first place and the choice of three items, of his choosing, from the Vault of Kings. Although Jakkom is an empire, a king can''t declare himself as an emperor unless he conquers another nation and owns a vast amount of land. Thus, the Vault of Kings and not the Vault of Emperors. Enjoy.)


    -----------Chapter 10: Hundred Token Seal----------------


    Vast amounts of killing intent surged from Shu as the students from the other schools stared at him. Their stares remind Shu of his feral time among the mountains full of powerful magical beasts. He didn''t have his skull dagger out, so he grabbed his flying blades, their purple flames emitting heat from the blades. His killing intent formed a violet aura, causing most of the students to turn white with fear as others fell to their knees as they began to choke. Even though it was not directed to Ivy and the other students of Black Lotus Academy, they could feel the immense fear and danger from Shu.


    From the spectators who were viewing the competitors of all the divisions, they focused on the image of Shu. Most were Practitioners and they knew the origins of that violet aura. Only by killing thousands, could killing intent actually become visible and take shape. This hooded boy actually manifested his killing intent into a violet, baleful aura. This wasn''t a Practitioner weapon that emitted baleful auras. Those weapons could be inherited or bought. This baleful aura was violet, only possible by personally killing thousands, possibly millions.


    "Who is that?" one cried with fear, as they could actually feel the fear from the aura as they gazed at the screens of water above the stadium. It was as if a huge box of water had four giant television screens, each as long as a hundred feet.


    "HAHAHAHA!" one of the voices laughed, from the VIP booth at the top of the stadium. "That interesting brat. How many more times will he surprise me?"


    Yes! It was the very ancestor that slaughtered the tenth of the ancient clans: Lu Feng. Lu Feng smiled as he saw Lu Shu emit a violet aura. Even though Shu was had materialized a mask spirit over the lower half of his face, Lu Feng could tell his many times grandson was smiling.


    "Ah, Ancestor Feng. Is that your descendant, Shu?" an elder wearing a simple red cloak asked.


    "HAHAHA! Indeed. It is my, Lu Feng''s, many times grandson. Of course, I was many times more powerful at his age. I think I was at the fifth or sixth stage of the Spirit Knight tier. Too many centuries ago. BWAHAHAHA!" Lu Feng laughed, as some of the members in the VIP booth stared at Shu. Some of them were parents, or guardians, of some of the competitors. Half of them were from the ancient clans. None of them were of the Spirit Sage tier. Although they were Fiend Adepts, they were no match for a Spirit Sage of Lu Feng''s caliber,


    "He''s actually killed so many times to manifest his killing intent," the red cloaked elder sighed, fear and awe in his voice. "At such a young age. It is quite obvious he''s only less than fifteen years, even with the black hood over his head. Yet, he can materialize his spirit and has violet, baleful aura. He has much potential as a true Archon. Shame he hasn''t engaged with the ancient clans."


    "HA! It might happen. You can''t control love," Lu Feng laughed, although people could sense a small amount of pain in his voice. "Alas, Fiona....if you could see our descendants now. Our direct bloodline is favored and even holds the seat of power in the Yan Dynasty."


    "Are there other Spirit Sages in the Yan Dynasty, Ancestor Feng?" one of the VIPs bravely asked.


    "You already know about four others. How many more, I cannot say. I can tell you that you cannot detect their spirit energy, even I have trouble sensing if they still breathe as they cultivate," Lu Feng laughed, causing many to pale with fear as Emperor Lu Yi''s words were proven true. After all, why would Lu Feng lie? He could easily annihilate everyone. Even the Empire of Jakkom feared to anger him, but he says there are others he couldn''t detect? How fearsome were they?


    "Presenting His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Trent Kindu," a gold knight announced. A youth nearing his twenties walked, a silver crown on his blonde head. His blue eyes glistened, like the oceans, as he gazed around and nodded at the VIPs. He saw Lu Feng and bowed before walking to sit next to him. Trent was an Arch Mage, the equivalent of a Spirit Knight between the seventh and ninth stage.


    "Hello, Ancestor Feng. Great Spirit Sage and ancestor of the Imperial Lu Clan of the Yan Dynasty. As my father is currently engaged in battle with the Hyperion, I was given the honor to oversee this year''s inter-academic games. Thank you for coming," Trent said, with sincere words of respect from his heart.


    "HAHAHA! I gotta say, I did not expect your empire to gain a fifth Spirit Sage. Your nation is like the ancient clans, save for the whole ruling an entire continent bit. BWAHAHA! The House of Kindu remains strong," Lu Feng smiled. "Who do you think will win this year?"


    "I know for certain that the Big Three are the ones to watch out for. The Black Lotus Academy has always won, overall, while the Gold Crow Palace and Iron Bull Temple fight for second and third. The difference, in power, between them and the other six schools is too great. Alas, if they stopped their fighting, they could have a shot," Trent smiled weakly. "That boy has caused quite a stir. Manifesting baleful aura in its purest form, how many lives were taken?"


    "That boy is Lu Shu. Among those den of beasts, he is sure to be the king," Lu Feng laughed.


    "If he is to die under the hands of others?" the red cloaked elder asked as other members of the ancient clans also looked at Lu Feng.


    "And you are?" Lu Feng inquired.


    "Ancestor Feng, I am Liao Hong. I am the brother of the current head of the Hong Clan, one of the nine ancient clans. My two nieces and fifth and sixth daughters of my brother, Elizabeth and Rian, are competing. There are also others of the Hong Clan, but they are at the fourth and fifth stage. However, my two nieces are at the seventh stage," the red cloaked elder answered with a nod. "I hope Ancestor Feng will not be angered and attack the ancient clans if Lu Shu dies."


    "Then he was weak. It won''t happen," Lu Feng smiled. "He won''t lose his life. That kid, he''s still surprises me. I know he will have a few cards at his disposal. You''ll see something quite entertaining. Of that, I''m sure."


    Meanwhile, Shu was gazing at all his competition with his orange, cosmic eyes. He could see their spirit energy and noticed quite a few with spirit reactors in their body. They also had higher concentrations of spirit energy. These were students who were scions of the ancient clans. He purposely provoked them to gauge their spirit force and measure their strengths. Satisfied, he put his blades away and dissipated his baleful aura.


    "There''s quite a few members with spirit reactors," Shu told his classmates. "each of the academies has at least one member. However, given the histories of the academies, the lower six academies will try to eliminate each other first. Try to avoid them and let them fight amongst themselves."


    "Right," the fifteen nodded in unison.


    A golden knight appeared in front of them, a burst of bright light blinding most of them. He had a dominating presence as he looked down at them. Seeing that they had all arrived, the golden knight snapped his fingers. Servants, in dark blue tuxedos with gold ties and cufflinks, appeared and distributed small mirrors to the competitors. They were all round, about two and a half inches in diameter, with a string of feathers that fell from the side of the mirror.


    "Hello and welcome to the first of the games amongst you Practitioners of the sixth stage," the golden knight announced as they all observed their mirrors. "The first game is known as the Hundred Token Seal. The objective is simple. There are one hundred and thirty six of you. Each of you must use that mirror to find a token, all of which are camouflaged. You can only find them through the lens of the small mirrors in your hands."


    "Is there no other way to find them?" one asked.


    "There is none. These tokens contain no spirit energy for you to track as the spirit energy is sealed. You must find the token, break the seal, and bring it to me. You can only possess one token. This clearing is the only safe zone. You are not allowed to hurt anyone outside the forest. Different seals have different levels of difficulty. Some tokens are hidden in plain sight, some in trees, some underground, and even some within magical beasts," the golden knight explained. "Once you break the seal, you can physically touch the token. Thirty six will fail. If some are incapacitated and unable to continue in the games, their spot will be given to the next strongest person. You can only blame yourself for weaker spirit force pressure. When a servant bangs the gong, the first of the games begins! Good luck!"


    When a servant rang the gong, everyone immediately rushed into the forest. Only Shu did not move. His soul was at the fifth level. Seals and formations all affected the soul. How could he not detect and break them? Shu focused his spirit energy into his eyes, as he closed them. When he opened them, a ray of orange light beamed from his eyes and quickly disappeared.


    Suddenly, the world seemed to spirit energy all around him, each of them had a tiny strand of spirit energy, each could be traced to a living body. If he touched a strand, he could instantly know what the person looked like, his cultivation, and his location. There were far more blue spirit energy strands. The blue spirit energy strands belonged to magical beasts. He waved the strands away and the spirit energy of the creatures the strings followed to, disappeared. Shu smiled as he could see isolated, grey energy. It was not spirit energy, so no strings were there to trace back to them. All around Shu, the blue green planetary life force swirled, like a visible mist that flowed like the wind.


    Shu let the blue strands of spirit energy come to him from the balls of blue spirit energy. He looked for one with a grey energy signature within. He smiled as blue and grey energy swirled together. The gold knight stared at Shu in alarm. Somehow, the boy was able to sense the energy of the seals. They were made from spirit energy, but spirit energy only triggered the seal. The seal, itself, was a different energy together. Like Shu''s vermillion energy and death energy, it was not spirit energy but could still be used or cultivated.


    Shu closed his eyes as he blocked out the world, the only image in his mind is the blue spirit energy strand leading to the magical beast in question. The flying moon blades flew from his back, swirling around him. A ring of purple flames burned around Shu, giving his hooded, masked appearance a more menacing look. These weapons had the ability to hurt Shu, cutting past his Eclipse Indestructible body when he fought the humanoid Hyperion. That meant they could also cut through seals. The seals were not very strong, if one with experience in formations studied them. Even seals were based on a formation barrier.


    Shu thanked Meng Ce before spreading his arms out. The moon blades surged forward, following his guidance to the neck of the magical beast. As it closed in, an orange tortoise with a black shell looked, with fear, as it saw two balls of purple fire head in its direction. Its eyes widened, but tortoises cannot retreat into their shells. It tried to reinforce its shell as it dug into the ground, but Shu made his blades increase in velocity. Instead of striking the tortoise, they swirled, incredibly fast, around the tortoise. Soon, a gust of flame burst, turning the ground to ash as a small tornado of purple fire burst from the blades, the tortoise screaming as it was surrounded.


    The faster the blades spun, the more it broke through the tortoise''s defenses. Unable to block the fire, the skin soon became to burn and the smell of burnt meat hung in the air. Grass burned and trees were uprooted and ablaze as the tornado only became fiercer. After a minute, only a shining token, the color of blood, was left in a pile of ash. Shu, eyes still closed, began to pull his arms together. When the tips of his hands touched, the moon blades began to swirl in a tight formation, the tip of the tornado of fire burning the top of the token. A grey light shined and the token''s seal was broken. Shu opened his eyes, a smile on his face, as the moon blades scooped the token and brought it to him.


    "Here is the token," Shu said as he gave the token to the gold knight. The gold knight was speechless and unable to say a thing as he mindlessly took the token and nodded. He shook his head as his wits returned and he stared at Shu, the shock still evident on his face.


    "A contestant of the Black Lotus Academy has retrieved a token first. Ninety nine remain," the gold knight roared, augmenting the sound of his voice with spirit energy. Shu sat on one of the benches nearby as he began to wait for the others to finish, the moon blades back in their sheathes. He wanted to go to the forest and beat some of the people there, but the gold knight did not let him.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Shu stood as he sensed some people running, frantically, back to the clearing. As they entered the clearing, Shu saw a large, white drake roaring as it tried to bite the humans. One of them was Ivy and Shu used his Phantasmal Sky technique to appear behind her, one hand raised at the drake. Drakes looked like lizards, but were still draconic magical beasts. They had scales even tougher than dragons and their teeth and claws ripped through steel as if it were silk. The drake stopped its run as it stared at Shu, shocked beyond measure. Everyone stared at the scene, their mouths agape, as the drake dipped its head. It was as if it were bowing to Shu. Shu tilted his head in confusion. His eyes widened as the drake seemed to recognize that his body was fused to a Dragon Fox. He smiled and laid his palm on the drake.


    "What the fuck!" members of the ancient clans shouted, alarmed as they stood from their seats in the stadium''s VIP booth.


    "How is that possible? A drake is a prideful creature, like all dragons, and would definitely not bow to a human. Especially wild draconic magical beasts, none would stop their tracks to bow to someone. How is this possible?" Liao gasped. "I would not be surprised if he killed the drake, as he is Ancestor Feng''s heir, but he made the drake bow. Bow! It is as if he is their king!"


    "Ancestor Feng?" Crown Prince Trent asked. "What are we seeing?"


    "I don''t even know," Lu Feng answered, mildly surprised. "I did say that he was going to be interesting, but I did not expect this little surprise. He truly does not disappoint. Did you see his face? He was also surprised, but seemed to discover why the drake bowed to him."


    The VIPs continued to focus their eyes back on what the other screens displayed, the shock still in their hearts. Shu murmured to the drake and watched the drake disappear into the forest. He closed his eyes and he could see the soul planet of water in his realm of consciousness. His mind entered the Mystic Crystal and entered the depths of the planet, toward the core where the Dragon Fox stayed.


    "Are you the reason the drake bowed to me?" Shu asked it.


    "Yes and no," the Great Spirit smiled. "I am the reason you have that body, but it bowed to you. Similarly, creatures with the planet''s life force will bow to you as you cultivate it as well. You are an existence akin to a deity to those beings. The dragons are more prideful and will only refrain from being rude. That Emerald Steel Dragon of yours is an exception. It is your magical beast and perfectly loyal, like your Gold-Eyed Lightning Tiger. I know no true Archon body that is as exceptional as yours. Most people died because they chose the wrong Great Spirit or did not have a true Archon body. Only a true Archon body can assimilate the change in their body."


    "So I am no longer human?" Shu asked.


    "Yes. With my body fusing to yours, you''re only a demon and magical beast. You only have the body of a human, save the ears, eyes, horn, wings, and that  azure crystal skeleton from that living spirit technique. Your wings can appear at will and your skeletal structure seems human, but that''s it. However, all your changes don''t stand out as many Archon and true Archon body techniques come with similar changes," the Great Spirit said in agreement. "The only way they can truly tell is by seeing through the true color of your first spirit energy. It is a demonic red. If they were immortals, they would know. Good luck in the rest of your games. I enjoy seeing the world through your eyes."


    Shu retracted his mind from the Mystic Crystal and walked over to Ivy. He noticed she was okay, as well as the other fourteen who came with her. It seemed they all traveled together, in a large group, causing the other groups to stay away as they sought to expand their search by dividing their forces.


    "How did you pass? Why did that drake bow to you?" Ivy asked, shocked by what she had witnessed as she had expected him to fight it.


    "The first part: I used my flying blades. I can detect the energy of the seal without needing to see it through the lens of the mirror. As for the second part: I''ll keep that to myself," Shu said and sat down on the bench.


    Shu slept soundly as the rest of the one hundred were decided as night fell. About nineteen were killed by magical beast or another student. The one hundredth token was retrieved by one, but he died from his wounds inflicted by another. The person who killed him replaced him and the last of the one hundred was decided. Later that night, people cried out in alarm as they watched the recording of the first game as they tried to find out the weaknesses and techniques of other competitors. The students in Shu''s tent stared at their classmate with envy and fear. He had so easily passed the first game without even entering the forest.


    "If you looked closely, you''ll notice that some Practitioners did not reveal their techniques either," Shu said, drawing their attention. "Those students are our threat. You came here while being chased by a drake. Remember, you can use magical beasts to your advantage. You can lead them to another group of students and quickly escape past them as the magical beast might choose to attack them instead. We are not knights. What use is honor if you are dead?"


    "Right," they said as they thought about the drake.


    "Shu," Ivy said as Shu left the tent to gaze at the moon.


    "What is it?" Shu asked as he turned to Ivy, the moon light basking his body and making his silhouette divine.


    "Thank you for saving me," Ivy said. "Tomorrow will be the second game. It won''t be as easy as today. Did you see the recording of how the seventh stage division went? So many people died. Hinako and Hailey are alright, but they failed as they could not get their hands on one of the hundred talismans as many were broken during the fighting. Rian, Elizabeth, Miguel, and Isabella all qualified for the top eight. They''ll be fighting tomorrow. "


    "I know," Shu said, as he gazed back at the moon. "You better rest. You looked like you used a lot of spirit energy to help the others escape. Next time, you can''t afford to be so charitable. You might die."


    Ivy nodded and left Shu alone. Shu had seen the fear in the eyes and expressions of the others when they saw his killing intent materialize. They had the same look of fear on that scientist professor who had tried to steal the data of his research with the government soldiers. Those same eyes, as if they were looking at a monster. Back then, it would have disturbed him to see how they viewed him. Now that he has lost his humanity, as well as the hunting he did in the forest and mountains, he knew his perspectives had changed. He had no qualms for killing.


    "So much has changed," Shu said as he kept staring at the moon. "I''m not even seeing the same moon like the one around the Earth. This is a world of spirits and magic, not one of science. Too much has changed."


    The next day, Shu and the others assembled at the stadium. For the first time, they could see numerous people. Black Lotus Academy had won second place of the fourth stage division through Joey. Steel Horn Temple took first and a member of Red Dragon Temple unexpectedly took second place from a Gold Crow Palace member. The student was of the ancient clan and underestimated the opponent. He lost as he had been knocked off the stage. As for the fifth stage division, Bella took first and Kei took third, but Gold Crow Academy took second place. So far, Black Lotus Academy dominated the Practitioner games.


    As for the mage games, they had concluded with Black Lotus at first place, Gold Crow Palace at second, and Green Hare Tower at third. Everyone was shocked by the results. Green Hare Tower, ranked seven overall, actually won third place. Steel Horn Temple had been knocked down and it was possible for Green Hare Tower to challenge Steel Horn Temple. Not only that, there was even a member at the seventh stage who had a true Archon body without needing spirit reactors. Naturally, he was one to watch out for. The other five academies were in shock and Green Hare Tower, even though it only took third among the mages overall, stole the limelight.


    "Now that is surprising," Liao Hong said as he looked at the screen that held the images of the mages of Green Hare Tower, all with bright expressions and smiles. "Steel Horn Temple won''t like that. They''ll try harder for the three ranks among the sixth and seventh stage divisions."


    "I agree. The seventh stage division will end up quite bloody this year," Prince Trent agreed. "What do you think, Ancestor Feng?"


    "Times change. You can''t expect your opponents to be weak forever. Your empire remains the strongest because you are never lax with improving your defenses and power. It is evident by the sheer size of your nation and its environment. Your academies are always at each other''s throat, preventing any from growing lazy," Lu Feng praised. "Your father does his duty well."


    "Thank you, Ancestor Feng," Prince Trent cupped his hands as he bowed his heads. "What do you expect the results to be in the remaining games?"


    "Seeing how the sixth stage went yesterday, everyone now knows the prowess of my clan''s Practitioner prodigy. So easily defeating three members of the seventh stage as well as passing the first game without stepping foot in the forest or using the lens of the mirror. Heh. If they don''t take precautions against them now, then all those schools are all fools," Lu Feng laughed. "As for the seventh stage, that Practitioner with a true Archon body without a spirit reactor has become a big player. His talent is peerless. He is a contender among all the scions of the ancient clans. However, he''s nothing if he doesn''t use his talent well. However, talent is only a foundation. Without hard work and dedication to training and life-or-death experiences, no one is guaranteed to perform well. Talent only gets you so far."


    "Too true," Liao Hong laughed. "A tame environment will make a weak Practitioner. One has to experience the world and train in the wild. To know one''s limits while training is the best you can get. Just cultivation is foolish. Mages are an exception to this rule. Some don''t need to get in the action, up close, if they excel in long range and teleportation spells. Damn mana junkies are slippery."


    "HAHAHA! Let''s just observe how the sixth stage division fares," Lu Feng laughed. "By the way, why is the top eight elimination tournament already starting for the seventh stage Practitioners?"


    "They were so bent on killing each other," Prince Trent sighed. "They were supposed to get one of one hundred talismans from the underground caverns, below the forest. However, the hatred among the six lower academies, as well as the rivalry among the Big Three, caused bloodshed beyond the predicted body count. The gold knights were only tasked to observe and maintain the rules. They could not interfere if the fighting was in the designated area of the games. Originally, eleven people qualified, but one died from his wounds while two others quit as they knew they could not fight the remaining Practitioners."


    "Who are in the top eight?" Liao Hong asked. "I know my two nieces are alive, as I have glowing, jade talismans with a strand of their spirit energy imbued with it. If they died, it would have cracked and dimmed."


    "The top eight are three people from Steel Horn Temple and the Practitioner from Green Hare Tower with a true Archon body. Both Elizabeth and Rian Hong qualified as well as Isabella Rivers, Miguel Drakon, and a member of Blue Phoenix Palace. Everyone else either did not get a talisman as they were allowed to be destroyed, suffered severe injuries, or died. We allows the destruction of talismans to incite fighting and more entertainment for the spectators as the competitors would become more desperate with less talismans," the crown prince sighed. "We just didn''t expect them to be like this. It seems the appearance of the entrance to the Pantheon of Devils was the source of it all. Because of that, all mages and Practitioners know where to go when the less than ten years of waiting are up. Even now, we are glad the sixth stage Practitioners were not as aggressive."


    "It is probably because many know that they cannot reach the required level of cultivation in time," Liao answered. "That, or they are not from powerful families or don''t possess powerful connections. When will the top eight fight?"


    "After the sixth stage Practitioners finish their second scheduled game," the crown prince answered. "However, I fear news of the loss of their classmates will incite hatred and revenge among the participants. I can only hope they don''t go too far and restrain themselves."

 Book 2: Chapter 11- Sect Under Attack

    (Author: Hello! Ten days until college. Bought books yesterday. Are the prices getting higher? Reality bites. The second game will soon commence. The results of the mage competition broke all expectations as Green Hare Tower ranked third. Casualties were beyond expectations among the seventh division, but Black Lotus Academy ranked first among the mages and had students among the top three ranks of the fourth and fifth stage divisions. How will the sixth stage Practitioners fare in the second of the Inter-Academic Games? This chapter will be a fun tragedy I came up with. Enjoy.)


    -----------Chapter 11: Sect Under Attack-------------------


    "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the second day of the sixth and seventh stage division games!" an announcer in a bright gold tuxedo smiled. "Although a little earlier than expected, we will be hosting the elimination tournament of the seventh stage Practitioners later today, right after the second of the sixth stage division games! Indeed, the second of the games will be hosted here, live, in the stadium of Black City!"


    The announcer let the crowd cheer before continuing, "Yes. Yes! It is indeed a wonderful occasion. One hundred Practitioners of the sixth stage have passed the first of the games. For the first time, in eight years, we even have a first year among them. Many scions of the ancient clans have competed in the games, but this is the first time a member of the illustrious Lu Imperial Clan of the Yan Dynasty will compete! We even have the honor of having Ancestor Lu Feng, the same Lu Feng of legend who slayed the tenth of the ancient clans which betrayed all of humanity and tried to takeover the world! Most people don''t know this, but our imperial family can verify the truth of my words! However, it was an unfortunate action against Ancestor Lu Feng which caused him to personally wipe them out. Only Ancestor Lu Feng knows."


    "To ask me that is to court death," Lu Feng said coldy, his spirit force causing the whole stadium to shake as some fainted while others choked and fell to their knees.


    "Hahaha," the announcer laughed, weakly. "Well. I apologize for the disturbance. Now, for the event you are all waiting for, look upon the Practitioners. By the end of the second game, only around half will pass. That is, if they are lucky. This second game is a classic favorite we are bringing back after fifty years: The Fall of Sects!"


    Veteran spectators who had watched for decades all gasped as they heard his words. They had all seen what happened the last time. Many of them began to wonder how Crown Prince Trent was allowed to revive the classic game. Most people didn''t know about The Fall of Sects, turning their attention to the announcer to hear the details.


    "For those who don''t, here are the details about The Fall of Sects. Each of these Practitioners will enter an illusory formation.  They will experience the fall of the very first sect of the Rokkam Kingdom, decades before it became a kingdom," the announcer smiled. "They will all be Practitioners of the sixth stage and unable to use any spirit techniques they already know. Their task is to escape death!"


    "Death?" many cried.


    "I don''t want my son to die!" one roared.


    "Is this even safe?" one asked.


    "Now, now. Don''t be alarmed. Ladies and gentlemen, these Practitioners have the opportunity to learn one of ten spirit techniques. If they successfully survive, the knowledge of how to use the technique will not be lost when they exit the illusory formation. This illusory formation is made by two of our five Spirit Sages. Learning a spirit technique from an illusory formation is quite possible, if the Practitioners who made the formation array relay the information to your head. Otherwise, what you are learning and experiencing is just an illusion. What we see them read, while watching their progress, is also an illusion," the announcer smiled. "The only external factor they will possess is their knowledge, their strength without spirit energy augmentation, and their Practitioner weapon. Their spirit energy will all be of equal amount. They will have no memory of entering a formation and will experience the true terror of a disciple of a sect under attack."


    "Fuck," Shu cursed as he thought about the second game''s details. His spirit energy would be restricted to the level of everyone else. He would still have his tyrannical strength and Arctic Emperor. However, he could not use any of his spirit techniques. If he survived, he would proceed to the third game and gain knowledge of the technique, out of ten, he chose."


    "To the death or escape, we will meet again," the announcer bowed as he gestured the Practitioners to a large, purplr formation array that appeared at the center of the stadium. "You will relive the experience of the disciples of the fallen sect: Serene Lion Turtle Sect. Our most powerful Spirit Sage was once a Spirit Shaman of that sect. He has long received his revenge a thousand fold. You will each live under an alias. There will be ten people in the same illusion. Thus, you have a chance to meet them. Of course, you won''t remember them. Your appearance will also be different and you cannot see your Mystic Stone or Mystic Crystal, if you have condensed your soul to that degree. The ten groups, of ten people each, will be decided at random. There is no way to prepare as you will only carry your intelligence and knowledge with you. If you don''t understand your own elemental affinities, it''s too late for a last minute reading. I wish you luck and hope you will all remember and honor the fallen sect."


    "Something else also happens in such a powerful illusory formation," Lu Feng muttered, drawing the attention of Crown Prince Trent and Liao Hong. Crown Prince Trent was not alive fifty years ago and did not know all the details. Liao Hong had never been trapped in an illusory formation as there was no one foolish enough to attempt to do so. Ancestor Lu Feng was a living legend. All the other VIPs turned their heads as they also wanted to hear more details.


    "What else is there, Ancestor Feng?" Crown Prince Trent asked.


    "The Practitioner goes under a metamorphosis. His Practitioner weapon might also change due to the owner''s memories and that of his alias. Take Lu Shu, how could he resist such a change within two Spirit Sages'' formation? His katana will undergo a change. Maybe his temperament as well. He may forget about the spirit technique he learned, if he fails to escape, but the memories will remain. That is the danger of the illusory formation. It is both a blessing and a curse. The stronger you are, the worse it is as the young are able to adapt easily, but the old have habits that are too developed to change," Lu Feng explained. "I can only hope the experience of their fake lives contribute to their growth and not impair it."


    "I knew they could kill, but this is something else entirely," Liao gasped. "It''s no wonder this second game was ceased. It''s effects are too mysterious and unpredictable."


    "I did hear my father say that some Practitioners had their weapons change auras as well. Some gained celestial aura, baleful aura or they had their auras change. Those with baleful auras became weapons with celestial aura, but still capable of fear. Those with celestial aura became weapons with baleful aura, but still capable of emitting a healing effect. I did not know about the lingering effects on the mind. Let us hope that they pass the second of the games," Trent said, all the VIPs turning back at the Practitioners with fears and hopes in their heart for the Practitioners to persevere.


    Shu and the other Practitioners stood in front of the illusory array. Shu knew he could only depend on himself when he entered the array. He would have none of his magical items, his sentient puppet, Spook, or his magical beasts. He would truly be alone. If his soul, his Mystic Crystal, cannot be detected; he could not ask the Dragon Fox for advice. He suspected he would have a fake Mystic Stone. Otherwise, how could he use the spirit technique he chose, or fight back against whatever attacked the fallen sect.


    "Once you enter the illusory array, a medallion and your Practitioner weapon will be in the illusion with you. Your Practitioner weapon might change and the medallion will have the symbol of your academy. It will help you identify other competitors in the illusion. You won''t know who they are, but you will feel that it is important to help each other," a gold knight said as the students moved closer to the formation.


    "Good luck to you all," Shu said to his classmates and walked into the illusory array.


    "Shu, you brat. You don''t even know that formation can''t restrict your Mystic Crystal. It was meant to lock Mystic Stones. Not only that, do those Spirit Sages think they can block the connection of the Great Spirit I sense in your realm of consciousness? I was the one who fused the two rings into Spook," Lu Feng laughed in his thoughts. "You''re certainly full of surprises. I wonder what everyone''s faces will be like when you regain your identity? HAHAHAHA! The next generations sure are lively."


    ---------Reliving the fall of a sect begins-----------------------


    "The clouds seem peaceful today," a youth smiled, the hair on the back of his head tied in a ponytail. Short brown hair fell toward the front of his face, but bright blue eyes continued to gaze at the morning sky. His name was Yao. Due to entering the inner sect of the Great Lion Turtle Sect, he was given the family name of Wu. This was to discard his mortal family and continue the path to immortality.


    Among the inner sect disciples, he was the youngest to enter at the age of thirteen, three years ahead of most people his age. This was all due to the tyrannical strength his body possessed. He had the choice of learning one of ten spirit techniques of the core sect disciple manuals. What he learned was a dangerous ice and dark acid technique called Ghost Serpent Strike. It was a dual element technique. It was the variation of the Great Serpent Strike as he had evolved the technique. No one knew why, but he had a powerful soul and natural affinity to his element. It took a whole year and he felt he could develop it further. Four years since he became an inner sect disciple, he was now at the sixth stage.


    "Senior Yao! Senior Yao!" a familiar voice cried as Wu leaned up from a branch of a peach blossom tree and saw a young boy wearing the brown robes of an outer sect disciple. Wu Yao wore the white and red robe of a inner disciple. He scratched his head and landed, softly, on the ground below. The outer sect disciple was a boy named Han Kong. All disciples had the last name of Kong, as in empty, until they became inner sect disciples. Then, the headmaster of the sect would bestow on them a clan name and they were allowed to venture to the outside world or indulge in romances. They did not allow outer sect disciples to love or venture outside so as to avoid them from having any distractions.


    All disciples were taken in at the age of ten, usually orphans or youths who were given to the sect in hopes that their family gains a Practitioner. You had no freedom until you became a core sect disciple. The new Kingdom of Jakkom was too dangerous. Many nations tried to stop the conquest of the kingdom and many martial artists wanted to establish themselves in the growing nation.


    "I finally found you, Senior Yao," Han bowed as he cupped his hands. "Outer sect disciple Han Kong has finally entered the inner sect of The Great Lion Turtle Sect of the Rokkam Kingdom. A little over a dozen have passed the inner sect disciple exam."


    "Ha. Congratulations, Han. When is the congratulatory feast scheduled?" Yao asked.


    "Tomorrow night. I can''t wait. I can finally confess to the girl I like. She passed too!" Han grinned. "I can finally cultivate and train at my leisure. That is, after the one year mandatory service of teaching the basics to the outer sect disciple recruits," Han sighed. "They are just little kids crying and moaning."


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "We''re both seventeen. Of course they are crying. We were like them too, seven years ago. As I recall, I was an orphan and you were left here by your rich parents," Yao laughed. "I was crying out of happiness for a place to sleep and decent meals while you were crying for your own reasons."


    "Still sucks. Still, I can learn that spirit technique while teaching those kids. I might even be able to evolve the technique and make it my own," Han smiled and then paused. "Actually, I might not be able to. I''m not a genius like you."


    "There are tons of geniuses," Yao shrugged. I know a girl whose a year younger but even evolved the techniques of the outer and the sole inner sect technique she learned. The elders all say how talented she is. She has already reached the eighth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation. She might even be promoted to become a core sect disciple before the age of twenty, when she becomes a Spirit Knight. Now that''s a genius. Still, it does not explain why you were in such a rush to get here."


    "Members of the Black Mantis Sect are here. You know, that rogue sect that''s been conquering sects from outside the kingdom. They heard about how sect is number one in the Jokkam Kingdom and came to challenge us. They claim that their sect is the number one martial arts sect in the world. That their Practitioners bow to, and suffer, no one," Han said grimly.


    "Right. Let''s go," Yao said as he picked up his sword that lay against the trunk of the tree.


    They headed down a hill and passed a few inner sect disciples who were charged with barring the outer sect disciples from heading further into the sect. Han looked around as Yao led him inside. Han had already passed into the inner sect. Thus, he was allowed in for the first time. Yao led Han straight to the main hall. Han stayed close to Yao as they stared at the black robed visitors. Each of them had foreign weapons that were unknown to them. One of their swords looked strangely similar to Yao''s own.


    Yao''s Practitioner weapon was a double-edged sword with a silver cross guard. Along the sides of the blade was a large, triangle from the guard to a third of the blade. On the sides of the blade, within the triangle, was a tiger wearing armor on its limbs and face. However, the tail of the tiger was that of a snake with dragon''s teeth and scales. The armored tiger and snake glowed vermillionThe blade was made of a white metal with thousands of white and light blue mystical energy within . When he wished it, celestial aura spread from the sword. It looked similar to traditional swords of the Chinese, but for that weird cross guard about two inches long. His sword was unusually sharp and only magical weapons, armor, and Practitioner weapons could block his strikes without damage. Yao had named his sword Freezing Tail as the sword was cold to the touch. and he liked dragons.


    "Hey, Yao, their swords look strange, like yours. One wields dual hook swords with crescent moon guards over the grip, as if to protect the fingers. Another had a weird two-handed sword and giant cross guard while one more wields a farmer''s scythe. What kind of Practitioner uses those?" Han whispered.


    "They must have traveled all over the world and recruited while they did," Yao answered. "It seems they really do wish to challenge the core of our sect, but they have to defeat our masters within the inner sect first."


    Placements in the sect depended on the cultivation stage of the Practitioner. Members of the outer sect ranged from the first stage to the fourth stage. Members of the inner sect ranged from the fifth to the ninth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation with Spirit Knights eligible for promotion to the core of the sect. Naturally, masters of the inner sect were all at the ninth stage and the final threshold to the Spirit Knight tier All the elders of the sect were late stage Spirit Knights, even the headmaster. The lone Spirit Master was a magical beast lion turtle. As it was at the Spirit Master stage, it was capable of human speech.


    Most thought it was unorthodox to learn from a magical beast, but power spoke for itself. It was also very wise and taught much to the headmaster who founded the sect so that others could learn from its wisdom. The greatest minds are not those with narrow-mindedness. Their trail of thought has no bounds and accepted the world outside of their imagination. Yao''s Freezing Tail had celestial aura and was capable of healing, but could also emit fear and paralyze his opponent. It was similar to a demon attaining a holy power. It was strange, just like the existence of his sect.


    "So few people," Han observed as he gazed around, trying to find more inner sect disciples.


    "It is hard to advance in cultivation without foreign factors, insight, hard work, dedication, and innate talent. There are even fewer core sect disciples. Still, I thought Black Mantis Sect would bring more people," Yao said.


    "They brought a small army of disciples. They followed our rules and those within the regulated cultivation stages were distributed. These two hundred or so are the ones who stayed behind while those at Spirit Knight tier moved ahead," Han answered.


    "That''s a lot of outsiders," Yao frowned as all the inner sect disciples came out of their training and surrounded the sides of the large square outside the main hall of the inner sect. The masters sat on chairs in front of the building while the outsiders stood at the opposite side of the square, observing their surroundings. Many inner sect disciples were outraged that a sect from another country would challenge them.


    "Are we going to fight?" Han asked.


    "You just entered the sect and barely at the beginning phase of the fifth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation," Yao shook his head. "If a fight breaks out, we head to the escape route."


    "So we position ourselves in front of that direction as we watch the fight?" Han asked while Yao nodded in agreement.


    "These people have strange weapons. Their numbers are also too many for a friendly match. No doubt, they believe in duels to the death only. Sooner or later, they will make their move. Why else would they bring so many people?" Yao growled quietly.


    "Not good. I need to find Ling," Han gasped and began searching for his crush while Yao observed the square, waiting for each side''s preparation to be complete. Right before the two sides were about to begin, Han and a girl quickly ran through the crowd to him. They were both a little sweaty as it seemed they were afraid Yao''s prediction might be true.


    "I assume this girl is Ling?" Yao grinned, seeing a girl with long black hair and hazel eyes holding hands with Han. "You already confessed?"


    "Yeah," Han grinned while Ling blushed.


    "Hello, Senior Yao. I heard a lot about you from Han," Ling bowed.


    "So, where''s the exit?" Han asked.


    "See the building next to the peach blossom tree next to the bench behind me?" Yao asked as they looked back. "There is a basement, but everyone knows about the secret tunnel there. We can''t go there in case the enemy interrogates and follows them. We will head to the third floor. That''s where I go to cultivate. I already have a teleportation array set up. You can only use it if you have the corresponding jade talisman. I paid a guy a lot of demonic cores to set it up. He died about a year ago. No one but us will know. I have five talismans. I''ll give you each one."


    "Thanks Yao," the two nodded and quickly put it in their storage bags.


    "If you want to leave, do so right when the two sides begin their matches. Once the slaughter starts, you might be separated during the chaos as people will run in all directions. Like the basement where the tunnel is," Yao warned.


    "I''m going now. What about you?" Han asked as he and Ling looked at him.


    "People know my face and will expect me to be here. You guys are not significant of note. I''ll escape. Don''t worry. I have my methods," Yao smiled. "See you on the outside. Be sure to change clothes and burn all clothing of the sect. Some villagers might talk if they are paid the right price. We don''t know if they have men in the nearby towns and villages."


    "I seriously owe you! I''m heading out first," Han said, shaking Yao''s hand before stealthily walking toward the building.


    "Thank you," Ling said, giving Yao a quick hug before following Han.


    Yao watched as the two sides began to stir. The Black Mantis Sect made the first move. Sending someone at the fifth stage forward. He was about sixteen years old with an extremely muscular build. What really made him stand out was that his Practitioner weapons were two gauntlets. It was a segregated type of Practitioner weapon: a weapon with two separate forms. It was rare to see a Practitioner weapon to be dual-swords, but this was two gauntlets. Naturally, both the fist and palm techniques of the Practitioner would be powerful.


    "HAHAHA! We will send our weakest up first. A disciples learning the Black Mantis Fist technique of our sect. Come and test his might!" the leader laughed.


    "Send him forward," the thirty two-year old master said. He was a Spirit Knight of the third stage and responsible for overseeing and regulating the inner sect. His word was law and the inner sect masters of the ninth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation dare not refuse.


    "Why him?" Yao thought as a twenty year old at the peak of the fifth stage stepped forward. This young man was Ryan Mein, an orphan who had the same lineage as the nobles who migrated and formed the majority in the Jakkom Kingdom. The boy had a Practitioner weapon the form of a double-bladed spear, spear heads on both ends of the shaft. Sure, the spear served well in medium-range, but Ryan is sure to lose once the outsider stepped within range.


    "My name is Ryan Mein, fifth stage Spirit Shaman of The Great Lion Turtle Sect," Ryan bowed.


    "If you defeat me, you''ll learn my name," the outsider mocked.


    "Insolence," the overseer cursed. "Let the match begin!"


    To Yao''s surprise, the outsider did not make the first move. Everyone was also surprised. It was quite obvious the outsider had to get in range as fast as he could before Ryan took advantage of his superior range. Ryan spat at the ground and leapt forward, using his momentum to empower his thrust at the outsider''s throat. The outsider narrowed his eyes and also rushed forward, crippling the power of Ryan''s thrust as he could not fully extend his arm.


    Ryan spun his spear, the bottom spear head slashing upward. It seemed as if the outsider would run into the spear head, but he actually grabbed the spear head by tilting his body forward and grabbing the bottom of the spear head while doing a dive. Grabbing the spear head tightly, the outsider slammed his feet down at Ryan''s head, using gravity and momentum to augment the strike. Ryan shouted in pain, letting go of his spear to hold his head.


    "Fool," Yao thought, his eyes narrowing as the outsider spun the spear and killed Ryan with his own weapon.


    "Like I said: you''re not worthy to hear my name unless you beat me," the outsider laughed.


    "What is the meaning of this? This is just a friendly match!" the overseer roared.


    "I think you''re misunderstanding something. This is a duel. People win and the losers die," the leader of the outsiders laughed.


    "This trash!" an inner sect disciple roared.


    "Get out!" another yelled.


    Many disciples cursed until the overseer said, "Bring out your next disciple."


    "We tested our fists. Now we test our swords," the leader laughed and a young man with two scimitars stepped forward.


    "There''s no need for me to wield my Practitioner weapon. These mortal trinkets will suffice. Bring someone of the sixth stage. I don''t want you to blame my cultivation if you bring anyone weaker," the new representative laughed as the other one smirked and laughed as he rejoined the members of Black Mantis Sect.


    "Let Yao Wu handle this scum," the overseer spat, all eyes turning to Yao.

 Book 2: Chapter 12- The Truth of the Fall

    (Author: Hello! Heat waves are.....draining. The Shu has entered the barrier and is living in the illusion as Yao. However, the illusion is one of tragedy and Shu must relive the fall of a sect. How will Shu fare? Will he escape and retain the skill that Yao had made, or will he die and fail the second round when he leaves the illusory formation? Enjoy.)


    ---------Chapter 12: The Truth of the Fall----------------


    "I didn''t think I would be called," Yao muttered as he walked onto the stage, Freezing Tail still in its scabbard.


    "Not going to draw your sword?" the outsider spat. "I''ll at least give you the honor of knowing who killed you. My name is Liang. Die, like your junior."


    "That fool should not have fought at all," Yao sighed as he walked toward Liang. "His weapon was inadequate for the task, much like yours."


    "You bastard!" Liang roared and burst toward Yao, his scimitars crossed to behead Yao. Everyone watched, eyes widening, as Yao made no movement at all. Everyone cried out and averted their eyes, thinking Yao to be dead. However, they heard the cry of an older male and looked back. Yao had actually caught the scimitars with his bare hands.


    "What?" Liang cried.


    "Yeah. My body is strange. I can''t be cut my ordinary weapons and trinkets. Don''t know why, but I''m not complaining," Yao shrugged as he crushed the scimitars with his tyrannical strength and punched Liang''s throat. Liang choked as Yao kicked the back of Liang''s left knee. As Liang fell on his knees, Yao grabbed his head and smashed it on the ground. He stomped on the back of Liang several times before the opponent lost consciousness.


    "Yao?" the Overseer said, narrowing his eyes.


    "What? I''m not one for finesse. I like gazing at the clouds and not wasting movement, Overseer," Yao bowed and kicked the unconscious Liang back to his sect. "He can keep his life. I need to make a report to the grandmaster."


    "You''re leaving?" one of the disciples cried.


    "I kicked his ass. I don''t need to be here further. I have other duties to the sect," Yao snarled at the disciple. "You would bar my way? On my way to the grandmaster?"


    "Of course not, Senior Yao," the disciples cried as the Overseer glared at him.


    Yao walked over to the Overseer and whispered, "Their numbers are too many and it is clear they are not here for a friendly competition. I must do my duty and warn the grandmaster and his wards."


    "Do it," the Overseer nodded. "I''ll keep these ones at bay. None are a match for me as all they complied to the sect''s rules. If the core disciples fall, they will strike me down. You have until then."


    Yao made sure to walk as normally as possible. He did not want to gain the attention of the others more than he already had. Yao left the inner sect area and returned to the outer sect area. Yao paused as he entered a crossroad to two paths. One lead to the mountain where the core of the sect had while the other led to an abandoned mountain that contained various magical beasts that roamed its grounds. He entered right road and stopped before a forest of a group of peach trees that were planted all over the foot of the mountain. Yao went toward one that he had visited many times before, the same one where he had been atop on of its branches to gaze at the clouds.


    Most people did not know why Yao was allowed to stay at that tree in peace. it was as mysterious as the inner sect and outer sect not being built near the core of their sect. They didn''t know it, but the core of the sect was built there at the advice of the grandmaster, the Great Lion Turtle, itself. It wanted outsiders to believe it lived on that mountain and even had the headmaster deceive the sect''s disciples. Only truly talented disciples, who passed its test, were able to visit the grandmaster when the Great Lion Turtle visited the core sect.


    Three years ago, it had been a year since Yao had entered the sect. That same year, he had visited the Great Lion Turtle as it had wanted to meet the one who evolved its Great Serpent Strike technique. When it gazed upon him, it deemed him worthy of knowing where it truly lived and had him guard one of the entrances to its home. However, he had never been inside. The benefit was that the opening, at the bottom of the tree''s roots, had dense quantities of spirit energy.


    It was there that he had cultivated. He always wondered about why his Mystic Stone was different than others. Just this morning, a few hours before Han went to find him, Yao Wu had a breakthrough and discovered why he was different. As Yao entered the hill where the tree lay, Yao felt the planet''s life force stir within him, as if something was blocking his connection and could no longer be contained. His Mystic Stone shattered, replaced by the Mystic Crystal. With it, his memories returned. He was not Yao Wu. He was Shu of the Lu Clan.


    "Ugh, shit," Shu moaned as he fell to his knees. "Is this the illusory formation? If so, why did I regain my memories? Why am I Shu when I am still Yao?"


    "This petty formation cannot block our connection forever," the Great Spirit within him said, its voice echoing in his mind. You blocking the scimitar with your bare hands was the key. Your body is weak, but your soul is strong. It allowed you to remember your strange demon body technique. It had fused with your skin long ago. It is not a technique you practice anymore, as it has become one with your body. Same with my own physical body. How can this formation seal your soul from me? No spirit is more powerful than that of a Great Spirit. If they were mages, it would have worked as they are not Practitioners. The illusory formation has lost its hold on you. Quickly run out of here and pass its test."


    "I can''t. I have to do Yao''s task. I feel as if the task is vital for my escape," Shu said, entering the bottom of the tree. Shu quickly used his dark spirit technique, Phantasmal Sky, to move ten times his speed, going deeper inside the tunnel he had entered. He could feel the pull of a foreign influence, as if it tried to stop him from executing his technique. All he could hear was the echoes of the Dragon Fox''s laughter in his mind as he accelerated his speed.


    Shu smiled as he saw light at the end of the tunnel. He slowed his speed as he entered a bright, underground sanctuary. His eyes widened as he saw bright green crystals lightened the sanctuary, like stars in the sky, as he had entered a place similar to a grand garden. At the back of the sanctuary was an ancient being. He wore a simple white cloak over his body with a crown of antlers on his head. Shu cried out as he felt something akin to an invisible hand grab him, pulling him toward the ancient elder.


    "Hello, Shu. You are the descendant of the one known as Lu Feng. No one is watching you right now. I have stopped your scene and switched to one of the other nine who are trapped in the same illusion as you. As you might have guessed, you have broken the illusion''s hold on you. People will believe you have made your escape as you walked toward the peach tree," the ancient one said. "I am more ancient than Lu Feng. He never heard of my sect before he was bron or went into hiding."


    "Can it be? Are you the Great Lion Turtle magical beast I met as Yao Wu? If you are human in this illusory formation, than you are a magical beast that reached the Spirit Sage tier, not a human Spirit Sage!" Shu gasped. "Does anyone know of your origin?"


    "None, save the Bone Demon, the Overseer of the Planet. I spiked his intrigue as it is rare for a magical beast to reach the Spirit Sage tier in my day. Perhaps you have met him. Perhaps not. As a magical beast, I can sense a being most holy and powerful in your Mystic Crystal. It must be the Dragon Fox. Otherwise, why would a drake bow to you. No doubt, your ancestor must have figured something out. He never came out before. You and he must have a connection of sorts," the ancient elder said.


    "What happens now?" Shu asked.


    "Yao made it to this sanctuary. He died a few years later, trying to get revenge for his sect. Han and Ling left the Rokkam Kingdom. They died of old age as they did not reach the Spirit Knight tier. The next tier in cultivation rids the possibility of death by the expiration of lifespans. In other words, you can live for eternity if you are not killed first. I had a son. He was the one Yao had met, not me. He believed he met me. My son died, betrayed by one of the core disciples who revealed his location. He lived in the other mountain, masquerading as me," the Spirit Sage sighed. "I ask that you live as Yao a little longer and escape as he did. That way, no one suspects what you did here today. I also request a meeting with you and your ancestor tonight. I must share some news with him."


    "That means I cannot use my techniques," Shu nodded. "How will I return?"


    "I will send you back to the cross roads, as I did to the real Yao long ago. You must head back into the array you told Han about. That is how you will succeed in this game. You cannot die. Even I cannot fake your death here as the people will watch you once more. Can you accept my request?" the Great Lion Turtle asked.


    "I will accept. I get to learn this variation of the ten spirit techniques. It is a superior version fit for me," Shu nodded, while a purple light surrounded him as he closed his eyes.


    "Everyone run! We''re under attack!" voices shouted as buildings burned and death cries filled the sky with grief and regret.


    Shu rushed to the inner sect, pausing as he saw the Black Mantis Sect members make their move. He drew Freezing Tail and cut the man in front of him as he raced to the square. Shu narrowed his eyes as the man he beat up before raced toward him, brandishing a two-handed scimitar with rage in his eyes.


    "Yao Wu!" Liang roared as he raced toward him. Shu shifted his body to the side, narrowly dodging Liang''s downward slash. As Liang lost his balance from the strike, Shu swirled and beheaded him in a flash. Everyone in the square paused as they felt the ground quake. They lost their footing as the quakes grew stronger and more frequent. Then the winds grew fierce and they could hear a loud growl.


    "What''s happening?" the Overseer frowned as he noticed all the Black Mantis Sect members bow and plant their backs against the wall of the square.


    "Dragon!" the disciples cried as a black dragon appeared from over the mountain where Shu had been as Yao, gazing at the clouds earlier that day.


    "What kind of dragon is that?" the disciples cried as they stared at the black dragon, trembling with fear in their legs and shock in their hearts. The dragon''s front arms had its wings on the back of the arms. it''s hind legs had large spikes on the sides. Like a mantis, it had four wings, each of them blasting the air with tremendous gusts with every flap of the wings. Its eyes were also like a mantis, compound with no eye lids. Its eyes were oval and extended from its eyes sockets to the side. It had horns extending to the back of its head with spikes from its brow to the end of its tail. It was an abomination. That is what humans called magical beasts that were the only ones of its kind. They always feared the mutations among magical beasts.


    Get out of the square!" the Overseer shouted, seeing fire gather in its mouth with his superior eyesight. Everyone ran, screaming as fire burned the skies and burned the land. The smell of burnt meat and ash filled the sky as the dragon flew over the inner and outer sect, burning rivers of fire on the land on anyone not wearing black robes. The Black Mantis Sect members ignored the screaming disciples and headed toward the main building of the inner sect, greed in their hearts as they sought to loot its treasures. The Overseer and the inner sect masters retreated into the building as they tried to fight them off.


    Everyone was to left to fend for themselves. Shu was pushed to the sides by the Practitioners of the seventh and eight stage as they tried to retreat to the outer sect area and out of the sect''s land. They knew, as all did, that the time for their sect''s end had come. Only members of the fourth through the sixth stage ran the other way, toward the mountain where Yao had watched the cloud. They would rather try their luck against the mountains in the magical beast and retreat to civilization beyond the mountain. Shu paled as he saw the building burn, focusing spirit energy into his feet as he rushed to the building. A Practitioner of the seventh stage, and member of the Black Mantis Sect, stopped before Shu and blocking his way to the building.


    "Where do you think you''re going? You defeated my brother and even cut off his head. I will not allow your escape!" the man roared, brandishing a large-two handed blade that was curved toward its point. Shu grit his teeth as he gripped Freezing Tail harder. Their weapons clashed but neither were blown back, surprising the man. Shu really had strength beyond his cultivation. Metal clanged against metal as both fighters tried to kill the other.


    Shu growled angrily as he saw more of the building burn as the dragon continued its rain of fire upon the sect. Shu roared with rage and used all his strength to blast the other man back, the man crashing on the steps before the building. White wisps of spirit energy radiated from his body as three snow-white serpents rose from Shu''s body. They had dragon teeth and scales, similar to a dragon, all over their body. Their eyes were entirely black and wisps of black darkness glowed around their eyes The serpents looked so real, but were just dark and ice spirit energy manifested into a physical form. This was the technique Yao had learned. This was Ghost Serpent Strike.


    The man paled as the three serpents roared as they flew toward him like spears. They slithered in the sky and were the size of great white sharks. Two heads struck from the flanks as the third serpent struck from the front. The serpents poisoned Liang''s elder brother as they struck him. The blood froze as the chilling effect spread from the point of impact. A black poison spread, devouring the spirit energy and penetrating the Mystic Stone, eating at the man''s soul lake.


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


    "Die like your brother!" Shu roared as he pushed against the ground with his feet, his spirit energy empowering his leap as he sped forward. The man couldn''t move and could only watch as Shu''s sword was raised high and fell between his neck and shoulder. The man gasped and fell to his knees as he let go of his two-handed weapon. His head rolled as he gasped for breath, his vision unfocused as the eyes looked to the sky. Shu withdrew his sword, blood spraying to the sky as the man fell on the ground, dead at last.


    Shu brandished his sword, shaking the blood off Freezing Tail before returning it in its scabbard at his back. Shu rushed to the second floor, dodging a floorboard that fell from the ceiling. He dodged and weaved through the fire as he burst into Yao''s room. He took out two jade talisman as he grabbed another sect member who fainted from too much exposure to the ash and heavy air.


    The teleportation array lit as he carried the other disciple through, his eyes narrowing as he saw a green hare on the center of a medallion. It was a fellow competitor. He had thoughts of leaving the person, but brought him anyway as he felt a pain in his heart that Yao would have felt if he left his fellow sect member for dead when he could have saved him without cost. Shu gazed once outside the window in the room, seeing the sect burn, before he and the fellow sect member disappeared.


    --------------Return to Reality--------------------


    Shu gasped as he and a boy burst through the formation. He fell onto his knees, panting heavily as the crowd cheered. The gold knight he met before helped him to his feet, approving of his actions as he signaled other knights to carry the unconscious Practitioner to the infirmary.


    "You and that other boy have passed the second game. You and he are the second and third to pass. Congratulations. Please wait at the sides until all the Practitioners have completed the second game," the gold knight said as he dipped his head with respect and praise.


    "Good job, Shu," Lu Feng grinned as he appeared before him in a flash. "Come with me."


    They vanished from the area. Appearing in the VIP box. Lu Feng and Shu sat in the far corner of the area, everyone respectfully avoiding from disturbing them. Shu pulled out Freezing Tail, as the sheath for Arctic Emperor had burst at the bottom from the change. Freezing Tail was a long sword, but it was not as long as a katana and was double-edged.


    "Are you alright, Shu?" Lu Feng asked as he gave Shu a scabbard for him. Shu nodded as he replaced Arctic Emperor''s sheath with Freezing Tail''s scabbard.


    "I feel different," Shu said silently while Lu Feng nodded.


    "You have lost some of that cold-heartedness that was the demon blood''s influence. You still rage like a beast, but your temper is more tolerable. It seems your personality has improved, somewhat," Lu Feng said. "It is good to be cold-hearted, but only to those who wrong you and your enemies. Behind cold-hearted all the time will only make more enemies. No doubt, the Green Hare Tower is thankful to you. Only one of their sixth stage Practitioners passed and it was the very same boy you brought with you. Rest. I will tell you the results later."


    "The Great Lion Turtle is a Spirit Sage. The same Spirit Sage who is said to be the oldest of the Rokkam Empire. He asks to speak with us tonight," Shu said before his fatigue took over as the adrenaline left his body.


    Lu Feng nodded sat next to Prince Trent and Liao Hong, who said, "You were right, Ancestor Feng. He is full of surprises. He learned a great technique and defeated someone above his cultivation in a body not of his own."


    "He passed the second game and also helped another pass as well. Even if he did not have his memory, he helped another member of his sect escape when he could have left him for dead," the crown prince agreed. "It seems the second game is concluded. Only nine have passed. I will let the eighth and ninth to fight each other to see who will make it to the elimination tournament. An extra round if you will, as the top eight will fight each other at random."


    "Let''s enjoy the elimination tournament of the seventh stage Practitioners," Liao laughed. "I can only hope my nieces get one of the top three ranks. Both would be asking too much. HAHAHAHA!"


    The day turned into night as the top three ranks were decided. In the first round, Rian defeated Elizabeth, Miguel defeated a Steel Horn Temple student, the Green Hare Tower true Archon defeated a Steel Horn Temple student, Isabella defeated Hinako. In the second round and semi-finals, Isabella defeated Rian and the Green Hare Tower true Archon defeated Miguel. A separate fight began two hours later, in which Rian narrowly defeated Miguel and received third place. Isabella shocked everyone by defeating the true Archon of Green Hare Tower. However, she was also a true Archon and came from one of the ancient clans. Thus, she had experiencing in fighting abnormally powerful people and got first place in the seventh stage division. Steel Horn Temple was infuriated as they had lost any chance to place third overall.


    Lu Shu and Lu Feng waited at the west wing of the palace as a familiar ancient elder opened the door to his rather large room. It was about as big as a small auditorium. The Spirit Sage placed some tea on the table as he sat across from them on the lavish, red couches. The room was rich with many antiques and portraits and paintings. All the paintings had the image of several magical beasts. Bahamut rested on the arm of the couch while Supaku nestled against Shu.


    "Thank you both for coming. It has been a rather long day, but I cannot delay in telling you some news of note," the Spirit Sage began. "When I reached the Spirit Sage tier, I gained a human form and needed a name. I go by the name Light. My son and I used to watch the rising and setting sun together. He was such a young cub. Barely at the level of Spirit Master when he died."


    "It is quite rare for a magical beast to be free in human lands. At least he did not die by human hands, like an animal," Lu Feng nodded his head.


    "Your descendant is also part magical beast," Light noted, his eyes directing toward Shu''s horn and ears. "It''s funny really. Some human Archon techniques make some humans part magical beast while magical beasts gain a human form upon reaching the Spirit Sage tier. Although that horn is similar to a demon''s horn. Now, I must tell you some news. What do you know about Hyperion?"


    "They lie in the eastern part of human maps of this planet," Lu Feng said. "It is said they were a race of angelic creatures that fell from the grace of the Heavens. They were cursed with bestial forms while some still had human forms with wings. They tried to gain the power of the Creator Gods, kidnapping some holy creature and intended to do something with it, but were stopped. The Creator god must have been either a human immortal, human god, magical beast immortal, or magical beast god. Demons care little as power is everything. An Immortal Emperor and Immortal God would punish those who defy their commands while Feral Emperors and Feral Gods would devour any weak magical beast that dared trespass into their territory. Only such entities can create planets and call themselves Creator Gods."


    "Yes. That is correct. The Hyperion have made their move. Even now, they send espionage groups into the lands to the south, north, and west. They are searching for artifacts to aid in some goal of theirs. I snuck into their lands a few years ago, interrogating and killing humanoid Hyperion," Light said, his expression darkening. "They are looking for the entrance to a hidden dimension. It is said that an ancient tree, billions of years old, exists in this world. Taller than any mountain or volcano. Only someone with connection to the planet could find the tree, provided they have a map. The Hyperion have not found the map and are desperately searching for it."


    "Could it be?" Shu thought, thinking of the map he had found underneath the largest tree in the swamp a few years ago. "I knew it was important."


    "The map is said to be written in the ancient language of the dragons. That ancient linguistic language was lost, separate from the modern day language of dragons with roars and growls. It is the written form of that language. No dragon alive can decipher it. There have been some texts found, all describing the tree and a very powerful dragon guarding it. I don''t know what connection that ancient tree has to the Hyperion''s plans, but it must be very important for them to move so aggressively," Light said silently.


    "How were you able to decipher the texts?" Lu Feng asked.


    "Some records of how to decipher them were found in the ruins within Hyperion lands. I almost died when hoards of Hyperion at the Spirit Master tier discovered my presence in the ruins. They''re getting tired with the espionage and are gathering their forces. No doubt to start a war and use it as a distraction to sneak in more troops to search further. Their new leader is said to be a Fiend Immortal at the peak stage," Light growled. "They''ve been experimenting on all races they can catch, changing and twisting their anatomy through their experiments. They''re like those human wizards and chaotic Practitioners, doing all sorts of heinous acts all in the pursuit of a higher power. Here is a copy of the dictionary I made to decipher the language. The Imperial Lu Clan is closer to Hyperion land that have been occupied far longer than the land close to the Jokkam Empire. Perhaps you might find some texts in their ruins. It should serve you well. Whatever happens, we cannot let the Hyperion become powerful. The four forces of humanity, demons and magical beasts have no choice but to recognize the Hyperion as a leading, separate power. They might also find something in the Pantheon of Devils."


    "Thank you," Lu Feng said as he placed a stone tablet into his storage bag. Shu was also given a dictionary. As he put the dictionary away, Shu positioned his right hand over his storage bag. It looked like the tablet went into it in a flash of white light, but it went into Spook.


    "I also have further news. The dragons have banded together and have begun fighting the Hyperion. They believe the ancient dragon guarding the tree of legend to be a dragon immortal magical beast. Dragons revere and follow dragons superior to themselves, like betas following alpha. The demons are also rising to fight the Hyperion, as they have lost much of their land already. War over the globe will begin soon. You must prepare the armies of the Yan Dynasty. Gather all your soldiers beneath the Spirit Knight tier to fight the Hyperion forces," Light warned.


    "Thank you. I will inform my descendant, Emperor Lu Yi. Perhaps Lu Shu will fight in the army, before the Pantheon of Devils opens. He''ll join the army once he graduates," Lu Feng bowed and led Shu toward his tent.


    "Something tells me you already have the map Light spoke of," Lu Feng said as they walked out of the palace.


    "It is currently within Spook," Lu Shu nodded.


    "It is best to wait until you become an Archon Phoenix first. After you survive the Pantheon of Devils, you can investigate that map. Until then, keep it a closely guarded secret. Don''t even mention it after this. Does it have to do with the bead on your neck? It is a magical item to be sure, but I sense no power in it," Lu Feng observed.


    "I found it with the map. It was a part of a five star-point formation array. I took one, hid another in the root wall, and arranged the remaining beads in a triangular formation. I also found the strange, huge demonic core that eventually became my first spirit reactor under the influence of the bead. I did not take the Practitioner weapon and mage staff so as to avoid suspicion of only the three beads being hidden there," Lu Shu explained.


    "So that''s it. I see," Lu Feng said as they arrived in front of the tent for Black lotus Academy''s sixth stage Practitioner participants. "Tomorrow is the elimination tournament. I expect nothing but first place from my bloodline. Keep Wraith a secret, no matter what. You can''t fight with Bahamut but keeping his presence by the stadium at its full size will intimidate your foes. Fight with Supaiku, if they fight with their magical beasts. I''ll be watching your fights. Good luck."


    "Goodbye and thank you," Shu bowed as Lu Feng disappeared. Shu''s armored tiger spirit was still an Armored Ocean Tiger God spirit, but had the same dragon-scaled and toothed serpent that was on Freezing Tail. Same with the Sentinel Bow. The Dragon Fox told him it was the influence of the spirit energy of the ancient magical beast that ascended to the Spirit Sage. Shu sighed as he walked into his tent, seeing only Ivy in there.


    "What happened? Are we the only two from Black Lotus Academy among the nine that passed?" Shu asked.


    "Yes. Besides the guy you rescued in the illusory formation, three are members of Blue Phoenix Palace and Red Dragon Temple has two competitors. The last of the nine competitors are from Gold Crow Palace. It seems Steel Horn Temple has truly lost to the six rival academies," Ivy said. "Tomorrow will be a very competitive tournament as Blue Phoenix Palace and Red Dragon Temple have a shot of gaining a higher rank and possibly overtaking Steel Horn Temple. In their rage, I heard Steel Horn Temple have begun packing. I believe they''ll be leaving before dawn."


    "It''s almost over," Shu said as the two eagerly waited for the last day of the games.

 Book 2: Chapter 13- The Elimination Tournament

    (Author: Hello! Sunday come and gone. Reminder: my college life restarts next week so the releases will be slower. It is now time for the sixth stage division elimination tournament. Two people will have to fight an extra round before the top eight decided as there are a total of nine who have passed the second game. The nine are Shu, Ivy, 3 students from Blue Phoenix Palace, two students from Red Dragon Temple, the boy of Green Hare Tower Shu saved in the illusory formation, and a Gold Crow Palace student. Each of the nine will have some effects as a result of the illusory formation. How will it affect their results? Enjoy.)


    ---------------Chapter 13- The Elimination Tournament----------------


    As Shu''s body slept, his mind was withdrawn into his Mystic Crystal. First, he took a broad view of his realm of consciousness. Most of it was empty space, with stars alight in the distance. Two strange moons circulated a planet of pure oceans. Due to the influence of the two spirit reactors, symbolizing two moons, large tidal waves scourged the planet. A ring of ice developed around the planet, at a slight thirty degree angle.


    In the core of the soul planet was the Dragon Fox. If one looked closely, they could see the Snow Emperor Pearl, a pearl containing the soul of demon nobility, at the feet of the Great Spirit. No matter what Shu did, the pearl never reacted. He left his realm of consciousness as he went to sleep in both mind and body. The next morning, Shu and Ivy headed back to the stadium. It was finally time for the elimination tournament.


    Unfortunately, one of the three Blue Phoenix Palace members was eliminated and the Green Hare Tower student moved on to finalize the top eight. Shu had to fight that same boy he saved and would fight in the last fight of the official first round. The first three of four had been decided. Ivy was in the first fight against a member of Red Dragon Temple, defeating her opponent by overwhelming him with her quick strikes with her dual-swords. Her swords were two halves of a winged-cross guarded sword. Even the blades, which looked single-edged, could be combined into a single sword at will. That was the threat of dual-swords. The Practitioner is able to separate and join them at will, very different than twin swords which consists of the same dual-sword style but cannot be combined into one.


    The other people who to the second and third spot of the finals was a girl of Gold Crow Palace who quickly defeated a member of Blue Phoenix Palace. The boy had little sprit energy and would be disadvantaged in long battles. It seemed he was a Practitioner who focused on speed. The third who made it to the finals was a member of Red Dragon Temple who defeated the final disciple of Blue Phoenix Palace, effectively eliminating the school from the games. It was now time for the last fight of the first round to decide the final four before the championship round.


    "Ladies and gentlemen! It is now time for the fourth and last fight of the semi-finals. One is a student of Black Lotus Academy. His name is Shu of the Lu Clan!" the announcer began, the crowd cheering as they saw a familiar blonde boy wearing a black jacket with a hood over his head, a mask materialized to cover the bottom half of his face. His moon blades were in his storage bag as he could only be allowed to fight with his Practitioner weapon and a magical beast not of a draconic lineage. Magical items were allowed, but not magical weapons and armor. Enchanted weapons and armor did not reveal a Practitioner''s true potential while magical items had to be practiced to a certain mastery in order to be effective when used. Anyone could become stronger when grabbing a random, magical weapon or armor, but magical items were not without its restraints and degrees of difficulty in how they were used.


    Bahamut was in its full size behind the stadium, many people admiring the dragon. Save for rare, one-of-a-kind magical beasts, draconic magical beasts were usually the most powerful magical beast. They also looked at Supaiku, standing on all fours beside Shu. It had orange fur and spikes with lightning crackling from its tail. Most of all, its eyes were gold in color and a black fur design with shapes of a drop of water, swirled all over its body instead of stripes. Bahamut was an Emerald Steel Dragon and Supaiku was later identified as a Gold-Eyed Lightning Tiger. Many people in the stands were shocked to see two Saint level magical beasts bound to a Practitioner of the sixth stage.


    The announcer looked pitifully at Shu''s opponent as he continued, "And his opponent, hailing from Green Hare Tower, is Roen Kurt. I can honestly say that Green Hare Tower has shocked the nine schools and stole the limelight by knocking down Steel Horn Temple from the third rank. In fact, Steel Horn Temple performed lower than Red Dragon Temple in the mages division. I can tell you all now: Red Dragon Temple is ranked fourth and Steel Horn Temple is ranked fifth. The new generation truly rids of the former generations'' shackles and make their own marks in history! Not only that, Red Dragon Temple also has a dark horse in this division as Green Hare Tower did in the seventh: a true Archon Practitioner without a spirit reactor! Truly, both schools did spectacular this year."


    People from Green Hare Tower and Red Dragon Temple cheered, obviously happy as they made the most improvement over the last year. The defeated one of the Big Three, one of the top three schools! They all stared at a nervous, black-haired kid who was obviously intimidated by the presence of Bahamut and Supaiku. Shu did not draw Freezing Tail as the other boy took out his Practitioner weapon, a spear, from his storage bag. The announcer hit the mini gong he had with him and the final fight of the first round had begun.


    "I owe you for letting me pass the second game, but I can''t lose here!" the boy yelled, drawing his spear for a thrust at Shu''s chest. Shu did a low kick, his feet brushing the ground. A small wave of water burst toward Roen, forcing the boy to stop as he tried to block the wave of water. As the boy was doused, Shu stomped onto the wet trail created by the wave, lightning crackling at his feet. Lightning touched water and Roen was severely hurt by the lightning as it traversed the water, its power magnified by the water. While lightning may be useless underwater, lightning is invincible on the water''s surface. It was a quick, overwhelming victory.


    In the finals, it was Ivy versus the Red Dragon Temple''s true Archon and Shu versus the student of Gold Crow Palace. Ivy was a true Archon as well, but the Red Dragon Temple student actually had two golems fight alongside him. While powerful, Ivy could not destroy the two golems that represented walking fortresses that protected the Red Dragon Temple student. Shu easily beat his opponent by using his Phantasmal Sky technique to appear behind this opponent, appearing from the girl''s shadow as if he had teleported. It was quite obvious that Shu could now move faster than his normal speed and use short distance teleportation, all while using his Phantasmal Sky technique. Most Practitioners practiced spirit techniques, but it was clear Shu''s techniques were above the Spirit Shaman tier.


    Ivy did manage to win against the Gold Crow Palace student and earned third place. It was because her opponent was desperate and did not maintain a calm mind. Her near instantaneous defeat rattled him and rushed toward Ivy without thinking. Ivy easily defeated her rattled opponent but was still upset about her loss. She sat with Hinako and the others. Once the final fight ended, the games would end and all the Practitioners and mages, who have earned the right, will go to the Vault of Kings at last.


    Shu decided to have Supaiku fight alongside him. Supaiku would deal with the meddlesome golems while he went for their master. His opponent''s name was Duren Gallect and owned two golems made of clay. However, the golems were considered indestructible as they always repaired themselves, rock and clay pieces rising and returning to the main body. Every golem had a core, but this kind of golem was always moving that core, making it difficult to destroy them permanently. Water slowed them down, but the body would return to normal due to the core.


    Everyone watched as the two boys circled each other. Supaiku and the golems made the first move, clashing in a storm of lightning and earth. Two conflicting elements that neutralized the advantage of the other. The other boy was shocked as the tiger was capable of keeping the golems back. Everyone watched as Supaiku withdrew while Shu gathered his spirit energy into his throat. Shu roared with rage, like a beast venting its rage at the heavens. Members of the VIP box stood as they saw the image of his spirit: the Armored Ocean Tiger God. People recognized the white tiger, but not the dragon-scaled serpent tail or the armor that covered the face and limbs.


    Shu had used his Great Spirit Integration technique, stunning the golems and causing Duren to cough blood as he staggered back. Shu narrowed his eyes and three snow-white serpents rose, striking one of the golems. Everyone watched, wide-eyed, as the golem froze in its tracks and shattered as its core was destroyed by the chilling effects of the strike. Duren drew a large mace with the black wood beneath the metal ending in a spike. Supaiku had a easier time holding off the lone golem as the two boys clashed. Mace clashed against sword as Duren rushed at Shu.


    Shu''s eyes widened as another mace appeared in the boy''s hand, this one with a gold metal head and white wood grip. The boy''s spirit was actually a weapon! Shu grunted as the boy''s spirit mace blasted him back. Shu grit his teeth and yelled out, spirit armor manifesting on his arms and legs. His pupils and irises changed into a shape similar to a tiger''s as celestial aura radiated small wisps of white from Freezing Tail. Shu growled as Duren''s mace seemed to enlarge as he fused his mace spirit with his Practitioner weapon. Fire seemed to radiate from Duren''s body as pieces of rock and clay levitated around him.


    The crowd cheered as the two boys slashed and hacked at each other. The ground cracked whenever Duren missed and smashed the ground. Shu kept appearing out of nowhere, constantly appearing out of nowhere as his speed was too fast. As he slashed and pierced with Freezing Tail, the air chilled with every movement of the sword. However, an armor of rock seemed to cover and protect Duren, repairing almost instantaneously with every strike. Fire rained down as Duren threw dagger after dagger of fire at Shu. Duren cried out when Shu cut through his rock armor and cut off his left arm with his Radiant Howl technique.


    "What the fuck?" Shu frowned as Duren''s arm regenerated within seconds. "You really are a true Archon. I don''t think any regular Archon can regenerate so quickly."


    "You''ll pay for cutting off my arm!" Duren roared as dragon wings sprouted from his back. Duren screamed as he flew into the air. The crowd gasped. Mages flying were not uncommon, but Practitioners could only fly at the Spirit Master tier unless they developed wings through learning some technique or through the process of gaining a true Archon body. There was no dispute now. Duren was a true Archon.


    "DIE!" Duren roared as he created over a hundred images of his spirit mace all around him, like flying swords in a formation. Fire burned from the metal heads of the maces. This was why weapon type Practitioners were feared. Only they had the ability to manifest multiple copies of their spirit like flying swords.


    "I will not lose!" Shu roared as vermillion wings sprout from his own back. The crowd gasped Shu was a true Archon! Only the members in the VIP box and a few rich nobles and powerful people were not surprised as they had the power and connection to learn of what transpired on Shu''s birthday several months ago.


    Water seemed to swirl from the air and ground, condensing into his sword. The crowd felt hotter as the humidity of the air dropped constantly as the stadium below seemed to freeze, mists of ice covering the ground near Shu. The living spirit technique seemed affected by Shu''s bestial rage. Shu smiled as he knew he had made a breakthrough and improved his technique as his subconscious mind began filling his head with images on how to perform the technique. Shu stared at Supaiku''s eyes and it quickly left the stadium as it used all its might to cover itself in lightning and destroy the golem as it rammed through it, using the element of lightning to increase the speed and power of its sprint.


    "Judgment of the Burning War God!" Duren roared, his arms flinging at Shu as the fiery maces spinning as they flew toward Shu.


    "Radiant Howl of the Freezing Devil!" Shu roared, realizing the true form of the insect-like spirit technique that replaced his skeleton and fused with his subconscious.  That weird exoskeleton that appeared when he had first made contact withit and Meng Ce seeing it over Shu''s body when he went to check on him. It wasn''t really an insect, but it was not of the Mortal Realm, just like the other four living spirit techniques the Great Ancestor once had kept away in the empire''s treasury. It could not be identified and insects certainly did not howl like beasts.


    The crowd shrieked as waves of cold and heat blasted as an explosion of fire and ice was created upon the collision of a field of spinning, burning spirit maces and an unidentifiable sword blast of ice. The invisible barrier formation that protected the spectators saved them from any harm caused by the explosion, even blocking the chill and heat soon after. When the dust, ash, and frost cleared; the crowd saw two people on the ground.


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


    Duren was sprawled on the floor, unconscious with both wings destroyed and frozen solid. His limbs were slowly regenerating and color was retuning to his cold, pale body. As for Shu, he was one his knees, the armor on his arms in pieces. his entire shirt was burned away as his skin slowly regenerated charred skin. His eyes slowly returned to normal as the armor spirit faded away. He coughed blood but held his sword up high.


    "Winner of the sixth stage division is Shu of the Lu Clan from Black Lotus Academy!" the announcer cried, after spending a few minutes to get over the shock.


    Bahamut and Supaiku quickly rushed over to Shu, sharing their spirit energy with their master. Shu trembled as he immediately entered a meditative state as he sat, cross-legged, on the stadium. It was no wonder Practitioners who were true Archons through one of the four true Archon body techniques, the ones without spirit reactors, were deemed the most powerful among their cultivation stage. Shu only won due to his immense spirit energy, resilient body through fusion with the Dragon Fox, and Eclipse Indestructible Body technique.


    Shu panted as his body returned to normal and slowly got atop of Supaiku, Bahmut shrinking and settling on Supaiku''s head. Shu laughed as he had gotten first place. Shu lost consciousness and slept on Supaiku''s back as Lu Feng appeared. Lu Feng pat Shu''s head as he led Supaiku to the area the Black Academy students were watching in the stands. The ending ceremony was held that night and a grand feast was geld for the top four schools. Everyone celebrated that night, ecstatic and jubilant for having many students gain access to the Vault of Kings.


    Although only one student of Red Dragon Temple gained access to the Vault of Kings, they celebrated as they could finally hold their heads high against the arrogant Steel Horn Temple. Of the Big Three, only Steel Horn Temple were arrogant and used their ranking as an excuse to bully and mock the other six rival schools. Red Dragon Temple and Green Hare Tower even made a truce. It wasn''t hard as they were on opposite sides of the empire and hardly interacted.


    Shu''s eyes narrowed as he sensed spirit energy gathering at the tents where he slept. He snuck out the feast, took off his jacket, and wore a simple black cloak all over his body. He pulled out skull dagger and used his Phantasmal Sky technique to quickly travel to his tent. His eyes widened as he saw students of Steel Horn Temple apparently looting the tents of any valuables that were not in their owners'' storage bags. He wrinkled his nose, with disgust, at their petty actions. Well, no one was watching as they were all supposed to be at the feast. Stealth works both ways.


    Due to the enchantment of his skull dagger, his arm holding the dagger made no sound as he grabbed them by the necks and slit their throats. He had already buried them halfway through the floor once. Killing them was much easier. He would also rip out their Mystic Stones, using his innate demon ability before they died, devouring the spirit energy and storing the empty marble in his storage bag. There would be plenty of people who would buy a Mystic Stone as it is far more difficult for most people to even attain one without some connection.


    He made sure to loot their storage bags before leaving their bodies to rot. People would believe someone took their Mystic Stones from their corpse. After all, a Mystic Stone could be retrieved from the corpse of its owner, but it would be completely empty with no trace of spirit energy inside. His innate demon ability enabled him to rip out the Mystic Stone and devour spirit energy, whether the body was dead or alive. However, he could only absorb spirit energy from Mystic Stones if the owner was still alive as he ripped it out.


    He stored his loot in his storage bag while he stored the Mystic Stones in Spook. He did not want to be found out as the guy who killed them all. He kept hunting all the students of Steel Horn Temple who dared to sneak back to steal. Such petty people deserved no mercy. Wraith, always in his shadow, kept watch and always alerted him if there were others nearby. Before an hour passed, Shu successfully assassinated and looted all the Practitioners of Steel Horn Temple.


    "Just too weak," Shu sighed as he wiped the blood on his dagger on the last corpse he found, or made. He quickly used his Phantasmal Sky technique, changed back into his jacket, and returned to the feast. The students were busy chatting away and celebrating to notice him gone. They had seen him in the corner of the area, resting as he was fatigued and respectfully avoided disturbing him. Of course, some had noticed him missing.


    "Where were you?" Ivy and the others asked as they sat around his table. Ivy was with Joey and the others. They had spent quite some time looking for Shu.


    "I wanted to take a tour of the castle. However, I was intrigued by the smell of magical beast meat in their kitchens," Shu said, a pretty good alibi based on his constant hunger for it. "You didn''t happen to find some here, did you?"


    "Typical," Hinako sighed and showed him the plate she carried. Shu grinned and thanked Hinako before digging in.


    "I''m surprised that Red Dragon Temple and Green Hare Tower are here. They seem to be the merriest of the people here," Shu observed as most of the laughter came from those students.


    "Try living in a world in a poorer state than the elite. Then, you''ll understand how they feel," Bella answered. "They were constantly bullied and looked down on by Steel Horn Temple. Steel Horn Temple getting third place only made them more insufferable as they took their frustrations out on them.


    "Still, we get to go to the Vault of Kings!" Joey laughed. "Er, most of us. Sorry you lost, Kei and Geo."


    "Still, I wonder what happens now?" Shu asked, wanting to change the subject from Steel Horn Temple as a gold knight walked toward Shu.


    "Shu of the Lu Clan, Spirit Sage Light requests your audience," the gold knight said.


    "Did I get caught?" Shu thought as the gold knight looked at him warily. "Yeah. Of course I would not go unnoticed by the Spirit Knights. I''m sure they don''t mind students looting each other, but I killed and did both."


    "I''ll go first," Shu grinned, trying to keep calm. "Enjoy the feast guys. I''ll see some of you in the Vault of Kings."


    Ten minutes later, Shu was in the throne room of the palace with members of the royal family wearing crowns, and Lu Feng, all in the room. All the guards left and secured the doors from the outside. Shu could only grin helplessly as they all stared at him.


    "We know what you did," Crown Prince Trent began. "The question is, why did you kill them instead of knocking them out?"


    "True victory is one where there won''t be any future battles. Complete and utter annihilation," Shu said coldly. "You have to think about the consequences. If I knocked them out, they would obviously be punished and search for who stopped their nefarious, petty plans to loot those who beat them. You know, I didn''t go after the mages too. I could have," Shu shrugged.


    "I am Empress Rua Kindu," a woman who looked in her late twenties began, a gold crown and lavish cerulean dress complementing her figure. "Prince Shu, what did you do to their bodies? They are completely drained of spirit energy. I can guess that you carved their Mystic Stones out, but how did you absorb their spirit energy? In fact, how were you able to kill so many of them so silently? My guards could not hear your arm when you took their lives."


    "I''m afraid I just killed them, looted some stuff that seemed interesting, and ripped out their Mystic Stones from their corpses," Shu lied. "I''m afraid I don''t know who would waste time draining spirit energy as it leaks out from the dead body. As I''m sure you know, I killed all of them rather quickly. I did not have the time to drain them of all the spirit energy in their corpse. I would have risked discovery. Well, I would have noticed I was discovered. You don''t happen to want the Mystic Stones and loot I got?"


    Seeing the empress''s eyes, Shu sighed and covered his right hand over his storage bag. Over a hundred Mystic Stones appeared in a flash of white light. As for the loot he did not take it out as they were less valuable. The empress did not seem to care either as she told Trent to store the empty marbles, averting her eyes from Lu Feng''s direction as he slowly emitted spiritual force from his body. Spirit Sage Light entered the room and sat down on the opposite side of the throne room across Lu Feng.


    "This matter is settled then. Good. Thank you for your cooperation," Empress Rua said.


    "Don''t push your luck, empress," Lu Feng snarled, stopping her from speaking further. "If it wasn''t for Spirit Sage Light and the crown prince, I would have ripped your head off."


    "Well," the empress started, but declined as Light warned her with a stern look. "I apologize. I do not want to make an enemy of the Yan Dynasty over some dead kids of a disgraced school."


    "Prince Shu, I will tell you something about the Vault of Kings. You have a total of twelve hours to fid three objects of your choosing. The Vault of Kings is large and there are many magical items many would kill for. However, why do you think we allow the twelve hours?" Trent asked.


    "It would be because there is something more there. Could it be dense areas of spirit energy?" Shu asked.


    "Indeed. It is a paradise for people to cultivate in. Most gather their items and meditate for as long as they are allowed. Third place only gets one hour to find an item and meditate. Second place gets four hours to find two items and meditate. This shows just how great it is to get the first rank. Think about two Practitioners who fought in last years games as first years: Hinako and Rian. They were fourth year students but a year later, they are at the seventh stage. Hard work played a part, but it is very difficult to reach the seventh stage onwards," Trent explained. "Even now, I''m guessing you''re at the peak of the sixth stage. Meditating there will certainly help you. Especially if you have that talisman of yours."


    "How do you...?" Shu began.


    "We have embassies in the capital of all countries of note who are not hostile to us. Naturally, we have some who attend the auctions. Of course, it was our mistake to not attend your birthday. We were quite shocked to learn of so many Spirit Sages, five being verified with Ancestor Lu Feng as the first who was seen," Trent smiled. "Information is key to the survival of a nation. Strength is for the army, but words can do what armies cannot. Needless to say, there are countless other magical items that can convert energy essence into liquid pearl elixirs, but they are rarely sold due to their usefulness."


    "I''ll keep that in mind," Shu nodded.


    "You don''t need to pick a skill to learn as you have already gained a new one. Find magical armor and items. I will be returning to the Yan Dynasty. I have visited kid Seto and overseen your progress in the competition," Lu Feng said hugging Shu with a grin. "Out of all my descendants, you''re the most interesting one. Train well. Farewell Shu. If you need me, just message your father with the transmission bead you have. I will be cultivating with the four others at the palace."


    "Goodbye Lu Feng," Shu cupped his hands and bowed, the other people in the room doing the same as Lu Feng left the throne room.


    "You may leave now. Hopefully we meet again, at the Pantheon of Devils. I can''t be there at the Vault of Kings. Goodbye, Prince Shu," Trent smiled as they bowed and Shu left.


    "He is dangerous. They both are," the empress said. "It is no small wonder that the Yan Dynasty has survived for so long. Who knew they were hiding such powerful experts and claim there are even more. Even the second prince is beyond expectations. I expected that Isabella of the ancient clans would win against a true Archon without a spirit reactor, but not that Lu Clan boy."


    "We cannot make enemies of the Yan Dynasty, Little Empress," Light warned. "Little girl, I could not even hope to guess how powerful that Lu Feng is. He could kill Fiend Immortals, Practitioners more powerful than most peak Spirit Sages. The other four must also be powerful. Perhaps, even more so."


    "I know," the empress said, not disturbed by the Spirit Sages words as he was an ancient being. "I did not have any inclinations. I was relieved Ancestor Lu Feng did not threaten me and allowed me to take the Mystic Stones."


    "You can only have one. They are just used for bartering now," Light shrugged. "I will be heading to Steel Horn Temple. I will destroy the head of the snake and replace it with someone more suitable. Burn the bodies. Such trash are unworthy to be returned to their families. It would only stain and ruin the futures of the next generations of their families."


    "Yes, Elder," Empress Rua said and left to carry the task.


    "Trent. Kid, you must also train for the Pantheon of Devils. Remember, humanity might have some relations with magical beasts, but the demons and Hyperion will certainly try to kill anyone in their way. Also remember, humans are not without their greed and lust. Do not be tempted by the words of a beauty or let down your guard," Light said, the room silent as Trent bowed and left the throne room.

 Book 2: Chapter 14- The Old Gods

    (Author: Hello! Almost forgot to post this chapter. HAHAHA! The time has come for the Vault of Kings at last. Of course, what is an ancient vault without those who protect it? Time to learn about the Great Spirits now known as the Old Gods. You will learn what they represent and the religion that is pre-dominant in the planet. Enjoy.)


    --------Chapter 14- The Old Gods-------------


    The next day, Shu and the others who had earned the right to the Vault of Kings gathered in the throne room. Some of them asked were the mages had gone? The gold knights present told them that the mages had already left. Practitioners were different as they benefit from going to the Vault of Kings for extended periods as they could cultivate the spirit energy there. This discovery shocked many people who had never been there.


    "Hello. I am the Spirit Sage responsible for the illusory array, with assistance of another, that the Practitioners of the sixth stage went into for their second game. A similar situation was to occur for the seventh stage Practitioners, but you youngsters were more bloodthirsty than the organizers predicted. I am known as Light. You may address me as Ancestor Light. Please enter the teleportation array. We will be heading to the entrance of the Vault of Kings," an elderly man in a simple white cloak bowed, his hood hiding his face as he gestured to the door to the right of the throne.


    Everyone walked to the door in silence. A flash of light would burst through whenever someone entered the door as they entered one at a time. Shu closed his eyes as he walked into the door. He felt a rush of wind up his body and appeared in an empty desert of white sand. In front of all the Practitioners were eight giant that seemed to be arranged in an eight point octagon formation. His eyes narrowed as he recognized five of them. Four were the illusions he had seen with the Dragon Fox, but why were statues of those five here?


    A group of people appeared from the center of the formation. His eyes widened as he saw the image of a bone dragon on one of the banners as some of them carried banners in their hands as they appeared from out of thin air. Each of them wore masks made out of the bones of a magical beast. Their clothing were the cloths of shrine priests and maidens as they bowed in unison. An elderly women approached Shu and the others as she led the shrine guardians forward. At a hunch, Shu changed out of his school''s jacket and wore the jacket the Bone Demon had given him. People stared at him as they noticed his white-furred fox ears atop of his blonde hair. he ordered Bahamut and Supaiku to remain silent as the elder woman stepped forward.


    "Welcome to the pocket dimension known as the Vault of Kings," the elderly woman began, all the shrine guardians bowing as she did. "We are those who watch the Vault of Kings. You are all worthy of learning of the secret of the Vault of Kings. The immortals who founded the Jokkam Kingdom spread lies about this place, claiming to have made the Vault of Kings. Even now, outsiders try to dig beneath the capital in the hopes to find this place. They never will. The immortals only found the gateway and built their kingdom to safeguard it. The real creator is one of the two Overseers of this world that left our world for another. The third and most powerful knows of this place and my people were given the charge of protecting it."


    "Let me tell you about the history of the statues before you. Once, these eight celestial spirits were known as the Great Spirits. They were the highest being of spirits, an existence that none can understand or explain. Even now, Practitioners have spirits inside them, symbolisms of their inner selves. Now they are known as the Old Gods as most religions worship other beings they named as gods," the elder sighed. "Of the eight spirits, five have descended into this world and granted their powers to someone or something. One left to the immortal realm, as its contracted being, did while two have been led astray, abused and used for evil by the beings who completed the Pact with them. I will now explain a little of the history of the four who currently reside in our world. The three who won''t be mentioned are Old Gods that have remained silent for time immemorial. Who can say if they exist or long dead? Yet, the Overseer made these statues so their existence must be true. The first I will mention ascended to the immortal realm long ago with the human immortal known as the Black Lotus Immortal. The name of the Old God was Uzarog the Azure, whose likeness is the statue of an azure dragon with gold claws, spikes, and mismatched silver and gold eyes. He was the Old God of the Moon, the almighty Moon Spirit. It is said he created the moons of the universes of the Mortal Realm alongside the Creator Gods. Whether it is true, who can say? As for the other four Old Gods, they made Pacts with several entities since the dawn of time. My tribe only knows the last known Pact maker''s history."


    "Oh? There are mortals who know of us besides the two I had seen before you?" the Dragon Fox said, waking from its slumber in the core of Shu''s soul planet.


    "Uzarog the Azure was the one the Black Lotus Immortal made the Pact with?" Shu asked mentally.


    "Yes. Hush now. The human elder might explain it all," the Great Spirit said, not returning to its slumber immediately this time.


    "One of the Old Gods is Koba Khan the Behemoth, the largest statue of a seemingly ordinary gorilla. He is the Old God of Might. He is the strongest of the Old Gods. No one knows who the Behemoth made a Pact with, but chaos was not caused by the abuse of the Old God''s power. It is said that Koba Khan the Behemoth is the one who gave the birds, beasts, and sea creatures the ability to form demonic cores and created the first of the magical beasts," the elder continued. "Even now, the magical beasts of my tribe all pay homage to the statue of the Behemoth when passing it by. The third Old God is one that was abused by the one who made a Pact with it. It is the Old God of Life: Torlagafa the Magnificent."


    The elder shed a tear as she continued, "His story is one of pain and sadness. Long ago, a magical beast ascended to the Spirit Sage tier and gained a human form. He fell in love with a girl in a remote nation. However, her family was horrified and could not accept her loving a magical beast, even if had a human form. They secretly dispatched several Practitioners of the Spirit Master tier to kill him. Unable to bear separating with her love, the woman asked him to take them away from her homeland."


    "After being on the run for a long time....the two lovers could no longer escape their fate as the woman was on the verge of giving birth. The assassins and the Practitioners and mages of several human religions found them at last and a great battle ensued. Alas, the magical beast could not protect his lover and she and their unborn child died from the shockwaves caused by his battle with the Spirit Masters and mages. He wept with pain and asked Torlagafa the Magnificent for help to get revenge after making his escape. His request was accepted and a Pact was made. They annihilated the various religions and the nation of his lover. Then, the chaos reached its climax," the elder sighed. "He wanted to bring her back to life, knowing Torlagafa the Magnificent was the Old God of Life. He was warned of the consequences, but the magical beasts did not care, using the life force of the Old God to reanimate his beloved. Alas, both parties of the Pact died, but she was not brought back. Something else came out: a miasma of blood and the emergence of the first of the demons on this planet. Now there were three races of power: human, magical beast, and demons. The planet only had one of them until the Old Gods became involved. One race was made with good intentions, one was made through an act that defied Heaven''s Will."


    Everyone stared at the beautiful statue of a giant black tortoise with a radiant shell with crystals over its surface. The sky blue eyes of the statue held an aura of majesty and many people felt sad after hearing its tragic tale. Shu could feel the emotions of the Dragon Fox within him in grief. Clearly, the tale had truth in it. The elderly woman took out a radiant purple gem and admired it. All of a sudden, it sped to the hands of Shu. Shu stared at the crystal curiously while all eyes fell on him.


    The elder''s eyes opened wide as she stared at his ears and summoned her magical beast dragon. It was a giant, purple dragon of the Spirit Master stage. It stared at Shu and dipped its head in reverence. The elder realized what it meant and the other members of the tribe were soon informed, telepathically, that they were not to speak of the truth to the outsiders and wait until they were alone with Shu. Shu''s eyes met with the elder and he realized she had guessed the truth while the other Practitioners stared at her giant dragon with awe.


    "Ahem. The fourth Old God is that of the statue of the giant black phoenix with a gold crown of feathers on its head. It is the Old God of Destruction: Malikutai the Divine. This one used to have a Pact with a human, but it destroyed him and tried to take over this world. Most do not know, but we were informed by the Overseer that Malikutai the Divine is the one that gave birth to the race soon to be known as the Hyperion," the elder said. "This Old God was confirmed to exist before Uzarog the Azure made a Pact with the Black Lotus Immortal, but after the death of Torlagafa the Magnificent.  You can say this Old God was the second recorded, but the first Old God to truly walk the path of evil. The Heavens punished the Old God, but phoenixes difficult to kill. Legends say the Hyperion were punished many millennia later for trying to gain the powers of the gods by fusing with the ashes of Malikutai the Divine and bring out its resurrection. The Overseer cannot tell us as it is a taboo to speak of it as it is against Heaven''s Will. Perhaps the new sovereign of the Hyperion is trying to repeat the history of its ancestors? We can only hope it is not true."


    "The Old God was evil? Is this the one you asked me to kill as the price of my Pact with you?" Shu asked the Dragon Fox.


    "Yes. I don''t know about what the Hyperion did, but Malikutai was killed once and is being revived. It should prove interesting what my history is," the Great Spirit answered. "Keep the radiant purple crystal with you. It is indestructible and has a hidden property. What it is, you will have to discover in time. You''re different than other mortals as you have fused with the body of me, a Great Spirit and Old God like Torlagafa."


    "The fifth Old God I will talk about is Laozi the Undying. He is said to be as old as time itself. He is the Old God of Stars. It is said that his orange eyes allow him to see the stars and planets in the infinite galaxies and universe. He could all kinds of energy in the universe and watched over the Old Gods. Bards would always include Laozi the Undying in their myths and legends, claiming that it was the Blessing of the Dragon Fox that was the cause of the hero''s  miraculous escapes from death," the elder finished, glancing at Shu before allowing the guests to admire the statues. "Again, I won''t mention the last three Old Gods as my tribe has been told nothing about them and know no records of any interactions with them."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "The part about the eyes seems to hold some truth," Shu thought as he joined the others in admiring the statues.


    "We will now send people into the Vault of Kings. Be advised to follow the rules. Those who placed third may pick one item and cultivate the spirit energy for one hour. Those who ranked second may pick two items and cultivate for four hours. Those who ranked first may pick three items and cultivate for twelve hours. The three statues I neglected to name will not open as the entrance to those sections of the vault does not exist. Each Old God has their own select area in the vault that contains items, weapons, armor, and other objects pertaining to what they represent and the power they were believed to possess. Choose wisely. When your time is up, you will automatically appear at your respective academies. This is to prevent anyone from stealing what you have chosen. Each and all items require a soul binding so only you can use them until you die. When you die, this particular soul binding will destroy the item when you die. Think of it as the ultimate insult to whoever tried to kill you," the elder laughed. "If you have won a ranking before, you will not receive a special storage bag. These bags can be soul bound to you as well. So long as you live, no one can open the storage bag. This is the free reward for coming this far. I suspect that it will serve you well in the future."


    Shu and the other first-timers received a white storage bag that seemed to appear as the white sand beneath their feet. They quickly transferred what was in their storage bags to the new storage bags and replaced it under their clothes.. The elder smiled and began calling names at random, regardless of rank or cultivation, and waited until the called person chose a statue before calling the next one. People stared in wonder as each person would disappear as soon as they touched their chosen statue.


    When Shu was the last one to be called, the Dragon Fox materialized behind him, shocking all the shrine guardians who quickly bowed on their knees with their heads on the ground. He narrowed his eyes at Laozi the Undying, the Dragon Fox standing proudly in its spiritual form.


    "To meet two Old Gods in my life time....how blessed I am," the elder cried as they stood up. "You honor us with your presence, Undying One."


    "I was quite surprised you knew how my friend had met his end, and how the traitor was thwarted," the Dragon Fox said. "You are correct about two of those three statues. They are long dead, before the other four came to being. I...killed them. Their existence could not tolerate weaker life forms. They wanted to eat you, breed you, and make you humans their play thing. How did you come by Torlagafa''s shell fragment?"


    "Undying One, it was given to us by the Bone Demon, the last of the Overseers who watch the mortals of our world. One of them tried to ascend to the Immortal Realms and had the crystal in his possession. How he came to own it, we don''t know," the elder bowed. "I am the chief of the Amila Tribe, the tribe that worships Boragan the Almighty, the Old God of Order."


    Shu stared at the statue the chief pointed at. It was almost as large as the giant gorilla statue, but was different than the azure dragon statue. Where Uzarog the Azure was a dragon with a lizard''s body and wings, Borgan the Almighty had a serpentine body and no wings at all. The Great Spirit laughed with delight as it stared down at them. Clearly, the Dragon Fox was pleased.


    "Ah, the existence of Boragan remains as secretive as ever. Always maintaining order from the shadows. He was killed by the other two and the reason I personally slaughtered them. I did not know mortals remembered his name. I suspect that you all live in the section of the Vault of Kings his statue leads to. You said the entrance does not exist. This means ordinary mortals cannot enter it. Could it be you have his blood in you?," Laozi observed as the tribe nodded in unison. "HAHAHA! Interesting. A shame our conversation must end soon. I cannot maintain this state for long. Shu will enter the section belonging to Torlagafa. He has already fused with my body. There is no need to go to my section."


    "As the Undying One commands," the chief bowed.


    "Inform Black Lotus Academy that Shu can be considered to have graduated as he will stay in the Vault of Kings until he reaches the ninth stage. Inform his family as well as the Bone Demon. You see the jacket he wears. This child appears to be acquainted with the Bone Demon. From now on, the statue of Torlagafa is sealed as soon as the last of whoever is inside leaves," Laozi ordered. "Bring meals for the boy, whether he will eat or not. His dragon and tiger will finish what is uneaten. Of course, Shu will only take three items from the vault," the Dragon Fox said, disappearing into Shu''s soul planet once more.


    "You heard the Undying One! Send out the messengers at once," the chief roared, scattering the Amila tribesmen present. "Lord Shu, it is our honor to have you at the Vault of Kings. Rest assured we will provide anything you need until you depart."


    Shu thanked the chief and became to contemplate what to do next. Shu wanted to sort out the spirit energy he had drained and began meditating as he retreated into his Mystic Crystal. He had killed the students of Steel Horn Temple, one of which was a member of the ancient clans, and directly absorbed his spirit reactor into his Mystic Crystal.


    Furthermore, there were two spirit reactors among his birthday presents, gifts he had neglected to open at all. Why? It is because nobles usually gave large quantities of gold or luxurious, expensive clothing and decorations. He suspected his father must have geiven them to him as a present, knowing Shu was a true Archon. All spirit reactors had an abnormally large magical beast core. The book he received from Rian classified them as such as they were not demonic cores normally found in magical beasts. They were something from a higher existence.


    His first spirit reactor is a magical beast core with five sets of vermillion wings due to the bead necklace he always wore under his shirt beneath his academy jacket. The second spirit reactor was one he absorbed from a servant spy of the Drakon clan he killed during his birthday. It was a large, human skull with the magical beast core placed like a third eye. The third spirit reactor was one from another member of the ancient clans among the Steel Horn Temple students. It looked like a giant purple bear, save for the magical beast core acting as its left eye.


    One of the two spirit reactors, he received as a gift, looked like a black mace with irregular edges as the head of the mace consisted of four pieces of metal with jagged edges that shaped upwards like a triangle connected to a long spike. Within the four pieces of the mace head, the magical beast core was there, as if it were a fly that flew into a spider''s web. The last spirit reactor looked like a golem of rock with the magical beast core as the skull and face as the rock covered all but the front part of the core.


    "You now have three more of those things," Laozi observed as it noticed the five spirit reactors shining like the moon, bestowing spirit energy into his soul planet like a moon bestows light reflected from the sun. "All you need now is a third energy within your body. With the assistance of the third spirit reactor, your body can tolerate a third energy. However, the other two cannot. No, they must not. The more powerful a soul is, the more powerful the vessel must be or you risk losing control of the spirit energy. The fifth level of soul condensation requires a soul planet. Now you must head into the sixth stage, the forming of another soul planet. I will also break you straight into the seventh stage of soul condensation. Any further would kill you if you have not become an Archon Phoenix. The seventh stage requires the formation of four planets and a meteor belt. When you become an Archon Phoenix, you can condense your soul, safely to the eighth level and create a small sun."


    "That''s..." Shu began, speechless. "How......? Where will I find a suitable third energy that won''t kill me?"


    "It awaits inside the section of the vault of Tralagafa. Would you like to harness the energy of an Old God?" Laozi smiled deviously. "Once you obtain his power and condense your soul to the seventh level, I will personally train you. It might take approximately six mortal years. There is little less than ten years until the Pantheon of Devils. Even if you can''t become an Archon Phoenix, I am confident you will reach the tenth level of the Spirit Shaman tier in time."


    Shu nodded and silently cultivated, planning to enter the vault once all the guests have left, when their time ran out. Once the twelve hours were up, Shu immediately entered the vault, followed by Zhenji and his magical beasts. Shu held out his talisman, and liquid pearl elixirs of spirit energy kept rolling out of the stone talisman. His magica beasts stayed at the entrance as Shu quickly headed to a large statue of Tralagafa the Magnificent. He was shocked to find the statue was made from the shell of the Old God and his Mystic Crystal shivered as it siphoned. The spirit reactor he used to convert the planet''s life force into the third energy was the spirit reactor with the black, evil-looking mace. The other two spirit reactors converted the planet''s life force into spirit energy, like the first spirit reactor, and helped in maintaining control of the spirit energy as it rapidly expanded to form a second soul planet.


    Now Shu finally had a Soul Realm, evident by establishing more than one planet of his three energies. His demonic red spirit energy, divine vermillion spirit energy, and Old God purple energy existed in his body and Mystic Crystal in harmony. As two more planets and a meteor belt, under the guidance of Laozi the Undying, all the objects in his Soul Realm began following a gravitational pull around an invisible center of his Soul Realm. Shu knew this was where his small sun would have to be created. Shu shouted with excitement as he broke through to the seventh stage of Spirit Shaman tier. He had grown two inches, and his hair and body seemed more refined and majestic, as if he were a son of the Heavens. The scorpion tattoo also grew larger as he did and Shu felt he was now able to absorb the life force of any place he was a due to the celestial tattoo. His white shirt had burst, but the jacket given to him by the Bone Demon remained.


    Shu sat down in lotus position and retreated into his Mystic Crystal once more. Laozi the Undying and the Snow Emperor Pearl seemed to change locations to the empty center of his small galaxy. Four clones of his Armored Ocean Tiger God spirit now resided in the cores of each of his four spirit ocean planets.


    "Now is the time for your closed-door training, a training method mandatory for any Practitioner to truly become strong. Your mind will be isolated from the outside world as you train here. Your magical beasts will feed on the liquid pearl elixirs from your talisman, growing stronger as you do. Do not worry about them. Now, your training begins," Laozi the Undying declared.


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


    (Author: Well, now is the time for the time skip once again. College life is fast approaching once again....)

 Book 2: Chapter 15- Return to the World

    (Author: Hello! The next chapter will simultaneously release with a glossary. It''s about time, I think. The time skip has come and gone. Shu reached the ninth stage after six years of isolated training. Now he, his magical beasts, and Zhenji return to the Yan Dynasty. Enjoy.)


    -----------Chapter 15: Return to the World--------------


    Six years had passed since Shu began training under the Dragon Fox. He reached the eighth stage in a little over a year and the ninth stage about five years after. A month had passed and he was currently in meditation, two blood dragons coiling around his body. Upon reaching the ninth stage, Shu began to question about why he could not manipulate blood. When he attempted it before the ninth stage, he always failed to even sense the spirit energy within the blood. All of a sudden, he was able to manipulate blood in his body and elsewhere.


    He asked Laozi why, before the Old God entered a slumber. The Old God told him it was because his body was fused to an Old God. Once reaching an adequate level of cultivation, those who made a Pact with the Great Spirits would be able to manipulate the elements, regardless of what state it was in. An example would be fire and earth element Practitioners being able to manipulate and create lava.


    Shu was a Practitioner of the ninth stage and condensed his soul to the seventh level. Supaiku and Bahamut reached the first stage of the Spirit Knight tier due to being Saint level magical beasts, devouring high quality magical beast meat provided by the Amila tribe, and devouring the liquid pearl elixirs created by the talisman Shu bought.


    "Done hunting?" Shu asked. Supaiku and Bahamut, now at the Spirit Knight tier, were able to communicate mentally now.


    "Hey, boss! Hunting live prey in the sands outside...it takes a while. It''s not fun if the prey can''t hide and cower in fear," Supaiku grinned, revealing a mouthful of bloody tiger teeth.


    "Are we heading back into the world soon, master?" Bahamut asked.


    "Yeah. Supaiku, Bahamut, and Wraith. Listen up. We are heading back to the Yan Dynasty once we leave. I already inquired and the chief of the Amila tribe is sending us to the capital through a teleportation array back at the Jakkom palace," Shu began as everyone gave him their utmost attention. "Spook, report on what happened during my six year training."


    "Yes, master. Empress Lu Rong has given birth to a daughter, named Lu Kui. Princess Lu Kui will be turning six soon. The Hyperion have conquered another nation. Their invasion is heading south as the Jakkom Empire proved too difficult for them at this time. The empress wishes for master to return home. From there, Shu will have to do his duties as prince," Spook reported.


    "In other words, we go from a game of blood to a game of words. I''ll have to duties expected of the prince. Now, let''s get ready. I must retrieve the three objects I chose and we will head out. The chief has arranged a teleportation circle from the entrance to this place, back at Jakkom, and the courtyard of the palace. They are expecting us," Shu said, leaving them to pick up the three items he chose.


    Shu stared down at the first item. It was as a white silver headband. He wore it around his head, the headband covering the center of his forehead. The head band hid the cultivation level of the wearer, if he chose to conceal it; and emitted a frosty aura. The head band kind of looked like one he pictures of the gold headband the  Monkey King wore. It was worthy of an item worn by a prince and would not look out of the ordinary. The second item was a complete set of black leather armor made from magical beast furs and metals from the Immortal Realms. In the center of the chest armor was an image of a snake''s skull which was made from the bones of an actual snake magical beast of the Immortal Realms!


    Shu mastered the Eclipse Indestructible Body to the point that it fused into his skin. Why pick armor? You can never have too much defense. His technique could only block Mortal weapons, but he could still be affected by magic spells, soul-targeting techniques, and other attacks mortals can''t use. He had no fear of those weaker than him unless they possessed a Divine Weapon or used a powerful attack of his level or higher. While wearing the armor, he was immune to poisons. He didn''t mind the image of the skull snake as his Armored Ocean Tiger God spirit had a snake with dragon scales and teeth instead of a tiger''s tail.


    The last item was one that startled even Wraith. The item was a blank painting. However, the owner could trap magical beasts, demons, humans, and even Hyperion within. Whatever was trapped once would remain utterly loyal to the owner and unable to harm him or free themselves. If the owner died, the painting would kill anyone who had been trapped within. With it, Shu could capture and create his very own army.


    "Who knew it had such an effect," Wraith gasped. "An item such as that will certainly serve you well. The possibilities are limitless. How did you know it had such an amazing ability?[/color]"


    "Sometimes, it is an ordinary object, or junk, that is the greatest treasure of all," Shu answered, thinking about the many books and novels he read that contained a mystical copper mirror. "Let''s go. We already said our goodbyes yesterday. I can finally spend time with my family."


    "You seem to care a great deal about them, master" Wraith said.


    "Do I?" Shu laughed and led the way, a solemn look on his face. As some memories returned, he remembered random things he had done in his life, but had no memories of having a family. No childhood memories returned either. They looked back at the white sands as they exited the Vault of Kings. Shu waited a while as Zhenji stared at the statues and they left when she had come to terms with herself. They returned out of the door to the right of the throne and walked into another teleportation circle. At last, after Shu didn''t know how long, he had returned home and would stay this time.


    "We''ve finally returned, master," Bahamut said as it stared at the royal palace. The red pavilions and majestic pagodas really had a mystical and majestic appearance.


    "Yeah. It''s great. Supaiku, you must stay in your cat-sized form when in the hallways and the palace. Outside, you may return to your true size. You were a gift to me from Lu Feng. No one will dare deny the magical beast given by the Lu Clan''s Spirit Sages. Sorry Bahamut. Unfortunately, you can''t fit through the doors and most hallways. You''ll have to stay in your tiny form. You will stay within my room to guard against trespassers. The palace knows that an Emerald Steel Dragon is my magical beast. If any try to enter my room, you have my permission to eat them if the trespasser is not my family. Wraith, as usual, will guard my back and keep on eye on all spirit energy signatures around me," Shu ordered.


    "Yes, master" Bahamut, Wraith, and Supaiku shouted.


    "General Song Dian greets Second Prince Lu Shu," a general clad in black and gold armor bowed, seeing his magical beasts and realizing his true identity.


    "I will be heading to my room and getting changed into my imperial robe. Is the morning court meeting over?" Shu asked.


    "I suspect it will continue for a little over another hour. This is because delegates from foreign nations are expected to arrive tonight for a grand feast. The reason, this lowly general knows not, Prince Shu," the general answered without hesitation.


    "I see. Tell my father I will be there shortly," Shu ordered and headed to his room with his magical beasts, a dozen male and female servants quickly appearing and following them in lines of two.


    "He''s reached the ninth stage?. Even his magical beasts must be at the Spirit Knight tier, as I can''t sense their cultivation," the general thought as he observed the magical beasts. He had heard that the second prince had Saint level magical beasts. Truly, their potential was amazing. He was also surprised to see the prince had even reached the ninth stage of the Spirit Shaman tier. The general was only at the eighth stage and he was sure the six great generals, all of them at the ninth stage, would also be surprised to see someone so young at their cultivation stage.


    "I better report to His Imperial Majesty. Ah, better inform Her Imperial Highness. She is not at the meeting. If I disturb the emperor at the wrong time, I might lose my head," the general said and quickly rushed towards the pavilion where the emperor and empress lived.


    "The clothes make the man, master. Good luck. I will guard your room. Rest assured, the only mess you will see is the remains of the dead who dared to enter," Bahamut observed as Shu changed into a gold and white imperial robe. It was made with the fur of magical beasts and had a shoulder pad on his right shoulder with the fur of a gold tiger''s head over the metal shoulder pad. Freezing Tail was strapped to his right hip while a gourd containing lion wine was on his left.


    "Let''s go see my father," Shu said, patting Bahamut before leaving with Supaiku walking behind him.


    "I hate being a cat. I feel so....small. Even my physique changes. I look like a fat cat," Supaiku grunted, Shu chuckling as the servants and maids followed them.


    "Wait until we meet my new little sister. She might even want to play with you. Should I have a servant fetch a yarn ball?" Shu smirked.


    "No, master! Not that. I will behave," Supaiku cried.


    They arrived at the front of two sets of white marble stairs leading to the largest building in the palace. Without a doubt, this building contained the throne room of the Yan Dynasty. Gold armored guards at the Spirit Knight tier stood all along the sides of the stairs. The bottom of the first set was ten thousand feet from the emperor''s throne. The gap between the first and second set of stairs were five thousand feet away from the throne, with the outside of the building being one thousand feet away. It was truly an intimidating sight as the royal guards within the building were at the Spirit Master tier.


    The Gold Yan Guards is the largest and most powerful sect in the empire, none came close to its might. All the guards had to be at the Spirit Knight tier and were charged with protecting the nation from Practitioners, mages, and magical beasts. If the army could not defeat the foe, then the Gold Yan Guards finished the task themselves. The Gold Yan Guards also excepted Elite Mages and Arch Mages. Adept Mages, even though equivalent to a Spirit Knight between the first and third stage, were considered too weak for the emperor''s standards. The reigning emperor was always the head of the sect as he ruled the nation. Lu Xing, Shu''s older brother would become the next head once Emperor Lu Yi reached the Spirit Sage tier and retires from mortal affairs.


    While the emperor rules from the front, the empress guards from the shadows. She was the nation''s spy master and the one in charge of espionage, assassinations, and other stealth operations. The nobles feared her more than the emperor and her spies were known as the Blackened Skulls. If you did something the empress didn''t like, you would receive a card with a black skull with blood and ash pouring from the jaws and eye sockets. Before dusk you received the card, and after dawn you lost your head. No one ever escaped the judgment and people would not be surprised to see a traitor''s head stuck on a pike above the entrance of the capital''s gates.


    "Presenting, Lord Lu Shu, second prince of the Yan Dynasty and verified God Eater. Accompanying Prince Shu is a magical beast...oh, it has a name....is that right? Ahem. Accompanying Prince Shu is Supaiku, the Gold-Eyed Lightning Tiger magical beast. Given to Prince Shu by Ancestor Lu Feng and magical beast of the Spirit Knight tier," a servant shouted as Shu entered the building. Shu nodded as the ministers and nobles bowed on his right while military personnel and members of the Lu Clan bowed on his left.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "You''ve returned at last. It has been too long, my son," Emperor Lu Yi smiled, Shu shocked as his father seemed to be at the ninth stage of the Spirit Master tier. In order to reach the Spirit Sage tier, his father would have to go through the Nine Tribulations, the nine strikes of judgment from the heavens. Spirit Masters who choose to go to the Immortal Realms won''t undergo the Nine Tribulations, but they would be bullied and less than dirt if they ascended to the Immortal Realms at such a weak cultivation.


    "You are at the ninth stage, and so soon! HAHAHAHA! Wonderful. I heard the report, but I still doubted it," the emperor laughed as the ministers, generals, delegates, and nobles looked at him in shock. "Show me your Practitioner weapon."


    "Yes, father," Shu said and bowed on one knee as he drew Freezing Tail and presented it with both hands, on holding the blade as the other held the grip. Freezing Tail did not change and still had a celestial aura capable of paralyzing others with fear. The only difference was that whatever the blade cut, a green poison would seep into the wounds. If the poisoned foe died, the green poison would turn into a mist around the body, poisoning the air and all it touched within five feet of the corpse in all directions.


    "Interesting. Armored Ocean Tiger God with a snake covered in dragon scales with dragon teeth for a tail. What level is your soul condensation?" the emperor asked.


    "I have reached the seventh level of soul condensation," Shu answered, sheathing his sword as all present gasped in shock. His cultivation abnormally high, for someone not of the ancient clans, already shocked them. Now they learned he had condensed his soul to such a high level. Most people condensed their soul to the second level and bought a soul-protecting artifact as it was easier and had high levels of defense. In the long run, it was inferior, but a great substitute for those of weaker cultivations below the Spirit Sage tier. At the Spirit Sage and immortal cultivations, it was much harder and rarer to obtain an adequate soul-protecting artifact.


    "Excellent.  HAHAHA! Genius mage son and genius Practitioner son. If only your older sister was as dedicated to studying magic like Lu Xing. She is still an Adept Mage and Lu Xing, beyond expectations, already became an Arch Mage," the emperor sighed with both disappointment and pride. "You should be exceptional in the Pantheon of Devils once you reach the tenth stage. No need to worry about becoming an Archon Phoenix. For now, you will do your princely duties. Your brother is currently fighting with the expedition of various countries into Hyperion lands. Lu Kui is too young and Lu Mei must learn as much magic as she can. I can only hope her being an Elite Mage will be enough for her to survive most floors in the Pantheon of Devils in less than four years'' time. For now, go to your mother and meet your new sister. I will be there when my meeting is over."


    "I will do as you ask, father," Shu bowed, also bowing to the delegates from other countries. Lu Ce and Lu Fei both paled as they stared at the son of their brother. Lu Tian was at the seventh stage and Lu Qing was at the sixth stage. They were both tremendously powerful for their age, but Lu Shu easily surpassed them.


    ''Prince Shu has gotten so strong," Lu Fei murmured.


    "I know. The heavens have blessed our brother''s sons," Lu Ce agreed silently. "Lu Tian and Lu Qing, you must not make an enemy of your cousin. I''m afraid at his stage of cultivation, he could kill you and legitimately claim it as an accident using both his status and difference in cultivation."


    "Yes, father," Lu Tian nodded, Qing also agreeing with her uncle silently. Truthfully, they had changed their arrogant ways after losing to Lu Shu. It was only their parents'' sibling rivalry that made them jealous of Shu at first.


    "So this is the second prince," one of the delegates muttered as Shu began heading out. "How does that brat have such power? He''s a problem. I must have him assassinated as soon as he leaves the empire. I should have some men watch the borders."


    "This little shit," Shu roared, raising his hand at the delegate''s directions. Everyone watched, wide-eyed, as the delegate was grabbed by an invisible force and thrown into the center of the throne room. The young man was clearly terrified as he screamed, saying how he could not control his body. They saw Prince Shu smirk as the young man bowed on his head and knees five times, his head bleeding as it slammed on the floor. The young man was then lifted into the air through an invisible force, all four limbs stretching out. It was as if the young man was being pulled apart by four horses, the most painful of public executions in the Yan Dynasty.


    "You dare call me a brat? You dare have thoughts to kill me? Who do you think you are? Did you think I cannot hear you whisper behind me?" Shu roared and the body of the delegate slammed into the ground. "Bastard, have you ever seen your own blood? Allow me to enlighten you."


    Shu roared as he pulled back his hand, blood pouring out of the pores, forming a tiger made out of blood. It seemed so life like, the people present could hear it breathe and growl as it paced around the delegate. Shu sneered at the man and the tiger pounced, biting of the limbs of the delegate. The pervert screamed as his hands and feet were eaten first. Then his shins and forearms were eaten. Finally, before he fainted from the pain and blood loss, the blood tiger bit off his head.


    "The bastard''s a mage," Shu spat as he did not sense any Mystic Stone in the man''s body. "Every delegate in this room, listen up. I don''t care who the fuck you are. This is the Yan Dynasty. My father may tolerate your actions, but I won''t. This is your only warning. If you dare consider otherwise, well, let''s just say that the Blackened Skulls will pay you a visit under my orders."


    "Why stop there? I can easily send the Gold Yan Guards to destroy their nations. They''re not part of my army. It won''t defy Heaven''s Will," Lu Yi laughed, all the delegates silencing any thoughts of revenge or retaliation. It was a joke, but they knew it could very well happen. "Normally I wouldn''t threaten our guests, but this one, gentlemen, insulted my son. You know the Lu Clan takes care of its own. Even if a branch member is targeted, we will all slaughter everyone related to the incident. Please do not be alarmed. Tonight is the grand feast. I would like you all to remind yourselves to watch your tongues. It seems my son has very sensitive hearing."


    "I know I''m a monster," Shu shrugged as he pointed at his horn and snow white fox ears, an evil grin on his face before bowing to the Lu Clan members as he left. Supaiku leaped out, expanding to its full size of a tiger fifteen feet high. Everyone paled as the tiger fed on the corpse of the dead man before slurping the blood tiger whole. Shu whistled from outside to summon Supaiku back and it hesitantly returned to its fat cat size, smacking its lips as it loved the taste of blood and flesh. The tiger did a mock bow, apologizing on Shu''s behalf and quickly left.


    "I would have stopped its feast, but he was given to Lu Shu by Ancestor Lu Feng," Lu Yi sighed, apologetically to the people in attendance.


    "Brother, how did Lu Shu control the man''s blood?" Lu Ce asked. "What elements does he use?"


    "Shu is a true Archon who has control over the elements of water, darkness, and lightning. As for how he can control another man''s body and blood, I suspect it has to do with the element of water. However, I''ve never seen anyone capable of controlling blood either. His affinity for the water element must be on unheard of proportions," Lu Yi sighed with praise. "I don''t how he does it. Honestly, even I was disturbed. I also wonder to what degree his control over lightning and shadow has gone. Anyway, let us proceed with the meeting."


    "Did you have to eat in front of them? Well, it better serves the purpose of establishing myself. There will be less people inclined to antagonize me," Shu laughed.


    "Mages taste funny. This mana in there body tastes....strange. I prefer eating magical beasts and Practitioners," Supaiku purred.


    "Let us go find mother. I imagine she must be very eager to see me," Shu grinned, leading the way to the grand pavilion to the right. Before heading inside, Shu waved his hand, the blood disappearing from Supaiku''s face and teeth. He breathed deeply before walking inside.


    "Hello Shu," Lu Rong smiled, as Shu entered the pavilion. "This is Lu Kui. Lu Kui, this is your second older brother, Lu Shu."


    "Hi!" a young girl grinned, her black hair and sky blue eyes brightening as she hugged her brother. "You have funny ears. I wanna touch them. Please."


    Shu sighed and sat down, allowing Lu Kui to feel his ears. He narrowed his eyes as he saw a familiar ring on her hand. It looked exactly like the Crimson Ring he used to wear. He suspected it was to seal her ability to use demon magic as she was not a Practitioner.


    "She is like me," Shu said to his mother mentally. "How is this possible? Lu Xing and Lu Mei are like father, their levels of purity are too low to affect their human bodies."


    "I don''t know. For now, we have sealed her demon magic. Once she knows enough spells, and is a little wiser, we will allow her to use demon magic again," Lu Rong answered telepathically.


    "Okay Lu Kui. Go and play with Supaiku. Mother and I need to talk, okay?" Shu asked, Lu Kui smiling as she saw Supaiku.


    "How do I break into the tenth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation?" Shu asked, not knowing how as he was not one of the ancient clan members.


    "Tell me, how does a Spirit Shaman become a Spirit Knight?" Lu Rong asked.


    "Through cultivation. I''ve read that Practitioners, so long as they are of human lineage somewhere, must refine their spirit energy to walk one of three immortal paths. The three types of human immortals are Devil Immortals, Sword Immortals, and Celestial Immortals. It usually requires a special item to help break out of the Spirit Shaman tier," Shu said.


    "Indeed. Furthermore, the Archon Phoenix tier is the second tier for true Archons. I''m afraid it is very difficult for beast and weapon spirit type Practitioners of the water element to become an Archon Phoenix. Why? It is because phoenixes are creatures of fire," the empress began.


    "I have mastered my ice attribute of my water affinity to the point that my ice''s chill is so cold, it burns," Shu said as a white and cerulean flame appeared around his fingertips before disappearing. "Laozi the Undying warned me about it as I trained under the Old God. He''s been sleeping for a long time. I don''t know when he will awaken."


    "I have heard about your fusing with the Dragon Fox through Ancestor Lu Feng. Right now, your task is to reach the tenth stage It is very difficult and most struggle and lose their lives," Lu Rong warned. "Your body, as well as your Practitioner weapon, will undergo a final transformation. You must also bind your soul to an object of the highest power you can find. It is imperative you find an item that has a close connection to you in some fashion. My brother was a Practitioner who chose to follow the path of a Devil Immortal when he tried to become a Spirit Knight. The item he chose was too weak and he died. You can''t pick just any item, even if it is the most powerful in the world. There is something else you must master as a Spirit Shaman."


    "Something I must master?" Shu wondered as his mother looked at him seriously.

 Book 2: Chapter 16- Totems and Closure

    (Author: Hello! Time to go into deep, mystical stuff. Shu has returned home and learns about the process to reach the tenth stage and the Archon Phoenix tier. Even with his extremely fast cultivation rate, he won''t reach the Archon Phoenix tier before the Pantheon of Devils. Ah, is that a spoiler?  Enjoy.)


    -------------Chapter 16: Totems and Closure-------------------


    "Most mages and Practitioners are feared, or respected, enough to gain a title that all people acknowledge and use to identify them. It is usually decided by the person''s achievements, his characteristics, or his spirit or unique spell. If you were at the Fiend Immortal tier, your title would be Tiger Immortal due to your spirit and strange Great Spirit Integration technique," Lu Rong began. "Shu, what do you think a shaman is?"


    "Shamans are beings who communicate with spirits and harness their power over nature. They can do things no ordinary human can," Shu answered. "Kind of like my ability to control water, darkness, and lightning. My Practitioner is a beast and armor fusion spirit known as an Armored Ocean Tiger God spirit. I can create armor on my face, and limbs while I control the elements."


    "That is correct. The one thing missing is a tool that represents that. It is called a totem. Tell me, have you increased in your soul condensation level?" Lu Rong asked.


    "I have created a total of four planets and a meteor belt in my Soul Realm. I am at the seventh level," Shu answered.


    "So fast. Not good. The more powerful the soul, the harder it is to make the totem. However, it is also harder to condense the soul once the totem is created. There is no middle ground," the empress sighed. "The more spirit energy you have, the more powerful the totem must be to use it. It is not like your Practitioner weapon. Yes, it is indestructible and becomes more powerful as you do. However the process is life threatening the more powerful the soul is. The more spirit energy one had before creation, the harder it is to make the totem. Regular Archons can make their totems at the Spirit Master tier. True Archons unlock the true potential of their totems at the tenth stage of Spirit Shaman tier, but gain the ability to make one at the ninth. All this is due to their unique bodies and the spirit reactors."


    "What? They have a connection?" Shu asked, startled.


    "Yes. It is through the totem, with the essence of a Spirit Beast, that a Practitioner can use the power of his spirit reactor. Regular Archons can acquire spirit reactors in their Mystic Stones, but it is too late as they lack the body. They would have to wait until they became Spirit Masters, like your father, to create and use their totem," the empress answered. "Totems are the very reason humans can kill with demons and magical beasts with innate abilities at the same ,or higher, power. The totem can do many things, but all totems have the same requirement: absorbing the essence of a Spirit Beast to unlock the power of the spirit reactors within one''s own soul!"


    "What? Spirit Beast? Is it some kind of magical beast?" Shu started and realized something. "Could it be? Is the magical beast core, used to make a spirit reactor, the core of a Spirit Beast?"


    "Precisely! The ancient clans captured some Spirit Beasts and even breed them to make their spirit reactors. Thus, the totems for their clans usually have the same abilities. The ancient clans also only have two of the three kinds of Spirit Beasts. They are Chaos Spirit Beasts and Ancient Spirit Beasts. Thus, the true Archons of the ancient clans either Devil Immortal cultivators or Celestial Immortal cultivators. You need to absorb the essence of a Holy Spirit Beast to become a Sword Immortal cultivator," the empress beamed. "Making a totem does not require a Spirit Beast, but unlocking its true potential does. Most people wait until they have the essence of a Spirit Beast to make their totem as they don''t know how powerful an item they need in the event that the totem cannot contain the essence of the Spirit Beast. That happened to my brother. Even though he waited to get a Spirit Beast essence first, the totem could not contain it and it killed him. One of the two spirit reactors you got from your father was actually my brother''s, which he intended to absorb into his soul once he mastered the two he already had. It was the black mace spirit reactor and one he made without the assistance of the ancient clans. He would have had totem abilities no other person would have."


    "It did feel powerful," Shu murmured as he remembered the mace. "What of his other two spirit reactors?"


    "To make a totem, one must have two types of energies in the body and one spirit reactor to regulate each. The first spirit reactor was one my brother made by chance. How, even I don''t know. The second was given by one of the ancient sects to help him make the totem. Geniuses among geniuses can contain up to four types of energy within the body. How many do you have?" Lu Rong asked.


    "Three. One is my demonic red spirit energy. One is the vermillion energy of given by my Divine Weapon, Sentinel Bow. The last energy is that of an Old God. His name was Tralagafa the Magnificent," Shu answered.


    "Heavens! You cannot spout lies! Three, I might believe. However, the energy of an Old God! I cannot believe it," the empress gasped.


    "It''s true. I also have a fragment of the Old God''s crystals that sprouted and protected its shell," Shu said, taking out a radiant purple crystal.


    "A fragment of an Old God," the empress gasped, tears falling as she fell to her knees while she held the crystal tenderly. "Oh, Rushi. You may have lost your life, but your nephew will have the power of your spirit reactor."


    "Can it be the item to make my totem?" Shu asked.


    "Yes! Especially since you have the spirit energy of the Old God, itself. The only thing we need is a suitable  Spirit Beast essence. Leave it to me. The ancient clans failed my brother, but you will outshine them. Just like Ancestor Lu Feng, you will be an being above the ancient clans," Lu Rong cried. "What kind path of immortals do you wish to follow?"


    "Being a Sword Immortal sounds good. The ancient clans are not Sword Immortal cultivators and I do like using a sword," Shu said.


    "Great! Just like my brother. Rest assured, I will find a Holy Spirit Beast for you," Lu Rong cried as she gave the crystal back to Shu, holding his hands firmly as she stared in his eyes. "Thank you. Perhaps now I can find closure for my brother''s death. You just cultivate to the peak of the ninth stage and do your duties as a prince of Yan. Tonight will be a great feast with the delegates and to celebrate your little sister''s birth. Be sure to dress appropriately. The materials and various methods to make a totem  will be in the vault. Many Practitioners of the Lu Clan have left various methods there, one of which your father used to make his own totem. It will not have a Spirit Beast within so it cannot use the power of the spirit reactors. However, basic totem abilities will suffice for now. Its true powers will be unlocked when you reach the tenth stage. I should have the Spirit Beast for you then."


    "What?'' Shu spouted as he was ushered out of the building, Lu Kui crying as she was separated from Supaiku.


    "It seems humans are different than demons," Spook said as Shu arrived in his room. He had a small pagoda all to himself. Each of his magical beasts were given a floor and they were currently gathered in the top floor of the building, his room.


    "Yes, totems. Who knew they contained the essence of Spirit Beasts. I now know where the magical beast cores of the spirit reactors belong to. However, I have an innate demon ability already. Is mine the same as Lu Feng''s?" Shu asked.


    "No. His purity is on a higher level and inherited a more powerful innate demon ability form the Great Ancestor. Of the fourteen Spirit Sages under the Great Ancestor, his innate demon ability is shared by one other. I only know that they have it, but not what it is. The Great Ancestor has ten innate demon abilities. Belonging to the demon race as ancient and powerful as the Golden Earth Fiend race, having ten is no surprise. What you inherited is the weakest but the most useful for one of human lineage. To rip out the Mystic Stone, or Mystic Crystal, of a human while it still breathes; one can only imagine how much more spirit energy you can drain," Spook said. "Well, you can''t drain their unique energy but you can steal the spirit reactor. However, it is better to put them away and sell or give them to another. Five is already an astronomical number and the one needed for soul condensation. Any further might kill you. Just saying, master."


    "Spirit Beasts are extremely powerful, no matter their cultivation," Wraith said. "I know this from before I was sealed in that gods forsaken book. Before I was fused into this puppet, I was what my name is: a wraith. Wraiths are beings made from the hate, envy, lust, and anger of multiple humans. We are living death energy given life. Most Devil Immortal cultivators strive to create a wraith. I don''t know about Sword Immortals or Celestial Immortals, but Devil Immortals are extremely powerful. Most people choose the Celestial Immortal path as it is more suitable for regular humans. However, it is the weakest path."


    "What is your next move, master?" Bahamut asked, all eyes turning to their master.


    "I can only cultivate to the peak of the ninth stage as I await my mother''s news. The Pantheon of Devils is our ultimate goal. We must prepare ourselves if we are to survive. Tonight is said to be a feast for the delegates of many nations. Some came to a regular morning meeting. Supaiku, you must behave during the feast," Shu ordered.


    "Okay, boss," Supaiku said.


    "My body will undergo a final transformation upon reaching the tenth stage. From there, I must use my ice flames to burn the last remnants of impurities in my body to become an Archon Phoenix. For now, I will make the totem," Shu said as he left to the vault to find a method to make a totem used by Sword Immortal cultivators. The royal guards bowed as Shu entered the vault. Shu narrowed his eyes, Supaiku growing to its full size, as Shu encountered Lu Ce, Lu Fei, and his two cousins within.


    "The hell are you doing here?" Shu growled, drawing Freezing Tail. "Only the children of the emperor, the empress, the emperor, and the Spirit Sages of our clan are allowed inside."


    "Calm yourself," Lu Yi said as he appeared behind them. "I let them in. My brother and sister no longer hold jealousy to me. Also, the Great Ancestor gave his command. They dare not defy him."


    "Hello Lu Shu. I am impressed to see your progress," Lu Fei smiled. "Qing, greet your cousin."


    "Hello, Prince Shu," Lu Qing bowed.


    "I''m sorry about interrupting your birthday a few years ago," Lu Tian said. "My father and aunt were the ones who wanted it. I also realized I was being arrogant for my weak prowess."


    "I imagine you are here to make a totem?" Lu Ce began, as Shu sheathed Freezing Tail. "Alas, you are too lucky to be a true Archon. My sister and I just reached the first stage of the Spirit Master tier. We plan to walk the path of a Celestial Immortal. Thus, we came here to seek our ancestors'' methods to create a suitable totem. As for Spirit Beasts, the Great Ancestor will provide us with suitable ones for us to kill and whose essences we will drain."


    "What path have you chosen, son?" Lu Yi asked.


    "I wish to walk the path of a Sword Immortal," Shu answered, stunning everyone.


    "Sword Immortal? Well, it''s not like he wishes to be a Devil Immortal," Lu Ce brooded.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "It would be easier to become a Celestial Immortal," Lu Fei said. "Ancestor Lu Feng captured many Ancient Spirit Beasts, one of them your father killed to absorb it into his own totem. It is very difficult to acquire a Holy Spirit Beast. Furthermore, you must have at least one spirit reactor with the magical beast core of a Holy Spirit Beast to become a Sword Immortal."


    "Let me see your Mystic Crystal," Lu Yi ordered and his mind entered Shu''s Soul Realm without resistance. Shu''s first spirit reactor was made with the magical beast core of a Chaos Spirit Beast. After observing the other four, he discovered that he had one lone spirit reactor made with the magical beast core of a Holy Spirit Beast. It was the very same one that used to belong to Lu Rushi. The emperor had long forgotten that Lu Rushi wanted to become a Sword Immortal. Of course, the man would have had a suitable spirit reactor.


    "He has one," Lu Yi said as his mind returned to his body. "Your mother must have told you about her brother and about totems. She must be organizing the Blackened Skulls to find any intel on a Holy Spirit Beast."


    "Blackened Skulls," Lu Tian and Lu Qing paled in unison.


    "If it''s them, they should find intel. Then you can just tell Ancestor Lu Feng to bring it to you," Lu Ce nodded. "My son and niece will help you find a suitable method. They have come here to learn various spirit techniques as well as a armor spirit technique. Seeing you fight before, they realize mastering such a technique would give their bodies many benefits and protections besides armor."


    "We must go. I hope we all make totems before tonight''s feast. Who knows what will happen then," Lu Fei said and the three Spirit Master siblings sped ahead.


    "Uh, they just left?" Lu Tian said, shocked.


    "There are plenty of techniques. However, learning too many results in less mastery," Shu warned as vermillion wings appeared on his back. "Supaiku, stay by the entrance. I''ll be back soon."


    Shu flew into the recesses of the seemingly limitless vault. Lu Tian and Lu Qing, as Practitioners that did not have any flying abilities or at the Spirit Master tier, could only watch as they were left alone. Shu flew quickly, not pausing to look at the spirit techniques. He already knew many and his goal was the method to make a totem. He passed the three Spirit Masters, both his aunt and uncle surprised to see him fly as they stood before a sealed chamber. No doubt, it was the chamber that contained methods to create a totem suitable for one who wished to be a Celestial Immortal cultivator. He landed on the ground as he saw the sealed chamber he was searching for.


    Next to the chained door was a familiar stone slab that said, "Greetings, Junior. Well, I have a strong descendant. No telling if you follow the true Archon path or a Spirit Master of the regular Archon path. Within contains three tiems you will need. One contains the method to create a totem worthy of a Sword Immortal cultivator. The book will explain itself. The second item is the essence of a Sword Immortal I killed with his unique immunity to lightning. It must be said that the best sword techniques require speed. Besides the light element, no element is faster than lightning."


    "Junior," the slab continued. "Absorbing the essence of the Sword Immortal will allow you to reach the next level of cultivation. That''s it. The rest of the energy will fade into oblivion as you are to weak to even absorb the rest. It is a waste, but I''m not human and no other descendant but you has chosen to be a human Sword Immortal. Thus, I have my third and greatest gift to you: a sealed Holy Spirit Beast. Let it be said that I, your Great Ancestor, give Spirit Beasts to all my descendants who are the qualified stage to make a totem. I mostly have Ancient Spirit Beasts so my descendants don''t know of this. HAHAHA! They can only blame themselves for not being a direct family member of the current emperor of their time to search in the vault. Once you open this door, I will automatically know. Once you proceed to making the totem, come find me in the hidden pagoda beneath the vault and throne room."


    "Holy shit," Lu Shu gasped as he took three steps back in shock. "Is this for real? This is too amazing!"


    "I guess I am allowed to speak about it now," Spook interrupted as Shu looked at the sentient ring in shock. "I wasn''t allowed to tell you if you chose to be a Celestial Immortal cultivator. As the slab says, no one really knows about it. Most people who are qualified to enter the vault don''t need to go so far in to find what they want. There were too many temptations that easily satisfied them. You were resolute and ignored any treasure you saw to find what you sought. Congratulations. You are the first Sword Immortal cultivator of the great Ancestor''s lineage. There have been close to a thousand Celestial Immortal cultivators and a few dozen Devil Immortal Cultivators. One of them is your ancestor, Lu Feng. I am relaying this event to the other sentient rings worn by all fourteen Spirit Sages and the Great Ancestor. Your mother will be notified that she no longer needs to seek a Holy Spirit Beast. Good thing too. They are incredibly rare to find."


    "The extravagance of this vault," Shu began. "The Immortal Realms must truly be an amazing place without compare. I wonder if other Demon Emperors are as rich as he is. Money is one thing, but all these items for Practitioners.....He really is without compare in the Mortal Realm."


    Shu switched Freezing Tail onto his left hip, his lion wine gourd onto his right hip, and Spook onto his left hand. Now that Shu was on a higher level, he knew he could no longer afford to take it easy. He would have many enemies. He was ambidextrous, but he was better with his right hand. Even Lu Shu''s body was right handed while Agemo, his past life, was left handed. It could be considered a step to moving on. Shu sighed as he touched the chains, his demonic red spirit energy shattering them as the door opened. He coughed and waved his hand as dust blew. The air grew into a violent suction force as air entered the chamber after who knew how many centuries since it was sealed.


    "This is it. My final transformation, and that of my sword. I am really going to change huh?" Shu murmured as Wraith stepped out of his shadow.


    "Master. I fear I cannot go in with you. I might not be safe in your shadow. With your permission, I will stock gold into your storage bag while I await your ascendance to the tenth stage," Wraith bowed.


    "Thank you," Shu said as he gave his puppet the white sand colored storage bag. As the puppet was a magical item, it could access the special storage bag with his permission. He stared back at the chamber and walked in. Contrary to the black walls, dust, and gold outside; the interior of the chamber was made completely of white stone. The door closed behind him and the chamber was lit with mysterious blue crystals that glowed on the ceiling. In the center of the chamber, on a pedestal, was a white book and a sphere with swirling energy within.


    "That''s....a guardian lion," Shu gasped as he saw a lion exactly the same as Chinese guardian lion statues that people had. Chinese guardian lion statues came in pairs: the male with his paw on the world while the female had a paw on a lion cub. The statues did not look like real lions and this Holy Spirit Beast looked like the statues come to life.


    The guardian lion looked up, its eyes weak and devoid of life. Shu felt pity for it. Who knows many centuries the majestic beast was chained and imprisoned. He was sure the white chains had some magical effect that prevented the Holy Spirit Beast from dying of hunger and thirst. The faster he started making the totem, the sooner he could put the creature out of its misery. He walked up to the book and saw a large stone next to it, words carved on its surface. There was also an ancient, white log at the foot of the pedestal with a large hole on the top. No doubt the wood was essential to make the totem.


    "Junior, you truly wish to become a Sword Immortal cultivator. You must read the book and follow the method within. The log is essential in the creation of your totem. I won''t go into specifics but the wood comes from the Immortal Realms. It will suffice. I only hope Junior chose a powerful item to make his totem with. Once you have chosen the item, place it in the hole on the top of the log. Place the hand you do not use to hold your sword onto the hole while your other hand holds your sword. Once you begin the chant, the Sword Immortal''s essence will go into your eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth. The essence of the Holy Spirit Beast will go into the log and the process will begin. If it succeeds, the totem will bind to your soul. Good luck. I only have the materials for one descendant to become a Sword Immortal cultivator. Live, and you will undergo a final transformation. Fail and you die. Once you begin the chant in the book, your journey begins," the stone said.


    "Journey?" Shu asked, curious. "Spook, what does it mean?"


    "The method to become a Sword Immortal cultivator is different than Devil and Celestial cultivation methods. You literally become one with your spirit within your Soul Realm and can turn your spirit energy into swords. It is no longer just a source of energy, it is a weapon itself. You become the Armored Ocean Tiger God. You always have been. The Armored Ocean Tiger God is your spiritual body. Just like how Laozi the Undying still exists in your Soul Realm even though its physical body fused with you," Spook answered.


    "What happens to all these?" Shu asked as he pointed at his vermillion wings, demon horn, and fox ears.


    "Everything will change. It might not be there physically, but you are still what you were before. Master, you are among the very rare few on this planet who is more than a regular human. Besides a rare few, no one will be able to defeat you once you become a Fiend Immortal," Spook said. "You will become a shaman and will be capable of doing what no regular Archon can at your cultivation stage. The biggest advantage is the various functions of a totem. Its biggest trump card is on in which you need a Spirit Beast absorbed into it: transformation. Think of it as becoming half human and half Holy Spirit Beast, in your case. So long as you have spirit energy, you can remain in that transformed state. You will be stronger, faster, and have superior reflexes and senses a hundredfold than before than Devil and Celestial Immortal cultivators who are only enhanced tenfold. If your Spirit Beast was a fish, your transformation might include webbed hands and feet with razor sharp claws and gills. That is just one example. The biggest advantage is immunity to the element the guardian lion mainly uses. In this case, you will be immune to fire. Not even lava or magma beneath the surface can burn you. Since you can now control your ice to the point that it is an ice flame. After this, you will be able to learn fire spirit techniques using your ice flames. It is as if you are a flame element Practitioner. This is why regular Arch Spirit Masters and true Archons are so feared. The benefits from making a totem with a Spirit Beast is akin to becoming a god to others who do not have such a totem."


    "I can freely manipulate my ice flame?" Shu gasped as he had struggled to make it before as it consumed so much spirit energy. He loved the water element with the ability to manipulate and create both water and ice. However, he also liked fire. Now, thanks to his proficiency with his control over ice and making a totem with a Holy Spirit Beast of fire, he can use all three. Even if it was not real fire, its chill was so cold it burned as it chills and appeared as fire.


    "Are you ready to begin?" Spook asked as Shu held the book with trembling hands.


    Shu sat down, put the radiant purple crystal of Tralagafa the Magnificent in the log and said," Yes. Let''s begin."

 The Storys Glossary

    (Author: Once college starts, at the end of August, chapter releases will be slower. I will also update the glossary when applicable. For the sake of how the Yan Dynasty handles names, the glossary will be last name first. No matter what I wrote before, this glossary''s information is official. May contain spoilers where applicable. Because it''s tiresome and so long, I am only writing the most important information in this glossary.)


    ------------------IF YOU DON"T RECOGNIZE SOME NAMES, IT MIGHT BE A SPOILER!!!!!----------------


    Important People in the Story


    Lu Shu/ Miura Agemo: Main character of the story. Started as the soul of a scientist killed for his dangerous ambition with the mysterious Project S. Said to be the first true success and sacrificed his life to kill the traitor mentor and government that tried to take his research and kidnap the kids they only saw as data material. A Practitioner with demon and human lineage. Fused with the physical body of a Dragon Fox and contains the spiritual body of the Old God in his soul. Currently the general of the 10,000 man Tiger Army.


    Current cultivation: 10th stage Spirit Shaman. Following the fiend path of true Archons


    Current soul condensation: 7th level.


    Practitioner weapon: Nether Tiger Sword(Celestial aura with fear emissions. Capable of poisoning through wounds inflicted. Able to drain spirit energy and has the ability to create nether flames. Nether flames can be manipulated by Lu Shu.)


    Divine Weapon: Sentinel Bow (shoots arrows of absolute power. Can shoot several smaller arrows at once with less power)


    Magical beasts: Bahamut (Emerald Steel Dragon); Supaiku (Gold-Eyed Lightning Tiger)


    Other entities: Laozi the Undying (Old God and Great Spirit of a Dragon Fox); Wraith (Wraith Spider puppet); Spook (sentient storage ring containing knowledge of the Great Ancestor. Also capable of cloaking demonic red colored spirit energy into a human gold.) Bakura (Wraith Skeleton Samurai given by Keeper of the Dead.)


    Special item: Snow Emperor Pearl: a pearl containing the soul of demon nobility. Practitioner can become a Demon King and Demon Emperor. Abilities currently unknown.


    Story item: Mysterious bead containing a single vermillion wing. One of five needed for a formation the Hyperion need but don''t know of the existence of the ones owned by Shu and Jiro. Another item is the map containing the ancient language found in the ruins in Hyperion lands.


    Spirit reactors: 5


    Totem: Tralagafa''s Might


    Lu Yi: emperor of Yan and father of Lu Shu. Currently the emperor of a powerful nation.


    Sons: Lu Xing (first son and first child); Lu Shu (second son and third child)


    Daughters: Lu Mei (second child and first daughter); Lu Kui (second daughter and fourth child)


    Current cultivation: 9th Stage Spirit Master. Follows regular path of Archons


    Sect Leader: Gold Yan Guards (sect of elite forces of Practitioners and mages of the Yan Dynasty)


    Lu Rong: empress of Yan and mother of Lu Shu. Kills enemies of her husband in the shadows.


    Sons: Lu Xing (first son and first child); Lu Shu (second son and third child)


    Daughters: Lu Mei (second child and first daughter); Lu Kui (second daughter and fourth child)


    Mage status: Arch Magus (Practitioner equivalent of a Spirit Sage from the first to fifth stage)


    Sect Leader: Blackened Skulls (sect of assassins and spies who specialize in attacks of stealth rather than brute strength)


    Title: Empress of Black Ice (title acknowledging the power of her ice spells and the danger of her sect)


    Lu Xing: crown prince and older brother of Lu Shu.


    Parents: Lu Yi (father); Lu Rong (mother)


    Siblings: Lu Mei (sister); Lu Shu (brother); Lu Kui (youngest sister)


    Mage status: Arch Mage (Practitioner equivalent of Spirit Knights from seventh to ninth stage)


    Lu Mei: first princess and elder sister of Lu Shu


    Parents: Lu Yi (father); Lu Rong (mother)


    Siblings: Lu Xing (first brother); Lu Shu (second brother); Lu Kui (sister)


    Mage Status: Adept Mage


    Lu Kui: second princess and younger sister of Lu Shu


    Parents: Lu Yi (father); Lu Rong (mother)


    Siblings: Lu Xing (first brother); Lu Mei (sister); Lu Shu (second brother)


    Mage Status: not awakened. Demon magic currently sealed.


    Lu Feng: many times grand father of Lu Shu. High purity level of demonic genes


    Descendants: countless. Only acknowledges other Spirit Sages, Great Ancestor, and Lu Shu


    Current cultivation: power beyond a what a Spirit Sage should have due to demonic genes


    Title: Slaughter King of Blood Fiends (title acknowledging the power of killing an ancient clan full of true Archons)


    Other People who may or may not be Important


    Bone Demon: Overseer and most powerful entity on the planet. True form is that of a bone dragon.


    Shao Ivy: friend of Lu Shu and daughter of one of the ancient clans.


    Lu Gong: lieutenant general of Lu Shu. 5,000 man commander of Lu Shu''s 10,000 man Tiger Army.


    Cao Wei: lieutenant general of Lu Shu. 5,000 man commander of Lu Shu''s 10,000 man Tiger Army.


    Hong Rian: friend of Lu Shu and daughter of one of the ancient clans.


    Hong Liao: uncle of Rian and Fiend Adept of ancient clans.


    Meng Ce: general of Yan and Spirit Knight of the 9th stage. Mentor of Lu Shu and helped train him on their journey. Great General of the Yan Dynasty''s expedition forces. Leader of ninety thousand soldiers.


    Meng Xuan: sister of Great General Meng Ce. General of Dragon Army and great tactician.


    Lu Kong: General of Shield Armor Army. Has an armor type spirit that covers his whole body. Was granted a pill of eternal youth to remain young forever, at the price of never attaining the Spirit Knight tier onwards, as a reward for past merits on several military campaigns.


    Light: Spirit Sage magical beast and one of the five Spirit Sages of the Jakkom Empire. Handed Lu Shu and Lu Feng a tablet containing knowledge of how to translate the map Lu Shu had.


    Li Jiro: mage student Lu Shu met before killing Hyperion. Owns one of the five mysterious beads. Advisor for Lu Shu''s Tiger Army on mages and spells. Lu Shu''s friend and secretly sees him as a rival. Elite Mage.


    Matsuda Ken: Advisor of Lu Shu''s Tiger Army on Hyperion knowledge and lands. Archon Phoenix Practitioner. Sees Lu Shu as a friend and rival.


    Kindu Trent: crown prince of Jakkom Empire


    Others: there are more but not as important


    The Great Spirits now known as Old Gods


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Uzarog the Azure: Old God of the Moon. Ascended to the Immortal Realm with Pact Owner Black Lotus Immortal).


    Koba Khan: Old God of Might. Current Pact Owner: Hog Arthur. Fused physical body with Hog Arthur. Spiritual body resides in Arthur''s soul.


    Laozi the Undying: Old God of Stars. Fused physical body with Lu Shu. Spiritual body resides in Shu''s Mystical Crystal. Taught Shu for six human years and currently in slumber. Killed two Old Gods for killing Borgan the Almighty. Unknown savior of the Mortal Realm.


    Torlagafa the Magnificent: Old God of Life. Died due to the tragic romance between a Spirit Sage magical beast and a human. Crystal fragment of its shell currently in SHu''s possession to be used to make a totem. Old God''s energy resides in Lu Shu during visit to the Vault of Kings. Known friend of Laozi the Undying.


    Malikutai the Divine: Old God of Destruction. Unsatisfied with not ruling, attempted to takeover the Mortal Realm and the Immortal Realms. Killed and spawned the Hyperion. Hyperion currently trying to resurrect their ancestor and creator.


    Borgan the Almighty: Old God of Order. One of the three unnamed Old Gods (publicly). Died under the hands of the other two unnamed Old Gods which tried to takeover all the Realms. Avenged by Laozi the Undying. Amila tribe containing the blood of the Old God in their bodies through unknown means.


    Regular Archon Cultivation Tiers


    Spirit Shaman: 9 stages. Archon path may change upon creating Archon body at the 3rd stage.


    Spirit Knight: 9 stages. Practitioner must decide one of three human immortal paths upon reaching 1st stage.


    Spirit Master: 9 stages. Now able to make totems. Does not mean they will. Able to ascend to Immortal Realms. Now able to fly without using a spirit technique.


    Spirit Sage: 9 stages. Best time to ascend to Immortal Realms. Highest possible tier cultivation in Mortal Realm. Now able to earn a title based on several factors.


    Mage Statuses


    Mage Novice: Awakened mana. Now able to cast novice rank spells. Practitioner equivalent of Spirit Shamans from the first to third stage.


    Mage Apprentice: Chose a class. Can now learn intermediate spells. Practitioner equivalent of Spirit Shamans from fourth to ninth stage. Chance of casting advanced spell with life-threatening consequences.


    Adept Mage: Now able to cast advanced spells without dying. Practitioner equivalent of Spirit Knight from first to third stage.


    Elite Mage: Now able to cast unique spells. Practitioner equivalent of Spirit Knight from fourth to sixth stage.


    Arch Mage: Mana stones can no longer be used as they are too weak. Practitioner equivalent of Spirit Knight from seventh to ninth stage.


    Mage Lord: Now a master of magic. Able to cast Ancient Spells. Immune to magic from Arch Mages and other weaker mages. Practitioner equivalent of Spirit Masters from first to third stage.


    Mage King: Now able to turn body into an elemental. Element attribute spells now cost a quarter less magic and require a quarter less of casting time. Practitioner equivalent of Spirit Masters from fourth to sixth stage.


    Magus: Able to find magic crystals and draw mana with twice the power. Practitioner equivalent of Spirit Masters from the seventh to ninth stage. Now able to fly without using a spell.


    Arch Magus: Able to make a Pact with an Elemental King. Able to cast forbidden rank magic. Able to cast spells instantaneously. Rituals now cost half the mana required. Practitioner equivalent of Spirit Sages from first to fifth stage. Title can now be earned based on several factors.


    Magic Overlord: Able to cast any rank spell. All spells now cost half the mana required. Mana regeneration increased times ten the current recovery rate. Mana amount in the body is now tripled the current amount. Practitioner equivalent of Spirit Sages from sixth to ninth rank.


    Fiend Path of True Achon Cultivation Tiers


    Spirit Shaman: 10 stages. Must attain true Archon body in 3rd stage. Can make a totem upon 9th stage, but can''t unlock its true power until the 10th stage. Only able to make the totem using a special method. Life threatening if absorbing a Spirit Beast into the totem.


    Archon Phoenix: Able to become one with spirit in Soul Realm. Difficult for water element Practitioners to reach the tier. Now able to fly without use of flying spirit techniques.


    Archon Dragon: Now able to make a Death God''s Domain. Effects vary depending on the Practitioner. Must have killed a million life forms, excluding magical beasts, and absorbed the death energy into the body.


    Fiend Adept: Able to cultivate the spirit energy of stars. Now able to make a totem, without using a special method, with no threat to your life. Titles can now be earned based on several factors.


    Fiend Immortal: Practitioner with power beyond a Spirit Sage. able to choose to ascend or remain. Now able to travel to other planets in the current realm.


    Important Places in the Story


    Giant''s Chain: chains of multiple islands full of powerful magical beasts that are extinct in the rest of the world. Chains are believed to be made from the spirit energy of a race of giants.


    Hyperion Laboratory: a large fortress in Hyperion land suspected to be where the Hyperion experiment on all races in order to create a more powerful sub species of Hyperion. Main goal of the expedition led by Lu Feng, Great General Meng Ce, and General Lu Shu.


    Vault of Kings: hidden dimension containing the treasures of the Old Gods.


    Black Lotus Pagoda: place where students of Black Lotus Academy can find spells and spirit techniques. Also contains a formation array to help increase the cultivation rates of Practitioners in the basement.


    And that''s all for now. Hope you enjoyed Book 1 and the current progress through Book 2. How many chapters will it be? I don''t know. Again, my college life begins soon. Slower releases but there will still be releases. I love writing too much.

 Book 2: Chapter 17- The Spirit Road

    (Author: Hello! One time I need to take the bus, it breaks down at my stop and barely crosses the street....... Walking three miles is fun....It is time for Shu to make his totem and begin walking the path of a Sword Immortal cultivator. You might be asking why I chose a guardian lion as the Holy Spirit Beast. It''s simple really: they look awesome! Now Shu''s path is determined. All he needs to do is survive the method told within the white book. Enjoy.)


    ----------Chapter 17: The Spirit Road---------------


    Shu opened the white book and began reading. It told him about requiring the essence of a Sword Immortal. The book went on to say that this method was special. If he were to succeed, he could cultivate the Sundering Thorn Scripture. It contained knowledge of an sword spirit energy technique used by a Sword Immortal cultivator who was at the rank of Immortal Emperor.


    The book went on to talk about his trial. During the trial, the log and item used will fuse and transform. When the method is complete, a wooden totem inscribed with markings made out of the item will appear. It will be almost half a foot long and the image of the Holy Spirit Beast, if absorbed at the time the totem is made, will appear. The totem could disappear and appear at will. The Practitioner weapon will also do the same from now on.


    The book also said the trial all shamans must face lies in the Spirit Road. All totem methods, regardless of what immortal path, takes the Practitioner to a unique area called Spirit Road. If you survive the trials, you will be reborn as a true shaman. The elements will be easier to manipulate. Pure spirit energy techniques can only be performed by those who have created a totem as it slowly transforms spirit energy into that of Immortals. Spirit force is not a spirit technique as it is just a Practitioner expelling his spirit energy like a pressurized force. On the Spirit Road, a death there is a death in real life. This risk is necessary to compensate for such power.


    Shu closed the book, placed a palm on the log with the radiant purple crystal inside, held Freezing Tail and chanted the words, "Practitioners walk the path that defies Creation. Spirit and Body turn two into one. The Heavens shudder as the Sword sunders. The totem is power. With power, I control the Holy Spirit Beast. Immortal Gods, deities of the Immortal Realm, allow this Practitioner into the Spirit Road to defy Creation and be born anew!"


    The essence of the Sword Immortal entered Shu''s body as the guardian lion sighed with bliss as it died, its essence drained into the log as it began to shine with a purple radiance. The blue sky turned to gold as if the Heavens were bleeding. Those who could see the sky trembled as the sky, within a hundred miles, emmited a gold light. Members of the ancient clans stirred, realizing someone was entering the Spirit Road to make a totem with a Spirit Beast. A pillar of white light condensed and fell upon Shu, going through objects as if they did not exist. Lu Yi, Lu Ce, and Lu Fei were startled as they could sense an energy so ancient and powerful, their skin seemed to shiver with dread. Even the Great Ancestor and the Spirit Sages of the Lu Clan looked to where they felt a strange energy converge near them.


    "Someone has opened the chamber at last," the Great Ancestor murmured before resuming his meditation.


    The gold sky cleared and the white pillar of light vanished. As Lu Yi, Lu Ce, and Lu Fei rushed to where the energy converged, they saw Lu Feng appear out of thin air. He blocked their path as they wanted to head inside the chamber. Soon, Lu Rong appeared, Lu Kui laughing as the little girl rode on Supaiku. Wraith appeared as it stood in front of the chamber. All of them wanted to know what happened.


    "Ancestor Lu Feng," they cried as the Lu Clan members, save for Lu Kui, knelt on one knee before him.


    "At ease, my descendants. It seems Lu Shu now walks the Spirit Road," Lu Feng said.


    "What? I did not find him a Holy Spirit Beast," Lu Rong cried.


    "The Great Ancestor sent me here as his meditation was disturbed. The gold sky you see is different from the red and white sky that would appear when someone made a totem who walked the path of Devil or Celestial Immortals. Most people don''t have a method that takes them to the Spirit Road to such a degree. No doubt, all the Practitioners within a hundred miles felt the disturbance of the Heavens. Those at the Fiend Adept, Fiend Immortal, and Spirit Sage level would have felt it all over the world. We feel it all the time, due to the ancient clans, but not one caused by a Sword Immortal cultivation method," Lu Feng answered. "Just wait. In the mean time, Lu Ce and Lu Fei; did you find a suitable method?"


    "Yes, Ancestor Lu Feng. We only require an Ancient Spirit Beast to enter the Spirit Road," Lu Ce answered, Lu Fei nodding as well. No one felt disturbed, an hour later, when a similar event occurred, the sky turning white this time. However, all eyes were on the chamber as they could see a nineteen year old male trapped in a huge pillar of radiant purple crystal. All waited for the first Sword Immortal cultivator in their clan to be reborn.


    "Ugh. Where am I?" Shu murmured as he rubbed in eyes. He stood up and gazed around, shocked. All around him were wooden poles with carvings on them. So many totems littered a road of made of solid white energy with white wisps flowing up from the road''s edges. The road seemed to go for miles with totems everywhere in sight. Shu looked at himself and he was wearing a simple white robe with Freezing Tail at his feet.


    Shu picked up his sword and started walking. Strange enough, he never seemed to tire. As he walked, the road behind him disappeared and the white energy seemed to flow through his body as he breathed in and out. After what seemed like days, Shu arrived at the end of the road and onto a rocky field leading to the mountains. Shu arrived at a village. As he did so, he felt his body change. His hair had turned black and his fox ears disappeared as he had human ears again.  His eyes still glowed orange with the cosmos within. Under both eyes were two stripes of glowing emerald, the emerald tattoos pulsing a brighter color as if they were alive. They were horizontal and parallel with his eyes. His greatest shock was that Freezing Tail disappeared.


    His clothes also changed into white tiger fur over his body from the waist down. His upper body became bare and his black scorpion, tribal tattoo still glowed a little blue green on his back. His eyes narrowed as a  girl his age appeared before him. She wore a simple short dress of white tiger fur with straight, dark brown hair that fell past her shoulders. Her dark brown eyes seemed to sparkle as she smiled at him.


    "Hello. Welcome to the shaman village of the Tiger Tribe," she said. "Come. the chief is waiting."


    "The chief? Tiger Tribe?" Shu asked as the girl grabbed his hand. A warm feeling spread in his chest as he followed her. "What happened to me? Where''s my sword?"


    She giggled and said, "The chief will explain everything. It''s been a long time since two outsiders, me and you, entered the Spirit Road among the Tiger Tribe. No doubt your spirit is that of a tiger. What immortal path did you come here for and what Spirit Beast did you absorb into your totem? Wait...those tattoos on your shoulders...guardian lion? How rare."


    "I aim to walk the path of a Sword Immortal," Shu answered, causing the girl to clap her hands.


    "Oh!" the girl said. "Wow. I came to this village as a Celestial Immortal and my Spirit Beast was a rain dragon. Come. The chief is waiting. My name is Meng Wan of the Meng Clan."


    "I am Lu Shu of the Lu Clan. So you must have a tiger beast spirit as well?" Shu asked.


    "Yes. I just arrived a few minutes ago. I was told to wait as another person was coming. We are the first tiger beast spirit Practitioners to arrive over a few hundred years. I think they will let us in now. All the top shaman warriors are in the chief''s tent, waiting for us," Wan said as she let go of his hand as they stood before the largest magical beast fur tent in the village.


    The duo walked inside the tent and saw eight people standing with a ninth person in the middle behind them on a white wooden throne. Clearly, this man was the chief of the Tiger Tribe. The eight elite warriors, two of the women, expelled their spirit force, Wan and Shu forced to materialize their tiger beast spirits above them. The eight elite warriors laughed, smiles on their faces and immediately dissipated their spirit force. They sat on the black wooden chairs behind them as the chief cleared his throat.


    "Heavens, thank you. At last, we have Practitioners of the Tiger Tribe," the chief cried. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you all. In case you are wondering, time moves faster here compared to the real world. You can say this is a space between the Mortal and the Immortal Realms. Girl, you have the rare Heaven Swallowing Tiger spirit. Boy, you have two spirits fused into one: the Armored Ocean Tiger God spirit. Seeing you two having such powerful tiger spirits and true Archons at that, it is no small wonder the Heavens haven''t allowed any member of the Tiger Tribe to Spirit Road."


    "You must be mistaken," Shu said. "I don''t recall being a part of the Tiger Tribe."


    "People are reincarnated over all the planets in the Mortal Realm, no matter the galaxy or universe. We see all our descendants reincarnate in an endless cycle. You, Miura Agemo, are one lucky man to live two lives. Well, should I call you Shu, Agemo, or the name you gave yourself due to Project S: Omega? Agemo spelled backwards?" the chief smiled.


    Meng Wan stared at Shu in shock as he blurted, "You know about my past life? About Project S?"


    "Indeed. Even though science is mediocre in your present world, your scientific advancements were so far above the rest of the world, you were hunted and killed for it. Worry not, the kids and scientists you saved continued your work. Do you know why all your memories don''t return?" the chief asked as Shu shook his head. "It is because it is too much for you to handle without going insane. True, science brings great benefits but the minds of the na?ve, ignorant, and corrupt turn even the greatest and kindest gift of all into the worst monstrosity. An example would be what your world call nuclear warheads. Such a devastating weapon is blasphemous to the Heavens."


    "They managed to salvage some of my research...." Shu paled as he fell on his knees. "I don''t know how many years passed since I first fled the Keepers of the Dead."


    "Over three millennia passed. The Earth you knew is long gone. Worry not. Thanks to you, mankind was able to escape Earth and expand into the rest of the stars in your planet. Most live on satellite colonies or on Mars. Some still live on Earth, but it is not what it used to be," the chief answered sadly. "Those idiot scientists are to blame for that. While living, you were hailed as a devil. Many centuries later, you are the reason humanity survives. Those children you saved were able to live in Mars without fear of the air and with stronger physiques to survive as they made the first colony. True, the scientists who stole some data killed millions with the knowledge, you killing them indirectly; billions were saved."


    One palm held Shu''s face as he cried while leaning back, saying, "Thank you. I...heard about millions dying because of me. I......tha....thank you."


    "Lu Shu," Meng Wan said and placed a hand on his shoulder as he calmed down. "You did a good thing. You shouldn''t cry about it. According to the chief, you saved more lives than the lives taken through the abuse of this ''science'' the chief spoke of."


    "So you are saying all live is reincarnated?" Shu asked as he calmed down.


    "Indeed. Your spiritual body is a tiger is it not? We, the Tiger Tribe, can track the lives of those who used to be one of us. Even if you do not remember your past lives, we do," the chief said. "We are neither mortal or immortal. We are beings who watch over the universe and guide the souls on their way. Just as you have come here to make a totem and awaken as Practitioners of your respective immortal paths, others have come for rites of their own current worlds. Most do not reincarnate as their souls are caught by the Keepers of the Dead. Before you are eight elite warriors of the Tiger Tribe. As it has been so long since a clansmen came from the Mortal Realms, I assembled the best we have this time around."


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    "Pick among the warriors?" Meng Wan asked, relieved Lu Shu was alright.


    "Indeed. Meng Wan, due to your current physical body, you may choose among six of the eight here. Lu Shu, as you have your tiger stripes, you may choose among all eight here. Your current body qualifies to withstand any of the eight here," the chief said. "You have eyes of an Old God, bonded with a Saint level magical beast, and have demon blood, evident as the lone horn on your head still remains. Others might think it is an effect through some experience, but we have been watching you through all your lives."


    "The Lu Imperial Clan''s ancestor really is a demon," Meng Wan gasped. "I heard the legends but the purity of demon blood, although dominant over human blood, has to have been diluted over all the generations. So two of the three conditions I have not qualified to earn my tiger stripes. I have a Saint level magical beast."


    "Smart girl. Your clan is as impressive as always. Yes, Shu. The Meng Clan is among the ancient clans," the chief said as if he could read Shu''s mind. "It is a prestigious clan. Now, allow me to elaborate on the choices. Each of these eight warriors will give a trial. Once you pass the trial, you will return here, signifying completion and will return to the Mortal Realm after we give a small gift to you. When you return, your appearance will be as it is now. Even if you pick the same warrior, you will have different trials as you follow different immortal paths. Now, choose wisely."


    "Which of you will allow me to cultivate the Sundering Thorn Scripture?" Shu asked, stunning the elite shaman warriors.


    "So that book did tell you that technique," the chief murmured. "Well, seeing as you have your tiger stripes, I will allow you to undergo my trial. Same goes for you, Meng Wan. You have an Abominable Soul, your spirit beast contains two conflicting elements of fire, wood, and earth. Earth and fire exist in harmony as lava and magma. Earth and wood exist in harmony by woods existence. However, fire burns wood and wood becomes ash. I suppose this is another reason the Heavens have not sent anyone as well."


    "Choosing you must be the best option," Shu said, Wan nodding in agreement.


    "Very well. The choice has been made. There are a total of three trials. Two are the same for all, though the minor details may be different. The first trial is fusing with your spiritual body. The second trial is communing with the Spirit Beast. This trial is only given if you absorb a Spirit Beast''s essence at the same time you make your totem. In this way, your totem will be more powerful than others as you only enter Spirit Road once, in your current lifetime," the chief began. "The third trial is dependent on two factors: the immortal path you chose and the method you chose to make your totem. During the third trial, your Practitioner weapon, whatever it may be, will be able to appear and disappear in its final transformation. Once both of you finish your trials, you will return here for your small gift. Do note that the more spirit reactors you have, the harsher it is to grow the power of your totem. For the record, please state how many spirit reactors and energies you have in your Soul Realm."


    "I have eight spirit reactors and four types of energy," Meng Wan said, causing Shu to stare at her in shock.


    "Eight?......Wow. I have five spirit reactors and three types of energy," Shu said, recovering from the shock.


    "She has eight because they are all the same. Originally, it was the largest spirit reactor I ever saw a descendant have, but her body could not contain it. Her ancient clan was somehow able to fragment it into pieces of eight and Meng Wan was able to absorb it into her body. Overtime, they will fuse and become one once more," the chief smiled. "When you exit the tent, you will appear in the Spirit Road''s Crystal Trial Caverns. That is where you will face your trials. Good luck. The next time we meet, if you survive, you will be taking your first steps on the path of your immortal cultivation. Good luck, son and daughter of the Tiger. May we meet again."


    "May the Tiger protect her cubs and keep you," the elite warriors chanted in unison as Shu and Wan exited.


    "Chief, what are their chances?" one of the elite warriors asked as the duo left.


    "Slim. They are much too powerful. The more power, the higher the price. The Spirit Road only makes you stronger. If two people arrive with a difference in strength, they will leave with the same difference. Each person is risen proportionately," the chief smiled.


    "And their chances of surviving the judgment of Tiger and the Pantheon of Devils?" another asked.


    "They are the beloved of the Tiger. The third trial is not influenced by the Tiger. As for the latter matter, I do not know. Only one of our descendants went to that planet''s Pantheon of Devil. There are equivalents in some worlds, but they are also different. We can only watch and expect the next visitors to be as entertaining. All for the glory of Tiger," the chief said.


    Shu covered his eyes as a blinding light forced him to avert his gaze and cover his eyes as he walked through the door. As he did, Meng Wan held his hand and gave it a tight squeeze before it disappeared. He opened his eyes and saw a crystal cavern all around him. The walls were made of crystal. The floors and ceiling were made of crystals. The most prominent color was a radiant purple, just like the crystal shell fragment of Tralagafa the Magnificent. He followed the tunnel to a clearing. Within was a giant white tiger wearing the same armor and mask on its limb and face that he wore when he materialized it. It was the Armored Ocean Tiger God spirit!


    "You have come, at last. I am you and I am the Armored Ocean Tiger God spirit. We are one and the same, two halves split according to the Mandate of the Heavens, a rule set by Creation," the spirit said. "You wish to become one with me once more. To become an immortal, an existence expelled by the threads from Fate and Death''s Book. A being capable of defying the fate of his mortal existence and immune from death through expiration of the body''s time. That is what you seek, is it not?"


    "Yes. I wish to be immortal and control my own fate. To shape my destiny and course as I see fit," Shu nodded.


    "You realize you are changing Creation''s product? You already control the elements. Compared to the people of Earth, you''re already a god among men. You are a true Archon, you cultivate the very life force of the planets through that black scorpion tattoo on your back. You''re eyes are already more powerful than most. Fusing with me, you will be able to harness the power of a totem. Is that what you wish?" the spirit asked.


    "It is," Shu nodded.


    "Very well. The first trial, resolve, is complete. To you, all that I am and all that we are, I restore and bequeath," the spirit said, turning into a cerulean energy that went into Shu. Shu''s eyes opened as he felt his body brimming with power. His bones became stronger, his organs and arteries became protected, and his sensitivity to spirit energy increased. The armor he once materialized now became an armor over his Mystic Crystal. Somehow, he knew his Great Spirit Integration technique reached a whole new level altogether.


    As Shu looked ahead, another tunnel appeared. Shu swallowed and proceeded into the tunnel. After what felt like days in the bright winding tunnel, Shu appeared in another clearing. This time, he saw the guardian lion, the Holy Spirit Beast he saw chained once before. It was vibrant with life, no longer in the poor and pitiful state it once was. It looked at him, flames burning from its paws. He felt his tiger stripes flare and his body began to pump adrenaline, as if he was a tiger attempting to overthrow the lion and prove its dominance.


    "You''ve arrived. I must thank you, human. Because of you, I am free of those infernal chains that held me prisoner for centuries. Do you know why I only I was chained in that chamber?" the guardian lion asked. "It is because I slaughtered a battalion of Yan''s army that ventured near my territory. I believe one of your ancestor''s favorite kin was the battalion commander. I was imprisoned for biting of his head and feeding on his flesh."


    "You killed someone and faced an unintended requiem. That is the fate for all who kill," Shu said. "You should have known attacking an army had its consequences. Any smart magical beast would have fled."


    "Indeed. I was too rash. Do you know what happens to me when your totem is made with my essence?" the guardian lion asked as Shu shook his head. "It is as if you gain a magical beast outside the normal three allowed. However, my life force is tied to yours. When you die, I die. If I die, you can resurrect me after a time. The me you see now will revert into a cub, my memories lost. My power remains. When you use your ultimate trump card, you and I temporarily fuse into one being and you wield the power and physique of a Holy Beast Spirit. I die, to be reborn once again. I can only grow as I consume the bodies of others. My potential is only limited by how many bodies I feed and the power of those bodies when it was once living."


    "Can you tell me about Sword Immortals?" Shu asked. "Why is your essence necessary? Are there no substitutes?"


    "They turn the very spirit energy inside them into swords. Your totem can create an emerald colored force field spirit energy to protect yourself and will be able to summon chains of emerald, like the tiger stripes beneath your eyes. These chains can be used to bind others. The totem also has other abilities. What I described were basic totem abilities any Sword Immortal cultivator could use. The radiant purple crystal will change my eyes into that color, the same as the tattoos on your shoulders of me. My essence is not only absorbed by the totem, a part of it will be absorbed into your very being. You will have my tyrannical strength and your regenerative abilities, if an attack breaks through your defenses, will be instantaneous," the guardian lion said. "My essence is necessary because your soul cannot withstand the spirit energy in your body without it. My essence empowers your own."


    "What of the Sword Immortal''s essence?" Shu asked.


    "With it, you will reach the tenth stage. A small portion of your spirit energy will convert into emerald sword spirit energy. Even though you are still a mortal, you can still use a Sword Immortal''s technique. As you absorbed his essence, you will be able to use sword spirit blast techniques.  Swings of your sword can create a wave of spirit energy that destroys and explodes as it hits the intended target. Think of it as a sword wave technique with explosive properties," the guardian lion answered. "Do you wish to accept these changes?"


    "Yes," Shu said as the guardian lion vanished. At his side, a cub appeared, it looked just like the guardian lion with white fur and a black, curled mane shaped as if it were carved on a statue. Its eyes were a radiant purple and even had small crystals form on its back slanted toward the rear. The cub yawned and it vanished. Shu could still feel its presence as it seemed to be within his Soul Realm, sleeping atop of a white wooden totem with glowing, purple carvings made of crystal on the sides of the totem. He had successfully made his totem. Now all he needed was to pass the third trial to return as a Sword Immortal cultivator and keep his life.

 Book 2: Chapter 18- One Against a Thousand

    (Author: Hello! Shu successfully made his totem! Now he needs to pass the final trial to return to the real world. How will he fare? What is his Practitioner weapon? Last regular release before college. Enjoy.)


    ---------Chapter 18: One Against a Thousand----------------


    Shu stared around the crystals began to crack. He cried out as his body was pulled, by an invisible hand, toward the third clearing. He held his stomach due to the extremely fast velocity. As he recovered he looked up and saw a giant tiger paw appear before him. It was so large, he could not even see the body the paw belonged to as a large leg extended beyond his sight. However, the ground and wall behind him were still made of crystal. He imagined that, if he could see the tiger in its entirety, they were still in the crystal cavern. It was a black-furred tiger. The color of its stripes, Shu could not see.


    "Summon thy sword," a voice said, shaking the floor beneath him as Shu desperately covered his ears. Was this the Tiger the chief spoke of? Not daring to make it angry, Shu closed his eyes and imagined his sword appearing.


    "You wield the Practitioner sword of a Sword Immortal cultivator," the voice said, no earthquake or sonic boom appeared this time as it spoke. He stared at a long sword that seemed to float in front of him.


    The blade of the sword was made of a shiny, white silver metal that released the same celestial aura that emitted fear. The sword had a small gold cross-guard, about two inches longer than the blade, with vein-like grooves made of emerald crystal. The grip was also made of a soft, black leather that seemed to look like the fur from the giant tiger''s body. At the base of the grip, an emerald jewel encased in the holy of a shiny, white silver metal identical to the sword.  The entire sword, as it was a Practitioner''s weapon, was indestructible and reeked of power and majesty.


    "What you wield is the sword called Nether Tiger Sword. As you absorbed the essence of a guardian lion type Holy Spirit Beast, you were supposed to be able to use your flame element to a superior level. However, you only have an ice flame that is really ice but shaped like flames. The Nether Tiger Sword is able to create dark purple nether flames. These flames are like poison to the living as it burns not just the physical but the spiritual as well," the voice of the tiger behemoth said.  Through your Holy Spirit Beast, you now control three elements, and nether fire. Your ice will no longer appear as flames. All this is because of the guardian lion''s influence in your body, changing your Practitioner weapon as it is tied to your soul. You achieved inner peace as you came to accept the fact that millions died due to your data."


    "What?" Shu spouted. "I tried so hard to shape it as flames!"


    "Ice is not fire! Ice chills and freezes. Even if it burns, it is only the sensation of burning as skin and flesh crack as it freezes! Do not attempt to change an element''s nature!" the Tiger roared, blasting Shu against the wall. "Worry not. You can use the nether flames of your sword to become an Archon Phoenix. It is now time for your final trial. As you know, others travel to Spirit Road," the Tiger began. "Your trial is to kill them. People from other worlds will have this same trial as you called One Against a Thousand! The trial consists of a thousand different tribes sending a representative. In the end, only one can survive. Live, and you pass the trial. Your Holy Spirit Beast can feed on their bodies and grow to its juvenile state. That is the reward the trial gives. No one can use spirit techniques here. The only thing you can use is the abilities of your body and your weapon. In your case, your Old God Eyes, vermillion wings to fly, and your nether flames. If you succeed, a tassel of my black fur will appear on the bottom of the pommel of your sword. It is symbolic but all tigers and tiger magical beasts will recognize you and obey you without question. I am known as Tiger for I am the Creator God of tigers. I am the First. Show those tribes my glory!"


    Shu''s eyes widened as he disappeared from the cavern and entered a valley surrounded by several mountains. On the mountain behind him, Shu stepped back in surprise as he saw the chief of the Tiger Tribe, the eight elite warriors, Meng Wan, and other members of the tribe. It seemed that the white roads leading to each tribe at the foot of a mountain really led to the foot of a mountain valley as wide as infinity itself. Before him were one thousand other Practitioners. The trial ended when one tribe''s representative killed and survived the onslaught of a thousand other tribe representatives. Hence, One Against a Thousand.


    All the tribes and people not participating bowed on their knees as the sky shined a white halo that said, "All will hear and obey! I, the Immortal God overseeing this segment of tribes will listen. Today, one tribe will show its dominance. The winning tribe will have a thousand souls added to its reincarnation cycle. The winning representative earns the right to feed the corpses of the thousand dead to his or her Spirit Beast! Let the final trial, of those gathered today, begin!"


    Shu grit his teeth as all the people went into a frenzy as he sprouted his wings and took to the sky. It was no small wonder the chief talked about surviving the third trial. The chief was talking about the trial: One Against a Thousand! Meng Wan must not have been chosen and given a different trial. Seeing as she succeeded, Shu felt a warmth in his heart and was glad she survived. She knew more about him from others and he could trust someone from Tiger Tribe, based on the chief''s actions. Shu narrowed his eyes as about one hundred others were also capable of flight.


    "Congratulations, Meng Wan," the chief said as the participants of the large-scale trial took to the skies as most began fighting below. "You were not chosen to participate. Honestly, you are much too weak compared to Lu Shu."


    "Will he be able to survive?" Meng Wan asked, hoping he would.


    "He has killed before. He won''t hesitate. However, his chances.....Wait! Those are nether flames! He wields the power to manipulate nether flames?" the chief cried as dark purple flames streaked across the sky from Shu''s sword, the members of the tribe shocked as nether flames were flames of demons from the Nether Immortal Realm, the immortal realm where only demons lived.


    Shu narrowed his eyes as he surrounded his eyes in a frosty mist. Those who flew in would instantly freeze and pieces of their body would burst from the mist as Shu shattered them as they were blinded. True, he could not use spirit techniques; but it did not mean he could not control the elements! He would throw spears of darkness at the people below as he dodged through those who flew in the skies above. If he saw someone about to kill another, he would target that person with a spear of lightning as they struck the final blow. If someone flew too close, he would hug his knees, folding his wings, and burst out, sending a shockwave as his limbs and wings released blasts of lightning.


    As he fought, he realized that everyone''s overall stage of cultivation, or something similar in another world, were more or less the same. The only factors that decided their fate was their intelligence, cunning, weapons, experience, and the elements they wielded. As he killed the people in the sky, blood rained down as death cries resounded over the valley. He made sure to target those who hesitated before a kill. He had to kill them before they resolved themselves to kill to survive. If he got outnumbered, he would make his wings disappear and focus his spirit energy into his legs to dodge and weave through the crowd, forcing his pursuers to fight others to get to him.


    Shu would wince from the pain as some hits drilled holes in his body or severed entire arms and legs. However, as a true Archon and the benefits of the guardian lion''s physique, Shu was able to regenerate at the expense of spirit energy. The battlefield became more chaotic as soon as only a hundred of the best survived. As many fought amongst themselves, eight of them joined forces to kill Shu as they isolated him from the fighting. Shu could no longer afford to fly in the sky as one of the people pursuing him would shoot arrows whenever he tried to take to the skies.


    "Fucker! Just stay on the ground," one of them yelled as Shu flew three feet above the ground but moved too fast for them.


    He howled in pain as an arrow of fire pierced through his chest, missing his spine as he crashed into the ground. The wound healed and the fire dissipated as he submerged himself in a ball of water. He stared back, his wings disappearing as the sphere burst while the hole healed. His eyes widened as three of them had weapons different than before.


    "Ha! You realize your predicament!" one laughed. "We wield Divine Weapons! So long as we have a connection to our soul, the energy the Divine Weapon granted us can be used to summon them!"


    "MUAHAHAHAHAHA!" Shu laughed manically as his head bent back while a palm covered his face. "Ooooh. How could I have forgotten? Divine Weapon? I have one too! The Sentinel Bow!"


    Shu shouted as the Nether Tiger Sword fell onto the ground, vermillion energy bursting from his body like fire. It consolidated in his left hand to reveal the Sentinel Bow. His pursuers cried out in shock and some began to flee as Shu pulled an arrow of vermillion, the mere power caused by the concentration of the energy causing the ground beneath him to quake. Shu roared as he released the arrow, a large tornado of energy swirling outwards, destroying any trapped within. Shu frowned, but guessed that the Divine Weapon also changed.


    Four of the eight died and Shu raised his Divine Weapon up at the Heavens, as he released another arrow, this one reached about three thousand feet before falling down, fragmenting into a thousand arrows that rained vermillion from the sky. Two fools who sought to hide among the other people fighting all died. Soon, only Shu and two who also had Divine Weapons were left. Taking advantage, Shu flew into the sky. He summoned all the vermillion energy he had to shoot an arrow at the man who was shooting at him. His vermillion wings disappeared as the last of the energy formed a thousand foot crater as the vermillion tornado arrow killed the man.


    "Hmph," the last man sneered as Shu shook his head while picking up his Nether Tiger Sword. "Not facing people directly and ambushing them, only to finish them off now. How cowardly!"


    "I''m still alive," Shu scoffed as dark purple flames burned across his sword as a white aura permeated from the sword, causing the other man to feel fear.


    "As if I will lose to some teenage brat! In one hand I wield my Spirit Weapon! In the other, my Divine Weapon! You only have your Spirit Weapon left!" the man laughed as he brandished two two-handed swords as if they were as light as daggers. "You think you can beat me? I am a dual-sword wielder! You''re puny long sword is a toothpick compared to my swords! Just let me cut off your head and I promise my Spirit Beast won''t eat your head!"


    "Come and try,"  Shu scoffed as he entered a stance.


    Shu wielded the elements in his left hand as he wielded Nether Tiger Sword in his right. After feeling so much pain, Shu knew this was his first true life-or-death match. He could have died from blood loss without his enhanced physique. The wounds he suffered were due to the Eclipse Indestructible Body technique temporarily gone from his body. It had fused with him but still counted as a spirit technique. Shu felt his left eye burn ever since being hit with countless energies. As his wounds healed, the foreign energies which harmed his body were drained into his left eye.


    He grit his teeth as he tried to fend off the other man. His sword strokes were as smooth as water, each hit transitioning into another. He parried and deflected each strike but was unable to get past the range of the longer swords and enter his ideal ranged. He would throw daggers of darkness only to watch the wounds heal by the divine energy of one of the swords. His lighting could only stun for half a second before the other man recovered. Shu stomped on the ground, turning it into mud. With a shout, he stabbed his sword into the ground, spikes of ice piercing the other man''s feet multiple times. He swirled and a rising wave of nether fire burst toward the man.


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    However, the other man could not be underestimated. He severed his own legs, re-growing them as he entered a front roll. He threw his Divine Weapon, the two-handed sword cutting through the fire as it was covered in a holy energy. Shu''s balance was off after the swirl and spat blood as he frantically blocked the sword. The Nether Tiger Sword flew from his grasp as he crashed onto the ground. As he got up, he saw the man moving toward him, his remaining two-handed weapon ready to pierce through Shu''s body.


    "I will not fall here!" Shu roared, his left eye glistening a radiant orange as a cross of white appeared before the eye. Laozi the Undying, sleeping within his Soul Realm, stirred as the Old God felt a portion of its spiritual energy drain. However, it was not in the Spirit Road so how could it know what happened before its sleep took hold and slept again.


    Shu''s eye burned as the man froze in his tracks. Multiple blades of infinite colors slashed at him, the shape of crescent moons. The man coughed blood, as his legs and arms were cut multiple times as he was blasted back. He fell onto the ground, wet by his own pool of blood. His eyes dilated, his breathing quickening, before his skin turned pale as he died. She fell on his left knees as he held his burning eye as the white cross faded. The chief of the Tiger Tribe laughed as Meng Wan and the other members of the Tiger Tribe stared at him.


    "That brat, after so many years, finally awakened the power of Laozi the Undying: the Eye of Execution," the chief laughed. "He had the eyes of the Old God but not the energy. However, the energy of another Old God runs in his veins and soul: the energy of Tralagafa the Magnificent. Even if he can only use one Eye of the Old God, it is better than none at all."


    "What is the Eye of Execution?" Meng Wan asked, curious as the guardian lion appeared out of its own will and began feasting on the dead bodies.


    "Laozi the Undying is the Old God of Stars. He was the judge, jury, and executioner of the Mortal Realm. All that changed when the ''Gods'' took over while he became an Old God," the chief began. "Laozi the Undying could see the strands of spirit energy and other energy. With his left eye, he could sever the strand, killing whatever it belonged to. That is how he killed two of the Forgotten Old Gods that killed Borgan the Almighty, an Old God you might not have heard of. The Eye of Execution could see the weak points of what it gazed upon and cut them. However, this second ability could be dodged or blocked. Lu Shu seems to be able to use the latter ability, even though he can see energy strands. If my guess is right, he might even be able to use a power of Tralagafa the Almighty as he has the Old God''s energy."


    "What is that ability?" Meng Wan asked, relieved as she saw Shu sit and begin meditating to recover his spent energy.


    "Brilliant Star Fall," the chief murmured, fear and awe in his voice. "Think of it as meteors raining down from the heavens. However, it is not a spell or technique that can be blocked. If you are in its striking range, you either pray to the Heavens you dodge them all or die in vain. I suspect that Lu Shu will be able to do it if he is an Archon Dragon, peak Archon Phoenix if he is lucky."


    "Have you ever seen it used?" Meng Wan asked.


    "Yes," the chief murmured. "A descendant of the Tiger Tribe saw, from a few miles away, countless meteors fall from the sky when Tralagafa the Magnificence was still alive eons ago. Although Lu Shu cannot use the same technique on that scale, he can reduce an entire canyon or battlefield into countless craters on the ground with no trace of what used to be there left behind. The Old God could destroy entire nations. Lu Shu can only destroy a valley, martial sect, magic academy, or army of Practitioners and mages. No one survives Brilliant Star Fall. No one. You can hope and pray to dodge, but it never happens."


    As the guardian lion appeared, the way it ate was peculiar. As soon as it opened its mouth, the corpse would disintegrate into tiny particles that zipped into the mouth. Once the guardian lion ate the last corpse, it was still a cub at a foot in height. Shu frowned as the happy cub disappeared. Shu scratched his neck as white dragon scales appeared. They looked like the same scales Laozi the Undying had. On the plus side, Shu did not have to worry about his head getting cut off. Members of the Tiger Tribe celebrated as they returned to their village with Meng Wan and Lu Shu. Lu Shu was told about the Eye of Execution and Brilliant Star Fall. Naturally, he was surprised and was elated to find out that it would become more powerful as he did, forever being his ultimate trump cards besides his totem transformation. As the First Tiger said before, a black tassel of its fur appeared at the bottom of the Nether Tiger Sword. All members of the Tiger Tribe bowed as it appeared.


    "After centuries of being unable to compete in the One Against a Thousand trial, we won!" the chief cried, the tribe cheering as they hugged and congratulated each other and Lu Shu.


    "It happens often?" Shu asked.


    "If there are enough people. There are countless universes and galaxies in the Mortal Realm. You can think of it as the largest in existence. After all, there are seven Immortal Realms and only one Mortal Realm. Usually, it''s the daily One Against a Hundred. However, some planets have been growing in power and trials like today happen at least once a month, your real world time. By the time you get back, only a few hours will have passed," the chief grinned. "Congratulations to you both. You are both true Archons with totems infused with Spirit Beasts. You will also be at the tenth stage!"


    "How will I ascend to the Archon Phoenix tier?" Shu asked.


    "You need flames. Other than that, no one really knows. It just happens. The Path of Fiend Cultivation is different. There is no norm for advancing. You just know when it comes and what to do. No one knows, why or when, but you''ll know. Every true Archon does. You''re not false Archons. Your power can''t be measured by normal means," the chief smiled.


    "Why is my guardian lion still a cub?" Shu asked.


    "You have five spirit reactors. Thus, it takes five times the norm for your Holy Spirit Beast to grow. However, your totem''s abilities are five times more powerful than the norm. It is a win-loss situation," the Chief nodded as he stared at Meng Wan. "Yours is unaffected as they are eight pieces of one. Now, I will present you both with your small gifts. Meng Wan, you''ve been here long enough. You will return to your world as soon as you are given your gift. Lu Shu, you will leave  tomorrow to allow your body to accustom to the many changes in your body."


    "Yes, chief," the duo said.


    "I call it Tiger''s Shield Bracelet," the chief said as he presented Shu and Meng Wan with different bracelets. "When you need them, they will become white silver hexagon shields with an image of a black tiger with stripes the color of bones. Yes, it is the face of the First Tiger. Fighting with swords and shields is useful, especially if you are surrounded or attacked with projectiles. Meng Wan, you use a short sword with a blade similar to a katana. Your bracelet is capable of summoning knives that disappear after piercing on contact. In Shu''s world, the Japanese called them kunai knives. Speed is your forte and a shield would deter your fighting prowess. I call your bracelet Kunai Tiger Bracelet."


    "Names are not the chief''s forte," a warrior whispered, the others snickering until the chief glared at them.


    "Goodbye Shu," Meng Wan said as she disappeared in a pillar of white light.


    Shu waved goodbye and spent the night in the tent, his spirit energy returning. He was surprised to feel that only a fifth of his spirit energy returned even after his vermillion energy replenished. His left eye no longer burned, but he knew his ability could still be used. Now that the trials were over, he could think about what happened. At morning, he decided to exercise to calm his mind. He accepted the actions of his past life and wanted to be distracted to no longer think about it.


    "You will be leaving us soon, son of Tiger," the chief said as he appeared. "Your past life''s memories must still weigh on your mind. If you truly wish for it, I can return it to you. No more memories will come."


    "No," Shu said as he stared up at the sky. "It''s better this way. All I could think about was what I did to kill millions of people. How else could I make my killing intent into a visible aura? Now that I know the truth, I just want to accept it and move on."


    "In my opinion, the best distraction is a woman. It is both pleasing and exhilarating," the chief laughed mischievously. "You''re a prince, not married, so you can easily take one of the palace''s maids and fuck her. They would want you to anyway."


    "I might do that. Did I ever have a family in my past life? I don''t think I did, but I don''t have all my memories," Shu asked.


    "No. You weren''t a virgin though as some assistants seduced you and you happily complied, even though you knew their intentions. You had a single relative left, a nephew. He was one of the children you sacrificed your life for to save. He also became the leader of those kids when they left for Mars and started a colony. Through him, the future generations knew you as their savior and not the devil the government made you out to be," the chief answered.


    "All I wanted was to live a new life, free from escaping from the Keeper of the Dead that chased me. I don''t know what to do with this life," Shu said.


    "You don''t have any dreams?" the chief asked.


    "No. I might wonder about the Pantheon of Devils and where my map leads to, but that''s it. I only cultivate to become strong enough that I can protect what is mine and live my own way," Shu answered.


    "That is also considered a dream," the chief said as the familiar white light pillar shined on Shu. "You are one of the Chosen of the Tiger. You have his mark and a tassel of his fur. You might not know it, but you are destined for great things. Give yourself some time and take things one step at a time. We, of the Tiger Tribe, will be watching. You have abilities you haven''t even unlocked. Each tiger stripe represents an ability. It is a shame you don''t have six or eight, but four is more than enough. Good luck, Shu of the Lu Clan."


    "Goodbye," Shu said as he vanished from Spirit Road.


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


    (Author: This is my last daily release. Life goes on and college begins Monday. I will release chapters on Wednesday and Saturday around noon, Pacific Coast Time. This series will continue. Sorry for the inconvenience. I hope you all enjoy my story. Some may wonder when Book 2 ends.....What I can tell you is that the third book is more on exploration, fighting, and military exploits as Shu....well chapter 20 (ending paragraphs) and chapter 21 will explain. Thank you for reading and good luck  at school, college, work, etc.)

 Book 2: Chapter 19- The Titans Expansion

    (Author: Hello! As promised, here is Wednesday''s chapter. We''re nearing the end of the second book. As it is chapter nineteen, it is already over book 1. I am starting book 3. Since I only release two chapters a week it is easier for me now. Again, sorry but college has begun once again. Lu Shu has completed the trials of the Spirit Road. Lu Shu is now a tenth stage Spirit Shaman! Now he returns to the real world. However, his descent back creates a backlash whole world would know. Enjoy.)


    ------------Chapter 19: The Titan''s Expansion----------------


    It must be known that Lu Shu practiced the [Titan Creator] body technique to become a true Archon. He has a connection to the planet deeper than others who did not practice the same true Archon body technique. His return to the Spirit Road made the whole world shudder for ten seconds. It must be known that the planet was made by the body of the Creator God, a black scorpion magical beast that was possibly at the Feral Emperor immortal rank!


    When Shu descended back into his body, the world shuddered for ten seconds because Shu''s body, cut off from the world, regained its connection and absorbed a substantial amount of the planet''s life force. The planet''s name was Titan. Thus, the true Archon body technique connecting a Practitioner to the planet''s life force used the name of the planet, the name the Creator God was known by. If dragons and phoenixes were respected, scorpion magical beasts were hailed as gods. Most creatures considered them as children of the Creator God! Not only that, there was no scorpion magical beast found that was not a Saint rank magical beast! Not even one rank 9 magical beast scorpion was found!


    Whenever a Practitioner of the [Titan Creator] body technique came down from the Spirit Road, the world expanded and shook for ten seconds. it was as if a scorpion body, curled into a ball, stretched open just a little wider. Previously inaccessible parts of the planet opened us as new lands and oceans appeared. Demons, dragons, Hyperion, magical beasts, and humans all began to migrate to the new lands, desperate to find the treasures within. Only the elite of the planet did not head immediately, observing the results of those too greedy to think of the dangers.


    "He practiced the [Titan Creator] body technique?" Lu Ce cried as the crystal mass entrapping Shu broke as a pillar of white light touched it.


    "That''s right. When the Great Ancestor detected Shu opening this chamber and heading to Spirit Road, he assembled the next lower line of the cultivation pyramid formation to head to the four corners of the world and explore the lands. Only the lower three and lower two lines of the formation, below the Great Ancestor, remain," Lu Feng answered, shocking everyone present. Lu Tian and Lu Qing had also arrived and were inwardly shocked as they heard about the Great Ancestor and the fourteen Spirit Sages who cultivated with him as he waited for his human wife to reach the Spirit Sage tier.


    The Great Ancestor''s pagoda had fifteen people in a pyramid formation at the bottom floor, the Great Ancestor at the top. From above, a female was cultivating and could see a human pyramid on the floor, the foot of the pyramid close to the door. No one knew her name but she had the worst cultivation rate in the history of the Lu Clan. She was older than the top two Spirit Sages in the pyramid line below the Great Ancestor. Even with them all meditating, her pace was too slow as she absorbed some of the spirit energy they radiated. If the ancient clans knew someone was benefiting so dismally from the spirit energy of so many Spirit Sages, a Demon Emperor among them, they would vomit blood and question the Heavens why she was allowed to do so. Since Lu Feng, the four others at the base of the formation, and the four of the next pyramid line had left; the pyramid only had three lines. Only the top six of the Lu Clan remained.


    "I have a question, Ancestor Feng," Fei asked as Shu slowly fell to the ground. "Where are the Magic Overlords of the clan? Did none of the Lu Clan reach that level?


    "Them?" Lu Feng asked, surprised. "They''re not Practitioners. Of course they would not be in the formation. Mages are weak and it is incomparably difficult to create your own spells at higher levels. Thus, they reside in the demon lands."


    "I thought you had to have demonic purity at a high level?" Lu Yi asked as Lu Rong ran to her son. Even he did not know where his ancestor and his own father went.


    "Most of them are dead. The demon lands they went into were the Seas of Miasma. It is there that any life form can become a demon, tainted by the miasma from the water of the seas. Those seas hold countless treasures, techniques, and spells for demons. Only someone with demon blood can enter and survive. Of all the mages of the Lu Clan, only two Magic Overlords survived. All other mages died, including forty seven Arch Magus. They were not killed by the inhabitants, but by their own blood. Their human blood. Their greed blinded them and they died for it," Lu Feng said. "One of the two Magic Overlords is your father and my niece. Your father is a lord of one of the seas, but my niece decided to become the Demon King, not the immortal rank, and united the Seas of Miasma under her rule. She is the current Demon Lord of this world and is planning to rule over it. For now, her target is the Hyperion. That is, until a human kingdom pisses her off. Especially now, new territories have emerged and she is sure to slaughter all in her way to attain them. The coming war is approaching. It is certain to escalate after the Pantheon of Devils as most forces will reserve their armies for the treasures within."


    "Hello Lu Feng. I succeeded," Lu Shu said weakly as he spread spirit energy through his veins. His muscles had not been used for so long and his Soul Realm trembled as it tried to convert all the planet''s life force beyond the normal capacity.


    "Welcome back, son," Lu Yi cried as he hugged his son as Lu Rong held him steady. "Sword Immortal cultivator. Well done."


    "Leave the felicitations for later. Shu, you announced that you were a ninth stage Spirit Shaman. Do you have anyway to disguise your cultivation?" Lu Feng asked.


    "Yes. This headband cloaks my cultivation," Shu said, everyone surprised as they felt Shu seemed to weaken to the ninth stage and could not tell that it was not his true strength.


    "It seems I underestimated the Vault of Kings," Lu Feng murmured. "The relics of the Old Gods even cloaks your cultivation from me. Good. We must head to the Great Ancestor and report the news. He is ascending soon. His wife finally reached the Spirit Sage level. The four Spirit Sages who left will not come back as they chose to live in the new territories and live in seclusion. Me and the other four will remain here, to guard the Lu Clan. We also don''t wish to ascend to the Immortal Realms. I like being the top dog. I don''t want to run the risk of being someone else''s bitch. I also don''t want to depend on the Great Ancestor."


    Lu Ce, Lu Rong, Lu Fei, and Lu Yi inwardly sighed with relief in their hearts. They knew the day would come. They had hoped that Lu Feng would stay and were beyond joyful that the four others were staying. They did not know the Great Ancestor''s wife reached the Spirit Sage tier. Secretly, they felt sorry for her and thankful she did not become a Spirit Sage sooner. Lu Rong picked up Lu Kui as Supaiku left to the Great Ancestor''s pagoda, Shu mentally telling Bahamut to also head there. As soon as Wraith returned into his shadow. Shu replaced the storage bag on his hip as he followed the Great Ancestor while drinking lion wine. Lu Yi, Lu Ce, and Lu Fei were also permitted as Lu Yi was the emperor while Lu Ce and Lu Fei needed Ancient Spirit Beasts for their totems. Their trial was clearly not as hard as they did not absorb the essence of a Spirit Beast in the process. They returned sooner than Lu Shu and had waited with the others for his return.


    "Lu Shu, son of Lu Yi, you have completed the Spirit Road?" an ancient voice rasped while the giggles of a woman resounded from above.


    "Yes, Great Ancestor," Shu bowed as he approached him.


    "Tell me the changes to your sword," the voice continued.


    "Yes. My sword seems to be sharper than before. The weight is lighter, but the impact is fiercer. My sword''s poison changed as well. As I bleed my foe, the sword absorbs the spirit energy that seeps out the wound. It is a strange poison as the wounds are slow to heal, as if the regeneration is slowed to a little faster than the average human. I can also use nether flames," Shu answered.


    "Nether flames," the Great Ancestor repeated as he slowly opened his eyes. "Flames of a demon of the Nether Realm, one of the seven immortal realms. Nether flames.....perhaps the First Tiger enhanced you and your weapon to use those flames as homage to your lineage. No human could possibly use those flames without dire, life-taking, consequences."


    "Great Ancestor," Lu Feng bowed. "Perhaps it is time to awaken the Snow Emperor Pearl inside him. You will be departing soon."


    "Ah, yes. I had forgotten that. Where is Lu Yang?" the Great Ancestor asked.


    "Great Grandfather is currently cultivating with the other three Spirit Sages in the palace grounds above," Lu Feng answered.


    "Four of you have left to cultivate in seclusion. The five Spirit Sages, the youngest and weakest among us, will remain here," the Great Ancestor said. "When I depart, tell Lu Yang he is the new pillar of the clan. He is to give the remaining Snow Emperor Pearls to those who reach the qualifications in the future. The four who left in seclusion will ascend to the Immortal Realms when they wish. You five who wish not to will remain the guardians of the Lu Clan in the shadows. Lu Ce and Lu Fei, leave us. Go to Lu Yang and tell him the news and he will lead you to the hidden Spirit Beast Sanctuary."


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "Thank you, Great Ancestor," they said and left.


    "Lu Shu, tell me, do you have the power of the Old God: Laozi the Undying?" the Great Ancestor asked.


    "I have his Eye of Execution," Shu answered.


    "Do you know about the Snow Emperor Pearl?" the Great Ancestor asked.


    "I know that it contains the soul of demon nobility, a Demon Emperor rank demon. With it, I can gain the power of a Demon Emperor in the future," Shu answered.


    "Yes. You are like my fourteen Spirit Sage descendants. Demons, but capable of cultivating the superior human cultivation as you were born one. Demons are superior than humans and humans over magical beasts. However, the magical beasts cultivate the fastest while humans have the most profound of techniques. You have the demonic red spirit energy and a demon horn. However, you have not demonized yet. Lu Feng is right. It is time to awaken the Snow Emperor Pearl in you," the Great Ancestor said.


    "I thought I couldn''t change?'' Shu asked, startled.


    "Hmph. Do you think me to be weaker than the First Tiger, a Spirit Overlord between Realms? The Snow Emperor Pearl is one from the echelons of the Immortal Realms. There is no comparison," the Great Ancestor said as he held his hand out to Shu. Shu cried out in pain as the Snow Emperor Pearl returned into his hand. The Great Ancestor began to chant, Shu immobilizing as he became a statue of red diamonds. Wraith left his shadow, staring at its master in wonder.


    "Stay calm. This is part of the process," Lu Feng assured as he placed a palm on Lu Yi''s shoulder, Lu Yi trembling as he stared at his son. Lu Yi watched, pure terror on his face, as a Mystic Crystal emerged, fusing into the Snow Emperor Pearl as the statue shattered, leaving behind Shu''s black armor, the white silver headband, the gourd of lion wine, his storage bag, and Spook.


    "What is this?" Lu Yi asked, trembling as he fell to the ground while demonic red spirit energy radiated from the Snow Emperor Pearl, creating a new body in the process. Lu Shu looked exactly as before: hiar as black as space, orange eyes of Laozi the Undying, the tribal scorpion tattoo on the back, emerald tiger stripes under his eyes, and the white dragon scales on his neck. Before the skin and muscle formed, Lu Yi saw the cerulean crystal skeleton, a result of the living water spirit technique, a demon horn sprouting from the skull but as white as a human bone, and an oval demonic stone in the center of his skull. As Shu''s body formed, the guardian lion had appeared and was whimpering as it saw its master.


    "Black blood?" Lu Yi frowned.


    "The blood of a Golden Earth Fiend, but his hair did not turn back to a gold color. Ah, the mark of the Snow Emperor Peal appeared," Lu Feng smiled as a skeleton of a serpentine-bodied dragon appeared in the center of Shu''s chest, as if spiraling deeper. The Snow Emperor Pearl shattered as its power went into the Mystic Crystal.


    "It is finished. The power lies within him now and he no longer has a human body," the great Ancestor said. "It will take time for it to manifest. Goodbye Lu Yi. There is no more reason to come here again. I will return Lu Shu to you in time for the feast among those human nobles and delegates."


    "Thank you, Great Ancestor, for watching over the Lu Clan," Lu Yi said, bowing and knocking his head on the ground nine times as Shu dressed himself and let Wraith hide in his shadow as the guardian lion disappeared.


    "How is the demon body, Lu Shu?" Lu Feng grinned.


    "I feel, strangely good. It''s as if this was the body I should have had. It feels too natural," Shu answered as he dressed himself, replacing the white silver Monkey King headband and the black leather armor.


    "It finally happened," Spook laughed. "Good. Now my master is a true Golden Earth Fiend demon. No more of those useless human genes. Don''t worry, with me, your spirit energy will still look like human gold spirit energy to anyone below the Demon Emperor immortal rank unless you say otherwise."


    "You are a Sword Immortal cultivator and a demon. Now...blast. That wife of mine is too excited. Calm her down and make her sleep," the Great Ancestor asked as the five Spirit Sages in his cultivation pyramid array left to attend the giggling woman above.  "Where was I? Ah, yes. I was about to talk about the Sundering Thorn Scripture. It is a Sword Immortal cultivation technique as well as a martial art. This is the main sword spirit technique you will spend your entire lifetime mastering, perfecting, evolving, and improving."


    "One of my four planets, one of the two with my demonic red spirit energy, is the color of emerald. Sword spirit energy?" Shu frowned. "The other three planets are one of the three other energies I have."


    "Indeed. Those two other types of energies will only have a single planet until you reach the tenth level of soul condensation. At the eighth level, you develop a small sun and finish making a small galaxy. By the ninth stage, you have a full-sized sun and fifteen planets. Only immortals can reach the tenth level of soul condensation, when the body creates two galaxies and begins the start of creating a universe. One galaxy will contain all your sword spirit energy. It won''t be a demonic red but a demonic emerald as your demonic red spirit energy will have finished converting into emerald sword spirit energy. The other energies will share half of that galaxy. At the eleventh level is when those two energies will stop expanding their influence as they will each have their own galaxy while your emerald sword spirit energy take up the ones that appear," the Great Ancestor explained. "Other immortal paths, like those of the Devil and Celestial Immortal paths, don''t need to condense their souls as their spirit energy is not a weapon in itself. As you already condensed your soul to the highest level for Spirit Shamans, I am well pleased."


    "So important?" Shu cried, realization dawning on his face.


    "Now, one of the four powers of the Tiger should have appeared," the Great Ancestor said, pointing at Shu''s face. "I know those marks and the powers they possess. The first power is always the same: healing. Using that power, you can heal virtually any wound or that of others. To humans, those who can heal virtually any wound for others are akin to nobles or gods."


    "It is true. Humans do call an adventurer who enters a town, saves it, and heals its people: hero or noble," Lu Feng nodded as the Tiger''s Shield Bracelet appeared on Shu''s left wrist.


    "Wraith, you better hide in the guardian lion''s shadow. It does not seem to like my Soul Realm and is at my cultivation. However it is still young," Shu said, Wraith transferring to the Holy Spirit Beast''s shadow.


    "You have gotten all you were meant to, the same as Lu Feng and all my descendants with high demon purity levels. I also have a task for you. I sense one of the three living spirit techniques in the palace grounds. I suspect a descendant of the thief appeared as one of the delegates. What nerve. Punish him. You already have your innate demonic ability. Even if you can''t kill him, drain his spirit energy dry. Although you can''t take the living spirit energy, you can still drain some of its power into your own," the Great Ancestor ordered. "Farewell, Lu Shu. You are the last demonic descendant I will see in this realm. Come find me in the Immortal Realm. Which one, the Keeper of the Immortal Gateway will tell you."


    "Thank you, Great Ancestor," Shu said, bowing his head as he knelt on both knees.


    "He''s a good seed. See that he sprouts. He will need it. He obviously does not know the importance of the bead on his silver necklace," the Great Ancestor said.


    "Yes, Great Ancestor," Lu Feng said as they watched Lu Shu leave with his magical beasts, the guardian lion in his hands as it seemed to have shrunk to the size of a kitten.


    "I don''t even know what to say anymore," Shu muttered. "Is it because I got stronger that it reverted back?"


    "I will be protecting the pagoda. Congratulations, master," Bahamut said as it flew off.


    Shu wore a gold cloak over his armor as Supaiku asked, "What will you call that Holy Spirit Beast, master?"


    "I was thinking Hao. It''s a good name and similar to my fake identity of Yao in that illusionary array," Shu said as he rode Supaiku toward the plaza where the feast would be held.


    "And what of the thief with the living spirit technique?" Wraith asked as Shu felt his skeleton tremble and knew his Great Ancestor was right, as if his Radiant Howl water spirit technique resonated with something.


    "We will see. If I don''t like him, I''ll try to kill him and make it look like an accident while challenging him to a duel," Shu grinned malevolently.

 Book 2: Chapter 20- Birth of Rivals

    (Author: Hello! The time for the feast has come at last, but the feast is just the playing field for the real purpose. Lu Shu, with his Snow Emperor Pearl awakened and Holy Beast Spirit named, he heads to the feast in the central plaza in front of the many pavilions of the palace. He is told of a thief with one of the living spirit techniques and Shu''s subconscious confirms it as the living spirit technique within him resonates. What will happen in this grand feast? Hint: look at the title. Enjoy.)


    -----------Chapter 20: Birth of Rivals----------------


    "It''s about time you showed up," Lu Mei whispered as Lu Shu appeared, walking behind her and his parents to get to his seat.


    "Silence. You know not what happened," Lu Rong snapped as the delegates continued to arrive, many of them staring at a figure they seldom saw. Many of them had heard that the second prince was quite a powerful Practitioner and a true Archon. Seeing him now, he did not match the descriptions. The delegates, who saw him in the morning, were shocked as he seemed entirely different. They could tell he was at the ninth stage, his true power hidden by his headband, but something must have happened for him to look so different.


    "Ooh! Kitty!" Lu Kui shouted and Shu hesitantly passed Hao over to her. "Kitty looks like a statue. So cool."


    "Shush. Behave, Little Kui," Lu Mei whispered as she pat her excited sister''s head as Kui bounced up and down her mother''s lap with Hao in her arms.


    "Father, the thief who stole one of the three stolen living spirit techniques is here," Shu whispered as he nudged his head at one of the delegates seating to their right. It was a pale youth with golden blonde hair and bright red eyes.


    "Must be a descendant. Took quite a lot of generations for someone to bind the technique successfully," Lu Yi said, snapping his fingers. A member of the royal guard, wearing bright gold armor at the Spirit Master tier bent his head low as he stood behind the emperor.


    "Prepare the others. My son is going to kill that thief. Make sure that, when the time comes, no one interferes," Lu Yi whispered.


    "Yes, Imperial Majesty. Your will be done," the knight said and vanished.


    "Wait for the opportune moment," Lu Yi said.


    "Yes, father. If my living spirit technique resonated with him. He should know that we know. Look, he''s looking at us," Shu grinned as the pale youth pales even more as the emperor and Lu Shu stared at him. He tried to get up but fifteen Spirit Masters appeared around him, causing some of the weaker delegates to cry out in shock.


    "You will remain there, thief! Any who help you will die," Lu Yi growled, the entire plaza, once buzzing with excited guests and scheming delegates, became quiet.


    "I am no thief!" the youth cried, standing up only to be slammed down on his chair by one of the royal guards.


    "You and I both know you''re wrong," Shu smiled, his killing intent manifesting into a visible, baleful aura of violet. Many powerful mages and Practitioners turned their head to him, knowing full well how many people one needed to kill to manifest killing intent.


    "You dare question my honor! I challenge you to a duel!" the youth cried.


    "A Spirit Knight of the first stage wants to challenge a Spirit Shaman of the ninth stage? You are even seven years older than he is," one of the delegates sneered. "It''s a difference between tiers. Like Heaven and Earth. How pathetic."


    "Alright," Shu said, shocking many people. "I''ll play your game. What happens if you win?"


    "Your empire must give my empire fifteen million gold!" the youth shouted, causing many others to roar in protest.


    "And if I win?" Shu smirked. "I get your head. No questions asked. No political dispute made afterwards. Do we have a deal?"


    "Hmph. We have a deal! Come! Let me show you the power of a Spirit Knight! You may be young for a Practitioner of the ninth stage, but I am far beyond your equal!" the youth mocked.


    "What element is it? Fire? Lightning? Wind?" Shu asked, as he had the water living spirit technique while the ascended ancestor had the earth element.


    "Of course, I am the lord of lightning!" the youth cried, lightning crackling around him, shaping into several serpents. People cried out as they believed the serpents were actually living creatures. Such power. Such control. The youth didn''t even seem to expend any effort.


    Shu walked toward the center of the plaza, all the people seating at the tables surrounding it, eager to see the power of the second prince. Lu Tian and Lu Qing looked at each other, reminiscing how they reacted as foolishly as the youth did. As the youth brought out a two-handed war hammer, Shu yawned as he motioned the youth to begin.


    "You''re not taking out your weapon?" the youth growled.


    "No need. I don''t see the point. You''re not worthy," Shu scoffed.


    "This bastard!" the youth yelled. "I, Gatral will cut off your head instead!"


    The youth ran, raising his hammer and slamming it toward Shu. Shu merely placed his palm at the path of the war hammer and let it hit his palm. Everyone watched the gold robe incinerate, revealing his black armor. However, Shu''s hand remained unharmed. Everyone''s eyes widened as Shu seemed to suffer no damage. The youth twisted his body, doing a rising bash with his hammer at Shu''s chest. Shu''s other hand stopped the hammer again.


    "What the fuck! It can''t be! My lightning can kill Spirit Shamans like trash! Like vermin!" the youth cried as he rained a storm of lightning serpents at Shu with a wave of his hand as he jumped back. Shu held his arms out, like a boy leaning over the rails of a ship at sea to feel the breeze. Everyone watched, awed and terrified as Shu was not damaged at all. Shu smirked and used his Great Spirit Integration technique to make a sound wave, blasting the youth back. Gatral spat a mouthful of blood as he crashed against the ground twice.


    "Immunity to lightning?" one of the powerful delegates brooded.


    "It has to be. Damn. How did he achieve that? Resistance is one thing, but immunity?" another murmured.


    "Wait, isn''t that Miura Agemo?" a boy the same age as Shu frowned. It was Li Jiro, the mage from Sky Angel Academy who found the bead Shu hid in the root wall. "He''s really Lu Shu, the second prince of the Yan Dynasty?"


    "He''s that Agemo you saw kill a humanoid Hyperion?" a man who seemed to be his uncle asked. "The rest of our ancient clans heard about him before. He''s a true Archon, like your father. You''re not a Practitioner so you were exiled from the clan, living with your mother and father. Luckily, I found you at Sky Angel Academy while picking up my son."


    "Mages are everything to the ancient clans. They don''t care to protect a mage child from a slaughter from the Hyperion," Jiro waved, not blaming his uncle as he tried to find Jiro before.


    "That''s Jiro, the mage novice I met a while back. He''s wearing the bead necklace I hid?" Shu observed, not even looking at Gatral who kept throwing spears of lighting at him as Shu made sure his bead necklace was not showing out of his armor. "So I was right. Someone would find the bead and not the Hyperion. Now I know who has the other one. I wonder if the Hyperion know they''re missing two?"


    "Look at me when you fight me!" Gatral cried, despair creeping in his heart. "Look at me! Don''t ignore me!"


    "You only have one element?" Shu sighed. "How disappointing."


    Shu  nimbly dodged a strike from his hammer and high kicked him from beneath the chin. As Gatral''s body lifted into the air, Shu spun and smashed his elbow into Gatral, sending him back as his chest burst with blood. Shu smirked as he put a palm on Gatral''s head. Everyone paled as they saw a light purple flame, Shu''s flames from his innate demon ability, burn all over Gatral''s head. However, it burned Gatral''s spirit energy and not his flesh. Gatral screamed as Shu''s hand went inside Gatral, wrenching out the Mystic Stone.


    "For the crime of stealing from the Imperial Lu Clan of the Yan Dynasty, I condemn to death," Shu said as he let go of Gatral''s body, draining the Mystic Stone dry before tossing it aside like trash as he reached for the head. Shu closed his eyes and began draining the living spirit technique, his water spirit technique screaming with joy in his subconscious. As he already absorbed the essence of a Sword Immortal with the lightning affinity, it was easy to drain the living spirit technique. Now, Shu knew he could manipulate his lightning just as well as his water and ice.


    "The criminal is dead. My generals, march to this thief''s clan and slaughter them all. I, as sect leader, order the Gold Yan Guards!" Lu Yi roared. Fifty Spirit Masters and Mage Lords, a small portion of Lu Yi''s sect, appeared and bowed before the emperor and his family before leaving to do the job. Gatral was a delegate so his identity and connections were already investigated and confirmed.


    "Uncle Jang, there are so many," Jiro noted as the generals departed.


    "Indeed. Most people think the Yan Dynasty is weak as they care little for how much land they rule. It is because the imperial family is one of elite Practitioners and mages nearly at the level of the ancient clans. However, their weakest Spirit Sage, Ancestor Lu Feng, is so powerful, he wiped out one of the strongest ancient clans and reduced their numbers to nine. He is only one of five and openly declared himself as the weakest. Just imagine the power the Lu Clan would have if they decided to invade and destroy the martial sects and academies within the nation," Jiro''s uncle said. "Even the patriarch of our Li Clan is unsure if he can take on Ancestor Lu Feng alone with all of the elite of our clan."


    "He will be my rival," Jiro said.


    "You''re a mage," his uncle said.


    "In the Pantheon of Devils, mages are more valued and more likely to survive as Practitioners usually do all the fighting as mages offer support," Jiro said. "I''m sure the children, nieces, and nephews of the other delegates feel the same."


    "What is this strange feeling?" Shu wondered as he spread out his spirit energy. He could feel as if the land were breathing, as if the planet was alive. He closed his eyes and could feel the vibrations of the ground beneath the tiles of the plaza. He could feel it move as he wished, as if he controlled the planet. His eyes widened as he could access the planet''s life force more easily, as if the ground were barriers that just dissolved by his touch. His mind wandered deeper into the planet. As he saw the core of the world, Lu Shu cried out in shock.


    "Don''t say a word," Lu Feng said as he appeared behind him in a flash, startling all the people present as they could not even detect his movement or breathing.


    "What is this?" Lu Shu asked, mentally communicating with his ancestor.


    "You are a Golden Earth Fiend. You can now control the earth element. I suggest not using it at all in public, like a secret weapon. It will make it easier for you to escape. You sensed something in the core of the planet. The Great Ancestor''s predictions are truly profound," Lu Feng replied.


    "The heart of the planet is alive?" Shu asked incredulously. "That''s impossible. The [Titan Creator] manual said..."


    "It did not say that how the Titan died. It said how its body was divided and used to make the planet. The Titan really did die, but it was pregnant. That is what the Great Ancestor told me and why the Bone Demon, the Overseer of the planet, did not destroy or eat it to follow the other two Overseers. As a Practitioner connected to this planet''s life force, and as a Golden Earth Fiend, it is no wonder you were able to detect it without being an immortal. If an immortal descended to the Mortal Realm and discovered the secret, all hell would break loose," Lu Feng answered. "Wait until your demonic body stabilizes before controlling the earth element. Wait until the Archon Phoenix tier, just like condensing to the eighth level."


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    "Who else knows about this?" Shu asked.


    "No one but you, me, the Bone Demon, and the Great Ancestor. You three had the power to detect it. Me, I had my own method during my younger days. Come, you must meditate and start converting the human spirit energy into demonic spirit energy. The younger delegates will also gather in the throne room with you and your sister. You will sit at your father''s throne. It is time you acted like a prince as those younger delegates will try to play politics with you. Your sister.....is a lazy human. At least Lu Kui is a demi-demon. She actually has the power," Lu Feng grinned as they left the plaza, the younger delegates and Lu Mei also doing so to allow the adults to drink and chat. "I will just be there to insure no one tries to take your life."


    "While I am at the palace, can you teach me the way of the sword? I have experience killing beasts, but not much against humans my age. I also need tutoring in controlling my darkness and earth elements," Shu asked.


    "Not to worry. I will teach you before you are sent, as a general, to combat the Hyperion with our forces and allies," Lu Feng smiled as Lu Shu sat on his father''s throne, his sister sitting on his mother''s throne to his left with Hao in her arms. Supaiku was in his full fifteen feet form and laid, on the ground, to his right. Lu Feng seemed to disappear, but Spook told him that Lu Feng was in the shadows, detecting the sentient, demonic ring Lu Feng wore.


    "Greetings, Prince Shu. Long live Emperor Lu Yi. Long live Second Prince Lu Shu. The Yan Dynasty rules eternal," young members of the Lu Clan and the delegates greeted as they took their respective seats in the throne room. Shu had his eyes closed as he was regulating the human spirit energy. While waiting for him to start the feast, some delegates ate some of their food and began pondering about what they saw. The rumors from many years ago sprouted some doubts, but seeing Lu Shu rip out someone''s Mystic Stone in front of their very eyes confirmed the rumor.


    With his gold robe destroyed, people saw the Black Snake God leather armor Shu wore. He looked like a fallen warrior of the heavens. The white silver headband emitting small snowflakes around his head, a strong contrast to his absolute black hair and glowing tiger stripes under his eyes. Among the younger delegates, there were a five true Archons who were at the Archon Phoenix tier. These five were obviously members of the main branches of some of the nine ancient clans. Only those clans, with their many resources and knowledge about true Archons, could possibly have their descendants at the Archon Phoenix tier before the age of twenty or thirty. All the people in the throne room were below twenty and were mixes of Practitioners and mages. Besides the ancient clan representatives, the strongest Practitioner was at the eighth stage while the strongest mage was an Elite Mage. Mages grew in power more quickly as their development was dependent on their mana pools, spells, rituals, and knowledge on magic.


    "It seems I kept you all waiting," Shu said as he relaxed on his father''s throne, opening his eyes. "In place of my brother, currently leading an expedition in Hyperion lands, I will be presiding this feast for those below the age of twenty. Some of you mages are Elite Mages. Sister, you need to grow stronger. They are younger than you."


    "Quiet!" Lu Mei snapped as she pet Hao.


    "Pardon my intrusion, Your Majesty," a young man began. "Did you really rip out the Mystic Stone out of that man? May I ask what he stole?"


    "His ancestor stole a spirit technique from the Lu Imperial Vault. He tarnished the honor of my ancestor who was foolish to believe no one could enter the vault, or so I believe. The result is that he was confirmed to own the stolen technique and I was ordered to silence him," Shu said. "His clan will be annihilated soon."


    "Ah," the young man said. "Your Majesty, I am a Practitioner of the Shao Clan and at the beginning phase of the Archon Phoenix tier. My name is Ivan Shao, Shao Ivan in these lands. I believe you met my cousin, Shao Ivy. As I recall, you had blonde hair white fur fox ears, and no tiger stripes under your eyes. Perhaps Your Majesty went to the Spirit Road?"


    "Oh? How did you know? I am at the ninth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation," Shu lied, not surprised as the boy was from the ancient clans.


    "Spirit Road? He went there? So soon?" some delegates whispered as the Lu Tian and Lu Qing said nothing. BY the order of their parents, they were forbidden from telling anyone else, in the Lu Clan, about their parents reaching the Spirit Master tier and about any knowledge on totems. Thus, they were the only Lu Clan members, present in the throne room, who knew Shu''s true cultivation stage.


    "That guardian lion, in Princess Mei''s hands, is a Spirit Beast. According to the knowledge of my clan, there is no guardian lion magical beast," Shao Ivan bowed.


    "As expected of the Shao Clan. Yes, Little Hao is a Spirit Beast and I do have a totem. However, I am forbidden from using it as I am at the ninth stage. If I use it and accidentally use the power of my spirit reactors, I might die. After all, I am at the ninth stage. If it wasn''t for my clan''s special method, I would have gone to the Spirit Road as soon as the tenth stage," Shu lied, shrugging as if he didn''t care.


    "Impressive. It does make sense to have a totem if you have a Spirit Beast, Your Majesty," one of the delegates cried, the others nodding as they believed Shu''s lies.


    "I believe Your Majesty has two magical beasts already bonded to your soul?" one of the delegates from the ancient clans asked. "Ah, pardon me. Your Majesty, I am Li Jiro. Do you remember me?"


    "Jiro. Yeah, I remember you. I thought your town was annihilated by the Hyperion? To come from the ancient clan of Li, I see the truth now. Did you perhaps find out what the Hyperion were trying to find?" Shu asked, already knowing the answer to his own question as he guessed Jiro''s status.


    "Yes, mages are not valued much. Luckily, Uncle Jang found me at Sky Angel Academy. As for Your Majesty''s question, we did find something."


    "I see. As for your earlier question, I have two magical beasts. One is an Emerald Steel Dragon named Bahamut. He is free to devour any intruders, near my pagoda, alive. Supaiku, this tiger here, is a Gold-Eyed Lightning Tiger. I am embarrassed to say they are a tier above me, at the Spirit Knight tier. Such is the inevitability of a Saint level magical beast. Their growth rate and potential is too astounding," Shu said, although he was much stronger than they were.


    "Oh. It is good that they are Saint level magical beasts. Otherwise, Your Majesty would be at a loss," Jiro grinned.


    "Just call me Shu. I must admit, I used an alias when I met you as Miura Agemo," Shu said, shocking some of the delegates.


    "He''s that Agemo who won that Kasara tournament? The one where Spirit Sage or Spirit Master  Julius went overboard?" some of the delegates muttered.


    "Shu then," Jiro grinned. "I guess you did not know. At the Pantheon of Devils, there are more than spirit techniques, mage spells, and magical items. Some lucky people get to contract with magical beasts there. Even if they are not at the Saint level, each of them come from a different planet in the Mortal Realm. Thus, they are one-of-a-kind and obviously powerful to be placed in the Pantheon of Devils. I understand Emperor Lu Yi has no magical beasts as he intends to contract with three magical beasts there. It''s a good thing, Shu, you only have two and at the Saint level."


    "Dad really had no magical beast?" Shu asked Mei who nodded.


    "Where is this guy going?" Mei pouted as Hao leapt from her lap and headed outside.


    "Ah, right. I didn''t get rid of the body outside," Shu laughed, chilling some of the people with fear. "That little kitten...I really need to find some way to control him."


    "Your Spirit Beast won''t look like what it did when it was killed, Your Majesty," one of the delegates of the ancient clans, another of the Archon Phoenix Practitioners, said. "When they are contracted, they lose all memories, save their powers and techniques, with the chance to gain new ones and grow into something else. It may be a guardian lion now, but it might also grow into something else, like a dragon."


    "What?" Shu  started, incredulous. "It is obviously a feline. How could it become reptilian? Moreover, turn into a dragon?"


    "Spirit Beasts are creatures beyond any understanding. That is why no one really cares what Spirit Beast they contract, only caring about its attributes and current powers. I imagine Your Majesty is immune to lightning because of it," the delegate answered.


    "No. I gained immunity from fire from it," Shu said darkly, scaring some people. "My lightning immunity came from a difference source. As I recall, Spirit Beasts often give high resistance, not immunity. The fact that I did is due to my clan''s special method. What''s your name?"


    "My name is Matsuda Ken. Anyway, your Spirit Beast is at the infant stage. When people enter the Archon Phoenix tier, that is when it enters its juvenile stage, no matter how small it looks. They also enter their true form. It is because its very nature is changed due to the Practitioner and the item used to make the totem," Ken answered, with a slight bow.


    "It appears there is more than I thought," Shu brooded aloud as Hao returned, smacking its lips as it hopped onto Shu''s lap. "Pity. I rather like a guardian lion. They are awesome statues."


    "Statues?" Ken asked, titling his head in confusion. "Ah, forgive me. Your Majesty, may I address you informally?"


    "You gave me good information," Shu nodded. "Speak."


    "The Pantheon of Devils opens in less than four years. As a true Archon, you are already stronger than a Spirit Knight of the first and second stage. People who judge based on a criteria are narrow-minded, like the delegate thief who died," Ken said. "May I ask what you plan to do now?"


    "I plan to train under my ancestor, Lu Feng. I finally get to stay home, for once, without leaving before a full day has passed," Shu laughed incredulously. "I need more experience and could use his guidance. Why?"


    "I was wondering if you were going to go on one of the expeditions to the Hyperion lands," Ken asked.


    "He will," a voice said, paralyzing everyone with fear as they felt an incalculable spirit force descend on them. They looked at the direction it came from and immediately stood up and bowed their heads at Lu Feng.


    "Greetings, Ancestor Lu Feng," they shouted.


    "Oh, sit down. I didn''t mean to scare you all," Lu Feng waved, the people sitting down with relief.


    "I''m going on the expedition?" Shu asked.


    "Yes. I was going to teach you, but going on an expedition in Hyperion lands is better," Lu Feng said.


    "Also, you have a chance to look at the ruins that magical beast Spirit Sage talked about," Lu Feng added, mentally communicating the words.


    "What about the tutoring?" Shu asked.


    "You don''t need it," Lu Feng said. "The best way to learn is through life-or-death situations. You will go to the expedition in three months. Until then, I will be teaching you."


    "Oh. Okay," Shu grinned.


    "You will also be in the expedition?" Lu Feng asked Ken and Jiro. "It would be good if you did. It is good to have friends and rivals. Friendly competition makes one stronger. I will personally lead the expedition. It is open to all mages and Practitioners who have my approval. We meet in three months. This feast is over. The adults outside should be done talking mortal politics. I don''t get why they care about politics when it takes a swing of a hand to annihilate an army."

 Book 2: Chapter 21- War Preparations

    (Author: Hello! I hope you liked the last chapter. Matsuda Ken and Li Jiro, those two are Lu Shu''s new friends and rivals. I wanted to introduce people who would appear alongside Shu in his adventures like General Meng Ce did. Now Shu trains and news of the expedition, expected to be led by Lu Feng, shocks entire nations and clans. Not only is it an opportunity to venture into the Hyperion lands, they also get a chance to meet Lu Feng and possibly gain a good rapport. Enjoy.)


    ---------Chapter 21: War Preparations-----------


    Just like that, the feast was ended. When the children and relatives of the delegates returned to their elders, widespread chaos appeared as they heard the news. The second prince, only a true Archon at the ninth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation, actually entered Spirit Road and obtained a totem and Spirit Beast. What immortal path he followed, no one knows. Just that alone shocked them as Practitioners who followed an immortal cultivation were automatically superior to other Practitioners and mages.


    When the younger generations told them the news of an expedition to Hyperion led was being made, with Lu Feng personally leading it, many people fainted or fell on their ass in shock. Who was Lu Feng? He was the legendary Spirit Sage who annihilated an ancient clan full of Fiend Adepts and Fiend Immortals, the echelons of all true Archons. Even though Lu Feng claimed he was the weakest, no one had ever seen the other four Spirit Sages fight. Now Lu Feng was personally leading an expedition to Hyperion lands? Those who joined the expedition were sure to obtain fabulous treasures and get to be closer to Lu Feng!


    The Matsuda Clan were more than pleased that Ken was personally invited to the expedition and already made friends with Lu Shu. His wise use of telling Lu Shu important information made his clan very pleased. Some of the elders were already worried of angering Lu Feng and suffering the same fate as the tenth ancient clan. Thanks to Ken, they could breathe easier. Li Jiro was also praised by his clan. Of all the mages of the Li Clan, only mages who are Magus, Arch Magus, and Magic Overlords were respected and welcomed back into the main branch, if they were a part of it.


    Jiro, being the son of the fourth son of the patriarch, was exiled for being a mage. If he was a member of the sub branches, maybe his parents would not have been exiled and massacred. He only had nothing but contempt for the main clan, save for his uncle and cousin. As both Ken and Jiro were allowed to bring along one other person, the patriarchs of both of their clans were incessantly referring people to them.


    "That''s it," Lu Feng said as the three month training was nearing its end. "Let your darkness take hold. Do not fight it. All life has a shadow. Let it take you in. Become one with the darkness."


    "Yes, master," Lu Shu said, addressing his ancestor as ''master'' ever since they began their training. It was decided that Supaiku and Bahamut would train in the hunting grounds of the Lu Clan, hunting magical beasts and training as a magical beast should. While they were sad to be separated, all three knew it was the best decision. Wraith, and obviously Spook, remained with Lu Shu. Little Hao''s participation in the expedition was unquestioned, as it was Shu''s Holy Spirit Beast.


    Shu had spent the last three months training his control and power over darkness and earth. During the day, he would train in sword techniques and often sparred with Lu Feng. He would obtain scarring wounds, which healed due to his true Archon body. He never fought with his Nether Tiger Sword, Lu Feng telling him his dependence of the sword would limit his potential if they were separated. Lu Shu had to train from the basics with the eight weapons all humanoids had: two fists, two feet, two knees, and two elbows. Shu also had to learn grappling techniques. Shu often felt as if he was in a mixed martial arts gym, constantly learning new styles and improving and incorporating them into his own as he practiced the Sundering Thorn Scripture.


    It was the immortal spirit technique of a Sword Immortal. The martial arts emphasized in turning the body into a sword, teaching him how to turn his fingers, arms, and legs into swords. Shu would often meditate, focusing on maintaining his spirit energy in the form of swords for hours. Eventually, Shu could make an exact replica of the Nether Tiger Sword and fight with his spirit energy as a sword in itself. By the first month, Shu would spar with Lu Feng with swords made of spirit energy.


    He also practiced his control over earth, an element that was very different than water, darkness, and lightning. Water was fluid, an element meant to be guided and not controlled. He would make the water flow, suddenly increasing the pressure and temperature of the water at the opportune moment. Darkness was illusive and unrestricted. It could take the shape of anything he pleased and strike with stealth before the opponent could react. Darkness was an element of subtlety and stealth. Fighting head-on with the element is only for those who have mastered swallowing the light with darkness. Lightning was an element of speed and power. It was incredibly fast and moved as directed. In terms of speed, it lost to the light element. However, it was unrivaled in burst of power. Just one hit could blow the opponent away, or incinerate him.


    The earth element was slow and sturdy. Among defenses, the earth element reined supreme. Among strategic employ on the battlefield, earth mages and Practitioners sowed the most chaos on land, altering the landscape to their advantage. It was not an element for speed but endurance, like a walking fortress that could never fall. As Shu studied the earth element the least, he had trouble grasping how to use it at first. He was taught the only demonic earth spirit technique the Great Ancestor taught his descendants: the Great Fissure technique. It was a technique that reigned supreme on battlefields. Spreading the spirit energy forward, like a waterfall falling into a river, the earth would crack and diverge. It would swallow all in its path and the fissure was as long as the spirit energy applied to the technique. It was not a technique meant for killing in one-on-one duels. It was a technique meant to destroy the land of those who wronged you.


    "The sword is the ultimate weapon. It is capable of stabs, parries, lunges, strikes, blocks, slashes, hacks, parries, and flicks. It is a weapon of skill, speed, and precision. The blade is thin and sharp, losing out in range and simplicity in learning. It is worthless if used with brute strength, like a woodcutter using his axe to cut down a tree," Lu Feng said. "Did you feel a shock to your arm as you swung your sword during our spars?"


    "Yes, master," Shu answered.


    "A proper cut will not shock the arm. If it does, you swung the sword with all your might. You have grasped the knowledge to move without excess movement, but addicting yourself to parrying has made using all you strength behind your swings a bad habit," Lu Feng said. "You usually countered a strike so it never happened. However, if the opponent was too powerful or fast, you do not have that luxury. Had you missed, the force of your blow would carry your arm out of position and allowed your opponent to take advantage."


    "What must I do?" Shu asked.


    "Different than  hand and leg techniques, your sword blows must be powerful enough to kill if they land. They must also be quick and light enough so you can recover and defend yourself, or strike again, if you miss or are parried," Lu Feng answered. "Another thing, when you aim your cuts at an angle, swinging the sword slightly backwards to yourself as it strikes; you will be more likely to slice through your opponent cleanly. It is also easier to transition and change the direction of your sword after every strike. The sword require finesse. Remember that."


    Shu''s training at the day included learning the earth element, sword techniques, bare-handed martial arts, and strategy on warfare. While Lu Feng leads the expedition, he cannot lead the military personnel as he is way above the Spirit Shaman tier. Lu Shu was one of the generals in charge of controlling the military personnel while Lu Feng was in charge of everyone else above the Spirit Shaman tier, including mages who are Elite Mages or higher. For some reason, Adept Mages are tolerated in the armies by the Heavens, even though they are as stronger as Spirit Knights from the first to third stage. That was another reason mages were highly valued by nations.


    There was an old, established saying: "Practitioners are admired by the individual. They symbolize power and immortality. Mages are nobles admired by the nations. It is through them that their armies stand victorious."


    At night, Shu trained in the element of darkness. Even as he slept, his body constantly absorbed spirit energy. In an underground training area, Shu trained his archery skills and his Eye of Execution skill. Now he could use Sentinel Bow with regular sized arrows but with twice the power. His aim had also improved and his accuracy improved beyond his previous range. He knew he condensed too much power into his arrows during the third trial in Spirit Road.


    "Remember, poison is a part of you," Lu Feng said, as the morning of the gathering of the expedition members had arrived. "It is in your Nether Tiger Sword, your Armored Ocean Tiger God spirit had a snake tail, and even the Titan is a poisonous creature. Separate the poison from the planet''s life force, the very spirit energy of the planet. You are a person who cultivates poison. You are a person who walks the path of Sword Immortals. You have found no offensive capability for your darkness. It is an element perfect for poison. Mix the poison with your darkness."


    "I''m trying," Shu said as beads of sweat poured from his brow. He yelled in pain as snakes made of darkness coiled around him, its eyes glowing emerald. The darkness constantly shifted, as if it were living. Lu Feng smiled as he knew that Shu had succeeded. Now his darkness carried poison, poison made from his very sword spirit energy and the various toxins Shu''s body absorbed and assimilated.


    "Well done," Lu Feng said as Shu panted, the darkness dissipating and allowing light to return in the room. "Your power over darkness has reached adequate levels, now capable of being used offensively as well as a utility to cloak yourself in shadows and increase your movement. Now, it is time to talk about the expedition and our goals."


    "I know I am one of the nine generals with ten thousand soldiers under my command," Shu nodded.


    "The commander-in-chief of this military expedition is General Meng Ce. Yes, the same general who taught you. He is now a Spirit Shaman of the ninth stage. He is being careful to stay at the peak so as to not enter the Spirit Knight tier and stop being a military man. Your ten thousand man army is called The Tiger Army. Each of the armies is named after the spirit of the general. Your unit is comprised of Practitioners and mages of the Lu Clan due to the sub branches already knowing who you are and are easier to accept your orders. I am having an Elite Mage and an Archon Phoenix Practitioner be your advisors. You already know them both. Li Jiro will help explain the mages combat abilities as you are a Practitioner and not a mage. Matsuda Ken, being a member of the main branch of one of the nine ancient clans, will advise you on the layouts and usual strategies and abilities of the Hyperion. As they are above the Spirit Knight tier, they will not be able to fight as part of the army," Lu Feng smiled mischievously. "Don''t worry. The people I lead will take care of anyone above the Spirit Shaman tier."


    "Do we have a destination?" Shu asked as Lu Feng and Lu Shu entered a room with a basic layout of the land.


    "We will first make our way into the Hyperion lands through Giant''s Chains," Lu Feng said.


    "The islands of the gigantic magical beasts? An army passing through an island chain is not easy. We have to constantly move from land to sea and sea to land," Shu said.


    "The Yan Dynasty already controls the western islands. Naturally, bridges connect the islands due to many mages," Lu Feng explained. "Our main problem lies on the main lands. There are several ruined cities. Legend has it, this world used to be ruled by humans who used science to kill the magical beasts as they did not have the power to use spirit energy yet. As evolution came about, humans who could use spirit energy appeared and were able to fight the magical beasts even better than science. When magic came about, science was discarded as it was too costly and less convenient. I believe it is through the discarded technologies of ancient civilizations that the Hyperion are becoming stronger and the reason for their experimentations on themselves."


    "It sounds similar to Earth. Could it be? Did some life forms reincarnate on this planet, long ago, as I did?" Shu frowned, thoughts racing in his head. "The technology might be lost but data on physical experimentation might have survived. Maybe the ancient civilization was more primitive than Earth, or more advanced that gunfire was considered obsolete and discarded. It''s the only thing that makes sense."


    "The Hyperion could read the texts, right master?" Shu asked.


    "Yes. They certainly did, based on my covert explorations there," Lu Feng nodded.


    "I don''t like this. Their new leader must have some connection to the ancient civilizations. According to the chief I met in Spirit Road, there are rare cases that a soul is able to remember the memories of its past lives. Either that, or this Hyperion ventured into the Spirit Road and was told of his or her past life," Shu said.


    "The former is highly unlikely," Lu Feng shook his head. "However, the latter might be true. If it is, it must be a half-breed Hyperion and a traitor to its other half''s race. Our goal is to venture into a hidden ruin I found that the Hyperion have not. One the way, we will conquer and establish a base in a ruined fortress they use to make their experiments. This expedition is extremely important for our Yan Dynasty, as a whole. Our Lu Clan is not really affected as we could simply kill them all."


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    "The moment we conquer the fortress is when I am relieved of my duties and when we explore the lands and ruins?" Shu asked.


    "Yes. That is correct," Lu Feng said. "That is when we no longer need the army. It will get more dangerous from there. The weaker people will explore the ruin I told you about: the hidden one. Your main goal is to find anything I missed as I skimmed over it and destroyed some of the dangers a Spirit Shaman, and mage equivalent, could not survive.. Those of us above the Spirit Shaman tier, besides your two friends, are responsible for searching another ruin, one heavily guarded and recently found by the Hyperion. They must be trying to find something there."


    "What about the other expedition? The one with elder brother, Lu Xing?" Shu asked.


    "His expedition is in the northern lands and a joint military campaign with the Jakkom Empire. It is led by the magical beast Spirit Sage: Light. He''ll survive. He''s an Arch Mage. Unless it is a Spirit Master and mage equivalent, he will survive," Lu Feng waved. "It is time for you to meet the other eight generals. Your Tiger Army is the ninth army. Some generals will try to test your power. Try not to kill any of them. Some of them are more experienced in battle than you. It is time to reveal the Sentinel Bow to the World. It will symbolize your army''s might and is a Divine Weapon."


    "We greet the honorable ancestor!" Thousands of men and women bowed as Lu Feng and Lu Shu appeared. "Long live Ancestor Lu Feng. Long live Prince Lu Shu. The Yan Dynasty reigns eternal!"


    All eyes stared at the two people standing on the steps before the main pavilion that housed the throne. Those two figures standing atop were like gods descending in front of men. Lu Feng had changed into a simple white robe with gold collars and cuffs. Every step he made floor the earth beneath him. The young man next to him gave off a cold and oppressive atmosphere. Due to constantly bathing in poison and training in darkness, Lu Shu''s body seemed to drain the light into his body, darkness permeating from his body like an aura. He wore shining black armor with a tiger''s skull on the front.


    This same armor was his Black Snake God armor that Lu Feng changed, with the held of the Great Ancestor. It was now the Black Tiger God Armor, made of metal with  tiger skull as the Great Ancestor tampered with it and improved upon it. Only Lu Yi, Lu Shu, and Lu Feng knew the Great Ancestor left the Yan Dynasty, taking his five best Spirit Sages and wife with him. While changing the armor, it was the last time they saw the Great Ancestor. No doubt, he had already arrived at the Realm Gates and met with the Keeper of the Gate.


    "By my power, Lu Shu is the ninth general of this expedition. Henceforth, he will be a general of ten thousand and the army will be known as the Tiger Army. Any general who wishes to challenge him, to see his worth, come forth. Clear the central plaza!" Lu Feng roared.


    As the plaza cleared, a middle-aged general stepped forward, saying, "I, General Sun Zhong of the Sword Army, wish to challenge Second Prince Lu Shu! I must test his worth!"


    Soldiers and guests buzzed as they saw the middle-aged man stand in the center of the plaza. He was a renown general in the west, fighting other nations that wished to conquer the Yan Dynasty. All eyes then turned to Lu Shu, snowflakes appearing and disappearing from his silver headband. Lu Shu nonchalantly walked to the center of the plaza, gesturing the general to begin.


    "You will not draw your sword?" the general asked.


    "My sword appears only when I need to kill," Shu said as an emerald sword made of spirit energy appeared in his right hand. "This will suffice. Do not think it can''t block your Practitioner weapon. I cultivate on the path of Sword Immortals."


    "WHAT!" a lot of people shouted, clearly disturbed by the news. Seeing the spirit sword, they knew he must have reached the tenth stage, but they could not sense his power. Right now, they could not sense any spirit energy in his body. It was as if Lu Shu was an ordinary mortal with no mana and no spirit energy.


    "You''re hiding your power. Allow me to reveal it!" Sun Zhong roared as huge spear appeared in his hand. It had a golden shaft with a white dragon''s head at the top, the spear head emerging from its open mouth as if the dragon attempted to swallow it from behind. "You may be at the tenth stage, but I have killed countless people!"


    "As many as me?" Shu asked, people crying out as a aura of blood appeared around him. This was his killing intent. When Shu accepted the truth of his past, his whole body and manner changed, accepting the fact that he was responsible for so many deaths and embracing it to become stronger.


    "Blood aura?" one of the mages gasped as the people who were to be led by Lu Feng were above the Spirit Shaman tier.


    "Before, it was a violet, baleful aura. It was an aura of killers. Why did it change?" one of the Practitioners asked.


    "The second prince has embraced it. It''s similar to cultivating death energy. However, this aura does not give an oppressive feeling," Li Jang, Jiro''s uncle, answered. "This is the aura of a true Archon who has slaughtered millions and embraced his ruthless nature. Death energy fuels his power. The more he kills, the more powerful he becomes. It is another reason true Archons are feared. Other people might have auras that instill fear and pressure, but ours do not. It empowers us instead of acting as an utility."


    "You must be a true Archon of the ancient clans," one of them noted.


    "I am a mere Fiend Adept, not even considered an ant in front of Ancestor Lu Feng," Li Jang nodded. "Although I am not the most powerful guest here. I may equal a Spirit Sage of lower stages, but one woman is above and beyond them and me."


    "Little Jang, I hope you are not talking about me?" a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties smiled. "Eternal youth is hard to come by. I am a Fiend Immortal, but even I am nothing to Ancestor Lu Feng. Not to mention, the honorable ancestor claims to be the weakest of the Yan Dynasty''s five Spirit Sages."


    "Granny Miko," Ken said, shrinking back as he called her that. "I mean Aunt Miko. Please, let us enjoy the show."


    "A fake Archon challenging a true Archon. I see no point here. I can only hope his experience makes us see his totem," Miko said as they all stared at the plaza.


    General Sun Zhong appeared to have finished making his preparations, covering his spear with fire as he reinforced his armor with spirit energy. Shu told Hao to stand by Lu Feng as he told the Holy Spirit Beast he had no aims to kill the general. By the time the general had finished his preparations, the smell of blood filled the plaza and some people believed they could taste it if they approached Shu''s blood aura.


    "Time to test your worth!" the general roared, sprinting toward Shu. Shu narrowed his eyes as he deflected the spear head with the side of his sword. Due to successfully parrying the spear, the general was knocked off balance and Shu grabbed the spear, kicking the general''s head as he leapt over it with the spear in his hand. The general shook his head and blocked the sword stroke that was aimed at his chest, grunting as he took eight steps back as his arms numbed.


    "What strength!" the soldiers cried.


    "Worthy to be our general. As expected of the main clan," one of the soldiers wearing black and orange armor commented. In the plaza, only the captains and lieutenants of the generals were there as there was no way to fit so many men. However, the guests who would follow Lu Feng had all gathered, standing on the walls and buildings at the sides and back of the plaza. Many soldiers felt unease seeing so many outsiders present as they watched the prince and general fight.


    General Sun Zhong refused to give up and kept fighting Lu Shu, occasionally stepping back so as to keep out of Shu''s range while taking advantage of the spear''s longer reach. Shu narrowed his eyes and his spirit sword changed to a sword five feet long, but was practically weightless in his hands. The general cried out due to the sudden change and relied on the flexibility of the spear to negate some of the more powerful blows of the large sword.


    Sun Zhong cried out, swords of fire appearing around him. As he held the spear with his right hand, he pointed at Shu. The swords of fire flew in his direction and Shu merely waved his hands, freezing the fire into blocks of ice. Everyone shuddered as they saw flame-shaped ice land and crack on the floor. How cold was Shu''s ice to easily freeze moving fire swords? Shu seemed to pause, enviously staring at the flame shaped ice as he recalled his lost ability.


    "I....I have lost," General Sun Zhong said grudgingly. "His control over water surpasses my fire, even freezing it so easily. His sword techniques are also solid with such tyrannical; strength. Having an army follow a strong Practitioner of the immortal paths, the prince is worthy."


    "Thank you for your guidance," Shu said, his spirit sword disappearing. "However, my true capabilities, as a general, lies on the field and not my own combat prowess."


    "Wise words," Lu Feng laughed as all eyes turned to him. "I hope all the generals accept that Lu Shu can fight well. I hope you judge how he is, as a general, and teach him some pointers during the expedition. We will now head to the rest of the troops to finish our preparations. Great General Meng Ce should be arriving at sunset. At dawn, we move to conquer the Hyperion lands!"


    "Yes, Ancestor Lu Feng!" the generals said, bowing to the prince before leaving with their men.


    "Don''t brood on the Li Clan. My father abandoned you. He has no right to tell you anything," Li Jang said. "Advise Lu Shu well."


    "Yes, uncle," Jiro said as he walked to Shu who was heading to his army''s quarters with his captains and lieutenants behind him.


    "Make the Matsuda Clan proud," Miko said, Ken bowing as he also followed Shu.


    "He will be fine," Lu Feng said as he entered the throne room, Lu Yi brooding on his throne. "He was trained by me. It is only after the lab is conquered, will Shu be in danger."


    "I know. I just can''t help but think about Xing''s report. According to the intel, the Hyperion are trying to find a map to the ancient tree of legend. Those bastards still aim to revive their god and ancestor, Malikutai the Divine," Lu Yi growled.


    "No one knows, but us, that Lu SHu has the map they seek. It is safe within Spook," Lu Feng said. "Not even Lu Shu knows we know. However, I confirmed Meng Ce''s suspicions. When that Li Jiro arrived, three months ago, he had the same bead as Lu Shu albeit not a vermillion wing within. According to a text I found, the Hyperion need a specific Practitioner weapon, mage staff, a map, a magical beast core of a Spirit Beast, and the five beads. Lu Shu has three items they need. Once they find out about Lu Shu...."


    "They will stop at nothing to rip out his first spirit reactor and steal the bead and necklace," Lu Yi nodded. "However, no one can rip out a Mystic Stone, or Mystic Crystal, and loot it. As far as I know, only Lu Shu is capable of such a feat."


    "They don''t really need to rip it out. They just need to find out what type of Spirit Beast core the first spirit reactor uses," Lu Feng answered. "Lucky for us, it is a Chaos Spirit Beast core. They are much harder to find. After all, three of the ancient clans cultivate the Devil Immortal path. It is obvious they capture and hoard them all."


    "Please watch over him, Ancestor Feng. Lu Shu died once. I don''t want this Lu Shu to die as well," Lu Yi said.


    "You''re not bothered he is another spirit?" Lu Feng grinned.


    "The first Lu Shu was weak and a coward. This one is an improvement, one granted by the Heavens. How else would it escape a Keeper of the Dead?" Lu Yi laughed. "Thanks to Spook, we know what and who he is, as it assimilated his memories. Watch over him. Before the Great Ancestor finished making the improved Black Tiger God armor, he told me a Keeper of the Dead is on its way to visit Lu Shu. Apparently, Lu Shu did something again. Either that, or it comes to warn him of something."


    "Only the dead can see them. Pity," Lu Feng laughed. "Don''t worry about Shu. If that Lu Xing''s future reports have something interesting, tell me via the sentient rings we wear."


    "Don''t forget to introduce Lu Shu to his marriage prospects tonight," Lu Yi called as Lu Feng left. "I hope Lu Shu finds one of them attractive. He better not be like Lu Xing, sleeping with his maids nonchalantly. Once Lu Rong finds out he impregnated two of them.....fuck me. Maybe I should not have assigned them to attend to him on the expedition."


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


    (Author: So ends the second book. I should also update the glossary and the story description. 18+21= 39 chapters so far! Wow. I always try to have each book have a different theme so the ideas never end. I hate a hiatus because that means the ideas are at a standstill. Again, there will be tons more dialogue and character interaction in the third book. After all, most people are not one-men armies. Thanks for reading book 1 and 2. I hope you enjoy book 3. The reason I have a schedule is because I am in college and each chapter is super long. I don''t even now how many characters per chapter. HAHAHA! I just write the chapter, try to make it flow, and end it when I feel it should. I try not to have cliffhangers. Writing a story is hard and fun. Try it if you have a good idea. Haters gonna hate anyway, but some bad comments can help you improve too. I also read other stories here. Sadly, I know I can''t write sci-fi stories and have not released a single mecha side project. I just don''t know enough about machinery. Aliens? That I know but I''d like to write a mecha story with aliens too. Sorry for the rant and thanks for reading.)

 Book 3: Chapter 1- General Lu Shu

    (Author: Hello! Hour late as internet kept breaking connection. The third book has finally started. This book will consist of the remaining three and a half years until the Pantheon of Devils. Once again, the Hyperion will be prominent in the story once more. Lu Shu will have two friends, who are also rivals, to assist him as he conquers the land alongside the other eight generals under Great General Meng Ce. Now, Lu Shu meets his men for the first time. Enjoy.)


    --------------Chapter 1: General Lu Shu----------------


    Lu Shu was sitting on a black chair at the end of a long table, a map of the land stretching over the table''s surface. On his right, sat the Practitioners with Matsuda Ken sitting closest to him. On his left, sat the mages. Likewise, Li Jiro sat the closest to him. He had two five thousand man commanders as his lieutenants and five one thousand man commanders as his captains. They also sat on the table.


    "General, prince...," one of the captains began.


    "Just general is fine. We will be exiting the empire," Shu said. "Tell me our current composition."


    "Allow me," one of the lieutenants began. "I am Lieutenant General Lu Gong, a Practitioner of the ninth stage and member of the sub branch of the Lu Clan. Under my command are three thousand of the Lu Clan elite who have joined the army for over five years. All of them are Practitioners. They are the main infantrymen of our army and have fought under General Meng Ce before. The other two thousand are our cavalry. Each of them are required to contract a horse magical beast of the fourth rank or higher."


    "I am Cao Wei," a general in light armor bowed. "I am a Mage Apprentice, my class being a Lava Mage. I have the rare ability to cast fire and earth magic, with the talent to fuse both elements and use lava spells. Under my command are one thousand white mage apprentices, one thousand elemental class mages, one thousand support class mages capable of summoning and other types of magic, one thousand Practitioners who specialize in long range fighting, and the one thousand staff. These staff consists of messengers, scouts, cooks, servants, and Practitioners and mages specializing in barrier magic and formation arrays. Each member of the staff is either a Mage Apprentice or a Spirit Shaman of the fifth rank. In the entire army, there are no mage novices and the weakest Practitioner is of the fifth stage, all of the few fifth stage Spirit Shamans among the one thousand staff."


    "The fifth stage. That means they are already either Archons or true Archons. Good," Shu said. "For Mage Apprentices, I understand little. None of them can cast Advanced grade magic, right?"


    "That is correct, unless it is a special magic that runs down their lineage," Li Jiro said. "Shu, what is the plan?"


    "My ancestor, Lu Feng, wants us to travel through Giant''s Chains, to the east," Shu said.


    "General, that means we must cross through several islands to reach the Hyperion lands. I was stationed there two years ago," Lu Gong said. "We only have near half of the chain islands under our control. None of us dared to assault the heart of the island chain. In the biggest islands, none of our scouts returned alive."


    "We have no choice," Shu sighed. "No doubt, Lu Feng will tell Great General Meng Ce to march through Giant''s Chains. You can consider it the first campaign of our new army. You all know the mortality rate will be high. Not only are we facing dangers from magical beasts, we will fight Hyperion beyond Giant''s Chain. We might also come across dragons and demons."


    "We know, general," Cao Wei answered. "Most of us don''t come from powerful clans. We join the military to gain access to resources, techniques, and spells a regular citizen would never be able to attain. We joined the army, knowing the risk, for the power to change our lives."


    "The sub branches too," Lu Gong nodded. "Our resources are not as great as the main branch family. We also joined, knowing full well we might not live to see another day."


    "I see," Shu said closing his eyes. "Then make the necessary preparations. "Once they are ready, let the soldiers enjoy one last night with their loved ones."


    "Yes, general," Lu Gong and Cao Wei cried and left with the captains.


    "The lives of ten thousand lay on your shoulders," Jiro said, as the military leaders left. "Are you alright?"


    "I''m not used to this. Killing is simpler," Shu said. "I have to change the way I think, the way I act......I''ll burden you two to oversee the preparations."


    "Yes, Prince Shu," Jiro and Ken bowed their heads as Lu Shu left.


    Shu arrived in a hidden location under the palace. Currently, Shu had half his body submerged in a strange liquid as he meditated. This liquid was made by the Great Ancestor, for his wife. When the wife did not cultivate the spirit energy from the pyramid formation, she meditated in several special pools. As she had left, with the Great Ancestor and the five strongest Spirit Sages, the pools was now free to be used by Lu Yi and Lu Shu. They were the only Practitioners of the main branch who were not Spirit Sages. Thus, the pools were perfect for them as they were far weaker.


    The liquid contained the blood of the Great Ancestor in his true form as well as other alchemical ingredients. Each pool had different properties and benefits. Naturally, those with demon blood considered this pool a priceless treasure. The Great Ancestor left behind one hundred pools of his blood and other alchemical materials. Each of the nine Spirit Sages left behind were given a pool of his blood. One pool would be shared among the emperors and Lu Shu was given a pool of his blood, Lu Kui also receiving one when she formed her demonic body. The Great Ancestor left ten more pools before taking the rest with him. His wife would surely need it.


    "Cultivating in the portable demon pool?" Wraith asked as it separated from Hao''s shadow as the Spirit Beast joined Shu.


    "It helps my cultivation. Being able to carry a  pool of a Golden Earth Fiend''s blood, filled with inexhaustible demonic spirit energy, is too great. Beyond words. It''s a shame my father''s purity level is not high. The black blood never seems to dry and I feel my body becoming stronger as I bathe in it. I don''t know what else is in the pool I was given, but it feels great," Lu Shu nodded.


    "What about the lion wine?" Wraith asked.


    "This greedy kitten," Shu laughed, patting Hao''s head. "It has taken a liking to the lion wine. It does not empower me much, serving only as a supply of spirit energy to replace the loss. Luckily, Lu Feng poured all the lion wine in a magical gourd. Thanks to the gourd, the supply of lion wine is inexhaustible. However, I was told it won''t recover my demonic sword spirit energy, the energy of Sword Immortals. By then, I should find a new way to replenish spent spirit energy before all my demonic spirit energy is permanently converted."


    "Master, how goes the progress of the Sword Immortal cultivation?" Spook asked as Wraith returned to Hao''s shadow as the guardian lion cub fell asleep by the pool.


    "The Sundered Thorn Scripture is very powerful," Shu answered as he stared at the sentient ring. "By meditating under its methods, my Soul Realm is actually expanding. It''s improving my foundations. However, it will be much harder to condense my soul later on. The more my Soul Realm''s planets and galaxy radius enlarges, the bigger a planet of spirit energy must be made. The martial arts, I can grasp and I can understand sword energy better. However, it is truly difficult. The more I learn, the harder it is to progress."


    "At least you made progress with the Tralagafa Totem," Spook said as Shu stared at a small, white wood totem with engravings made of radiant purple crystals. It currently shined, on his lap, under the pool''s black blood surface.


    "Perhaps," Shu smiled. "I can create a radiant purple light barrier and chains of light. Over time, the abilities I can use will increase. I just can''t harness the power of my spirit reactors yet. I can feel it, but I can''t bring out its power. My spirit techniques have all improved, thanks to the totem. The totem is able to attract far more spirit energy and makes it easier to cultivate. Especially my Great Spirit Integration technique. Since fusing my physical body with the Armored Ocean Tiger God spirit, it''s power has increased tenfold. However, integrating the earth element is too difficult."


    "However, you have progressed on Totem Fusion. Your left arm can become that of an adult guardian lion. No matter what the infant becomes to, when it enters its juvenile state, your transformation will be that of a guardian lion," Spook comforted. "Transforming your arm can already be considered a great achievement. It is a great trump card to use. One of many."


    "Yes," Shu nodded as he left the pool, washing and changing clothes before storing the pool in Spook. "It will have to do. How goes the Phoenix Resurrection Pills? How far along are the seven pills?"


    "The Great Ancestor left the materials to make the seven pills in me. I am currently finished refining two of them within me," Spook said. "While at the Pantheon of Devils, you must be sure to find a method to enter the Archon Dragon tier. The Great Ancestor is no human and did not kill enough true Archons to devise a method for true Archons to reach the Archon Phoenix tier."


    Lu Shu slept until dawn, his body drawing spirit energy endlessly. He sighed as he wore the Black Tiger God armor and entered the barracks of his army. Everyone saluted him and waited for him to ride the collared magical beast tiger Shu once used to ride with Meng Ce. Many people gasped, recognizing the tiger to be the same as the one Meng Ce rode. Rumors had spread that the second prince, the general of Tiger Army, was once a student of Great General Meng Ce. Seeing the tiger, it appears the rumors held truth to it.


    "It''s been a long time since I rode this tiger. Pity it is but a shell of what it was before it died and was resurrected by this collar," Shu said, arriving before his tent.


    "Think about the Painting of Tralagafa the Mighty. There are no life forms in the empty canvas. You don''t need to kill the life form to trap it in," Spook reminded Shu. "This expedition is a great opportunity to fill in some of the canvas before the Pantheon of Devils. You could also seal some powerful life forms, from the Pantheon of Devils, inside it. However, the more powerful, the more space it takes up. As you get stronger, the painting''s power seems to enlarge. This is evident due to the changes I sensed when you returned from Spirit Road, at the tenth stage. All you need to do is defeat the life form and let the canvas absorb it."


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "What about the life form? Is it still as it was? I know it will have absolute loyalty and will never harm me. Still....," Shu asked.


    "It will. I can sense the properties of the item in me. However, no one should know of its existence," Spook warned. "Just like that book which trapped wraiths in its pages back in Seto''s store, many would do anything to obtain it. Who knows what happened to the owner of that book. I''m sure there are other itmes like it, but not as universal as the painting. It makes me wonder what other ultimate treasures the vault sections of the other Old Gods contain."


    "Greetings, General Lu Shu," Lu Gong and Cao Wei bowed as Lu Shu got off his magical beast.


    "A collared magical beast," Cao Wei gasped. "It even looks like the one Great General Meng Ce rides."


    "It''s nothing compared to the Gold-Eyed Lightning Tiger, Supaiku," Lu Gong said. "That was personally gifted to the general by Ancestor Lu Feng. It is a Saint level magical beast. However, the general did not ride it."


    "It will train with the other magical beasts of the Lu Clan. Plus, I cannot afford the risk of it dying here," Shu said.


    "That is wise," Cao Wei nodded. "General, you should also decline to bring it with you to the Pantheon of Devils. The longer the magical beast is bonded, the more damage to the Practitioner or mage. You only bind with up to three magical beasts in a life time. Some powerful clans have powerful treasures that bind other life forms, like that collar around the magical beast tiger. However, it is not the same and the power of what is sealed only increases as you do. It does not grow independently."


    "My clan has four of those treasures," Ken agreed. "It''s as Lieutenant General Cao Wei said. According to my clan''s rules, no one brings magical beasts to the Pantheon of Devils as many have lost their magical beasts there. Too many."


    "Back to the issue at hand, the troops have all returned and made their preparations. All we need is an order from Great General Meng Ce to begin the march," Jiro interrupted. "The five thousand under Lu Gong will be at the front, Cao Wei''s men behind them."


    "Good," Lu Shu said, as they received the order to march ten minutes later. "Tiger Army, march!"


    "Yes, General Lu Shu!" the men and women cried and the Tiger Army left the barracks.


    "I heard Empress Lu Rong was looking for you," Lu Gong said as he rode alongside Lu Shu. "The empress was furious. Not at you, general. She received news that Crown Prince Lu Xing impregnated two maids that attended him. I heard the emperor tried to conceal the matter, but Lu Feng just nonchalantly said it over dinner. Two of the Lu branch leaders, Lu Ce and Lu Fei, were also present and ran out of the dining hall with Lu Mei and Lu Kui as the empress turned to the emperor."


    "I was meditating and forgot to eat dinner, using the spirit energy to sustain myself," Shu said. "So why was she looking for me?"


    "The emperor said he has picked out ten fianc¨¦s for you to choose among, hoping to avoid a situation similar to the crown prince," Lu Gong answered as the two whispered so as to avoid revealing the Lu Xing''s shame. "What do you think the Great Ancestor will do?"


    "Ancestor Lu Feng is in charge," Lu Shu said, not revealing the truth of the Great Ancestor as he was ordered not to reveal anything. "Besides, older brother will be the emperor. He might choose the maid, who bears him a son, as his empress. Did my brother have a fianc¨¦?"


    "No, general. The crown prince only ever cared about learning new spells and rituals to prepare for the Pantheon of Devils and display his potential as the emperor while conversing among the ministers of the court. As far as the sub branch families knew, the first prince only went to a brothel once and left, disgusted. I suspect his testosterones were abnormally active. While being in the army, far from home, soldiers do tend to visit the brothels to relieve some stress. I know a few who bore children the same way, just not with their own maids," Lu Gong replied.


    "So she was looking for me to introduce me to the fianc¨¦ candidates?" Shu asked.


    "No, general. She looked for you to not see the candidates," Lu Gong laughed. "As you will not be emperor, it is okay not to wed early and bear a child. She just wanted to tell you to think with your brain and not your gems."


    "I haven''t met a girl who could make me do that. Yet," Lu Shu smiled mischievously as the two roared with laughter.


    "Apologies, general," Cao Wei said as he appeared behind them. "I bring news from the rear. Six of the armies have marched ahead and the Great General wishes to speak with you among the army behind us. It is the Dragon Army, led by the Great General''s sister and number one tactician: General Meng Xuan."


    "She is also a member of the branch family of the Lu Clan," Lu Gong whispered. "Just as Meng Ce is. She is his younger sister, only twenty four years of age and an unprecedented genius. She is a role model for female soldiers of the Lu Clan."


    "Right," Lu Shu said as he turned his tiger towards Cao Wei. "Cao Wei, lead the way. It''s been a long time since I last saw Master Meng Ce, Great General Meng Ce now."


    Cao Wei led Shu through his army of orange and black armored soldiers and arrived before a large army of gold and white armored soldiers. They parted and bowed their heads before the second prince as he passed by. Lu Shu grinned as he saw a familiar face, clad in bright crimson and black armor. This was his first master and the one who taught him how to cultivate and gifted him Bahamut''s egg: Meng Ce.


    "HAHAHAHA! Lu Shu, second prince and general. It''s been a long time," Meng Ce laughed as Shu rode alongside him. "I hear you are at the tenth stage. Those Spirit Shamans at the tenth stage dominate the battlefield, their might undefeatable except against another. Good to have you with us. This is my sister: Meng Xuan."


    "Hello, Prince Shu," Meng Xuan said, not calling him general as his status was above her. Only Meng Ce could address Shu as an equal, being the commander-in-chief of the armies. Meng Xuan had long black hair that fell past her shoulders with breasts as big as melons. However, her eyes were as cold as ice and had a reputation of whipping soldiers to death who so much as ogled her breasts. She made it clear not to harass her for being a woman. As she had the strength to fight back, many female soldiers admired her and also steeled themselves.


    "To ride alongside the prince again. Shu, it is good to see you," Meng Ce laughed. "Be sure to pick up some pointers on how the six generals,in the front, lead their armies. The army behind the Dragon Army is the Shield Armor Army. They are the army that guards the emergency supplies and boast the highest defensive capabilities. Their general, General Lu Kong, is a highly valued member of the Lu sub branches with the rare armor spirit encompassing his whole body, starting from a helmet spirit before he became a fake Archon."


    "Full-body armor spirit? Does he use all the elements?" Shu asked.


    "No. Only a power-hungry fool would do so. Lu Kong is the uncle of the emperor, serving in the army for sixty years. Due to his accomplishments, Emperor Lu Yi gifted Lu Kong with a Demonic Immortality Pill. We all know Practitioners gain eternal youth at the higher tiers of cultivation, the Archon Dragon or Spirit Master tier. However, generals often don''t wish to leave the army and try to gain major accomplishments to be awarded the pill. I also wish not to be a Spirit Master and prefer to remain a general, living forever until my death on the battlefield. The Demonic Immortality Pill cuts off the Practitioner from the Spirit Knight tier as the price for the eternal youth benefit you would have gotten if you became a Spirit Master. However, you get to stay in the army," Meng Ce said, gazing at the sky in awe. "If this expedition is successful, I will have enough accomplishments to gain the pill as well. I really owe General Lu Kong for steeping aside to allow me to be the Great General this time."


    "So even pills like that exist," Shu nodded. "Eternal youth? The dream of all women. No wonder my mother looks so young. Maybe the whole eternal outh thing ages you back to your mid-twenties. It makes sense to see Lu Feng look so young."


    "It''s best not to ask a female how many years passed before having children," Meng Xuan warned, as Shu thought of his mother. "In two days'' time, we will be approaching the entrance to Giant''s Chain. This is only because we are an army of Practitioners and mages. That is why our advance is so fast. Lieutenant General Lu Gong should know about Giant''s Chain, but you only need to worry about it after we follow the six armies, ahead of your own, through the checkpoints of the islands we already control."


    "We''ll talk later. Right now, you are a general. Best be with your troops. I won''t keep you here any longer," Meng Ce laughed as he pat Shu on the shoulder. "You are the hope of all the Practitioners in the Lu Clan. There are just too many mages in our clan now. Having a Practitioner among the next generation of the main family is a great thing."


    "Goodbye, Great General Meng Ce," Shu grinned as he bowed his head and followed Cao Wei back to his Tiger Army.


    "It''s been a long time since I saw him," Lu Shu said as he followed Cao Wei back.


    "So you did train under the Great General before," Cao Wei said. "General, as we travel, we should go over the known layout of Giant''s Chain with Lieutenant General Lu Gong and your two advisors."


    "We should also think about how to travel across the islands we have not conquered. There should be no connecting bridges there," Lu Shu agreed as they returned to the Tiger Army. "I wonder what magical beasts we''ll see."


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


    (Author: Wow! Over 5,000 average views and over 800 followers! Thank you. So far my schedule is good, allowing me to study and continue writing. I don''t think there will ever be a hiatus for now. I also finished one side project that was a little too similar as it was also a xianxia. I started a new side project, one original story I wrote back in high school. I will randomly upload those chapters as I have about a dozen and only need to re-read and change up some stuff. I haven''t made tables in a while so...hahaha. It''s called The Alternate Earth.


    I usually never post this ending note but I wanted to say thanks for reading. Writing two books was tough and I got a lot of feedback on how the story progressed to you all, as readers. This third book has more character interaction and I am constantly researching new creatures and animal combinations (that aren''t too strange) for the Hyperion and magical beasts. As it is quite obvious, Lu Shu won''t be reaching the Archon Phoenix tier in this book. I am starting with a first arc that takes a nice amount of chapters before they arrive in the Hyperion lands.


    Enjoy and thanks for reading my stories.


    Scheduled release for Chronicles of the Tiger Immortal: Wednesday and Saturday, pacific time, around noon or 1 p.m. if there is traffic home on Wednesday)

 Book 3: Chapter 2- Giants Chain

    (Author: Hello! Posted chapters catching up to written chapters! Bad Omen! Bad Omen! The military forces are nearing Giant''s Chain and Lu Shu met with Meng Ce once again. Some might wonder how many chapters this book will be. I don''t know. It all depends on whether my imagination does not disappoint me and keeps streaming ideas. Enjoy.)


    ----------Chapter 2: Giant''s Chain--------------


    "T, this is Giant''s Chain? There really is a chain? I thought it meant a chain of islands," Lu Shu gasped as they neared the sea, his army taking a break near the shore.


    "This island chain has a unique legend, even persevering from before I was born," Lu Feng smiled, everyone instantly bowing as he appeared.


    "Greetings, Ancestor Lu Feng," they all cried, many soldiers from the Lu Clan with reverence in their eyes.


    "Since the armies are taking a break, allow me to tell you of the legend that I know of this place," Lu Feng said, all eyes and ears on him as many soldiers crowded around the campfire Lu Feng, Lu Shu, Cao Wei, Lu Gong, Matsuda Ken, and Li Jiro sat around.


    Long ago, there lived a race of giants. No one knows how they came to pass. Some believed an ancient group, Spirit Sage equivalent in power, arrived from another planet. These beings were the giants. Stronger than any dragon and taller than the mightiest mountain. Some believed they were the beloved of the Heavens. These islands was their ancestral home, the place their ancestors first settled in. It was the time before magic. It was a time before the ancient civilizations of ages past.


    They ruled the world, not with a tyrant''s fist, but an open-hand. Despite their might and prowess, they were a race far gentler and kinder than mankind had ever been. However, their kindness was their ruin. Another race of beings came to this planet. They did not come here to colonize. That race had come to invade and conquer. The giants tried to stop them. The land crumbled and the oceans spread, all that got in their path was destroyed. It is said that the Overseers tried to speak reason, but helping defend the planet defied Heaven''s Will.


    The invaders were destroyed, a complete genocide of the species. Not a trace was found. However, only the king of the giants remained. He was anguished, the loss of his race unspeakably painful and beyond comprehension. The core of the planet had suffered damage. Unable to bear the pain, the king of giants made the ultimate sacrifice, turning his spirit energy into indestructible, gigantic chains and used his life to restore the planet. As if honoring him, the Heavens altered these islands, concentrating unlimited amounts of spirit energy on the islands.


    In the islands, the magical beasts of old were able to grow beyond measure. It is said that the reason magical beasts survived was due to the giants'' protection. Mankind is believed to have been divided among the continents due to the fight with the invaders. No one knows if the legend speaks true. One thing remains: these chains exist and the magical beasts on the islands are all of the Saint rank, just like any scorpion magical beast found anywhere on the planet. The legend says that the day the chains break, the core will become a black hole that swallows the world. Many Practitioners and mages tried to follow the chains downward, but the life force of the planet is too thick and acts like a barrier. When the day the chains break, we will know, too late, the authenticity of the legend of Giant''s Chain.


    "A sad tale," Lu Shu said as he fed lion wine to Hao.


    "What great wine," Lu Gong said as the Tiger Army soldiers drank the lion wine. "I can actually feel it empowering me. No wonder the general had such strength to knock General Sun Zhong back.


    "You''ll need all the strength you can get. A pity it does not do the same to mages," Jiro said, drinking the wine and savoring it like ordinary wine. "Ancestor Lu Feng, have you ever gone into the heart of Giant''s Chain?"


    "There are five large islands that dwarf the others. Four of those five are not in our path to the Hyperion lands. Each of those four islands have magical beasts above the Spirit Knight tier and any Arch Mage," Lu Feng said. "The islands the Yan Dynasty conquered are those which only contain magical beasts at the Spirit Shaman tier, due to the spirit energy being at its weakest on those islands. Naturally, the stronger ones migrate to the islands with thicker spirit energy. Those magical beasts do not venture to our conquered islands due to a strange presence. I suspect the four islands have their own leaders and are true Archon magical beasts, probably at the Fiend Adept or Fiend Immortal tier. Otherwise, many martial sects or academies would already have established themselves to take advantage of the high quantities of spirit energy here."


    "Does that mean the Yan Emperor will establish a base for his Gold Yan Guards here?" Ken inquired, seeing the dangerous potential of successfully establishing a base on one of the five islands.


    "Indeed. The Yan Emperor intends to make the Lu Clan rival the ancient clans. Those of the Lu Clan, with lots of potential, will live in the new base here. The Yan Emperor has also been collecting methods to make true Archon bodies, with my assistance in gaining Spirit Beast cores. It''s funny really," Lu Feng laughed. "The clan of a Practitioner who massacred a family of true Archons will also be a clan of true Archons. HAHAHAHAHA!"


    Jiro and Ken did not laugh, as Lu Gong said, "This is great news for the Lu Clan. The emperor is truly ambitious."


    "Ancestor Lu Feng, what will the Practitioners and mages above the Spirit Shaman do while the armies conquer the islands? They could easily travel to the Hyperion lands," Cao Wei asked.


    "They can''t" Lu Gong said. "You don''t know, but these chains are truly mysterious. No pure-blood human can travel to the other islands. No one above the Spirit Shaman tier can travel to other islands that are not conquered by man. I imagine some sects are here, hoping to establish sects and academies in the Hyperion lands once we conquer them. They would be able to visit the islands and take advantage of the spirit energy and powerful magical beasts. Giant''s Chain is literally a gateway to a new world. A gateway no army has conquered and one the Hyperion don''t expect to fall. Of course, they also welcome it. Gateways open both ways. We do their work for them, killing the magical beasts and establishing checkpoints and connecting bridges, and they reap the benefits when they overcome us with sheer numbers."


    "So we can''t fail in conquering the lands near the shores of Giant''s Chain," Lu Feng nodded. "Me, I can simply exit the atmosphere of the planet and drop down, or simply fly around the territory of Giant''s Chain. Anyone below the Spirit Sage tier, good luck."


    "What''s it like there?" Shu asked Lu Gong, knowing he used to do military service there.


    "We lost several thousand men when trying to veer off the mapped path," Lu Gong sighed. "General, it took our empire four hundred years to map the entire territory with some map makers dying as they delivered their hand-drawn maps with their dying breath. We will travel through thirty seven islands in total. We currently have thirty one islands, but each of them are ten times smaller than the other six. We don''t even have one fourth of the sea conquered. That is how big those islands are. It is more fitting to call them island nations. Those islands have magical beasts that are stronger and more sophisticated."


    "The other islands off the path are even more so," Lu Feng nodded. "However, you and I can go to those islands. Pure-blood humans cannot go, but we are descended from a demon, according to legend anyway."


    "That is true," Lu Gong said, trying to make a cover for Lu Feng nonchalantly revealing the origins of the Lu Clan. "Members of the Lu Clan have actually ventured to those islands. Most don''t come back alive. I never went as no one can tell at what stage, or tier, the magical beasts are at."


    "I did hear the legend," Matsuda Ken nodded. "Others can too. Lu Shu, you''re not completely human, proven by the eyes and tiger stripes under your eyes. Fake Archons, true Archons, and some mages are all able to go to the islands, if they lost some of their humanity. Some people are prejudice and look down upon Practitioners and mages who gave up their humanity, but it also comes with benefits. A member of my clan actually went to the other islands, coming back with both arms and a leg gone. He easily regenerated them, as a true Archon, and obtained many treasures."


    "So there could be treasures on the islands we invade," Shu grinned. "Lu Feng, what will those Practitioners and mages under your command do?"


    "They will chill and relax with me on this shore. We have no reason to suspect any creature above the Spirit Shaman tier can attack you," Lu Feng laughed. "Once we reach the Hyperion lands, then we take action to ensure none of them attack the army. You can''t fight on behalf of an army, but it does not mean you can''t annihilate an army. Good luck. Tomorrow, we march through the islands. By the time we reach the shores of the last conquered island, your abilities will be tested. You are a general, of the Tiger Army no less, do not waver and trust in your strength, your men, your advisors, and your strategies."


    "Thanks for the advice," Lu Shu bowed as Lu Feng left. Lu Shu entered his tent and meditated. Each of the generals were given special tents that contained more space inside than it appeared on the outside. Furthermore, only Lu Shu was allowed inside, other people only entering with his permission. His war tent was different than his private tent. The war tent was a large tent containing several chairs and a long table, the map of Giant''s Chain now spread over the surface.


    Lu Shu''s private tent was where he slept, ate magical beast meat, and cultivated while in the demon pool. As Hao nibbled on some magical beast meat, Lu Shu wondered why the Spirit Beast didn''t just suck it into its mouth like a black hole. He guessed that it was because the body was not fresh, and abundant with spirit energy, being the reason Hao just ate it like any other creature.


    "Master!" Wraith cried as it appeared from the guardian lion''s shadow. "A Keeper of the Dead approaches! I think it was because you were near Lu Feng, and the Great Ancestor, that it did not approach you and merely followed you. I''m pretty sure Lu Feng knows, probably told by the Great Ancestor. It has been watching you since before you trained under your ancestor. I always had a feeling, being a creature made from angry and vengeful souls."


    "What?" Shu cried as a black specter somehow entered his private tent.


    "It seems we are finally alone, in an area no living creature can pass," the specter rasped. "I am a Keeper of the Dead, a Shinigami to you Japanese. Death god. Angel of Death and other names. I appeared here, the day you sensed the child of the Titan. I have watched you, judged you, and waited for a opportunity to appear before you. Only those who have died and were reborn anew, can see and hear me with their senses. I am different than the one you met. I am the Keeper of the Dead of this planet, not the one you call Earth. If I was the one chasing, you would not have been reborn."


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    "Why appear before me now?" Shu asked as Wraith stood in front of Hao. "What did I do? I don''t believe it is just sensing the child of the Titan either."


    "I came to give you this," the specter said, placing a vial on the ground.


    "What is it?" Shu asked, picking up a clear crystal vial with a strange gold energy that looked likes small flames.


    "That is karmic fire. The other Keeper of the Dead let you live, but I must judge if you are a threat to the stability of this planet," the Keeper of the Dead said. "Karmic fire judges your past life, not the new one. If you were evil, you die. If you were a saint, you live. The one who will be called Tiger Immortal, drink and be judged."


    "Tiger Immortal? That title again?" Shu murmured and drank the karmic fire, the vial disappearing as the fire went inside him. "Uh, what happens to me now?"


    "If you live, I must present you with an award and tell the Heavens to allow you to continue living this life. If you die, not even a sliver of your soul will exist," the Keeper of the Dead said as it took off its hood in shock, revealing a skull with darkness instead of flesh and two curved horns growing from its head. "You''re not burning to oblivion. You''re the first spirit to come here without doing so, that managed to survive to the judgment day."


    "There are others?" Shu asked.


    "Yes. However, some lost all their memories. Even if they inhabited a new body, they won''t come back as they don''t have any recollection. Some spirits, like you, came from other galaxies and universes. If they survived to their judgment day, they all died. It''s usually the evil ones who try to run away from the Keeper of the Dead. We are different, but we are connected. What one sees, we all see. I did not believe, but it seems I was mistaken," the specter said.


    "A hive mentality," Shu gasped. "You''re not really a keeper. You''re Death, aren''t you. No, more like a fragment of whatever Death is."


    Gold flames burst from the pores of Shu''s body, but Shu did not burn or feel pain. Not even his clothes burned. His body grew larger, his muscles more leaner and gentler. Instead of the face of a masculine warrior, he had the face of a peaceful monk. Only his glowing orange eyes and emerald tiger stripes displayed a mighty image. His veins grew larger, more spirit energy now flowing throughout his body.


    "Ugh," Shu said as he collapsed on his knees, his body adjusting to its sudden enhancement.


    "You still live. You had the karma of a saint, not an evil menace. I suppose I must give you the reward. I''ll answer two questions and give you an item that is the envy of the Hyperion. Now, ask your two questions," the specter said.


    "What does five items, the ones I found that the Hyperion tried to find, do?" Shu asked, taking out the bead from beneath his clothes and the map from Spook.


    "Smart question. However, you do not possess all the items pertaining to the question. Thus, I will only answer according to the items you attained: the Spirit Beast core, single bead of the five star formation array, and the map. The Spirit Beast core belongs to a Chaos Spirit Beast, a beast needed to walk the Devil Immortal path. However, the Hyperion need twenty five of those cores. They do not know which one they need, only knowing the amount required," the specter answered. "They are needed for the revival of the Old God they serve and revere."


    "Malikutai the Divine," Shu said, the specter nodding in affirmation.


    "It won''t have all its power and be reborn as a humanoid Hyperion. The beads, one of which you own, all contain power that defies the heaven. In other words, they can turn a Spirit Beast core into a spirit reactor," the specter said.


    "That''s why how my first spirit reactor is made. However, the wing is still inside the bead," Shu said.


    "That''s right. Each of the five beads contains a fragment of a body, a body cursed by the Heavens that the Old God created: two wings, a head, an upper body, and a lower body. They were meant to be the humanoid body Malikutai the Divine would use to enter the  Immortal Realms and realize its dream: to become the sovereign over all realms. It defied its purpose. That is the body that needs the remaining two beads. One is the right wing you have. The other is the head Li Jiro has, the other bead you hid in the root wall beneath the tree. Malikutai the Divine may be resurrected, but it can be killed through the destruction of its head," the specter explained. "As you have the right wing, it only has half of its powers."


    "The formation array is to make its new body?" Shu said, brooding over its words. "Pity about the Practitioner weapon and staff, but what does the map lead to. Perhaps, is it the ancient tree of legend?"


    "Correct. It is. There are three maps. However, your map contains the safest route to the entrance of the ruin. However, the tree is not its goal. That is all I am allowed to say. Your gift is the very sap of that tree, extracted and be safely consumed," the specter said, laying a vial with a strange liquid the color of a sapphire. "Consider it one of the goals of the Hyperion, and not their god. Your two questions have been answered and the reward, given. Now, a warning and request. On one of the five large islands, the very one controlled by the magical beasts below the Spirit Knight tier; some magical beasts are more powerful than you are. I suggest avoid killing them and entrapping them in that painting you found. The request: kill the leader of the island. It has survived and denied Death. I cannot take its soul. Kill it and carry the will of the Heavens. Do so, and the new minion I bestow you is yours for eternity."


    The Keeper of the Dead looked at Wraith and waved a hand, large amounts of death energy going into the puppet as a skeleton appeared. Wraith  had changed, becoming a rather large, white wooden spider similar to a tarantula. Shu grinned, really surprised and pleased as it actually looked like a spider now, save for being the size of a hundred year old tortoise. As for the skeleton that appeared, it also seemed to have a wraith inside it but was different as it appeared in a skeleton instead of a puppet. The skeleton had bones as white as snow and its eyes were the same gold flames known as karmic fire. As if in tribute to Shu''s origins, the skeleton wore red and steel colored armor, in the shape of samurai armor, below its neck, a samurai helmet on its skull. Most of all, even if its body was covered, it had the skull of a tiger! It was definitely more scary than a samurai mask covering the front of the skull.


    "Greetings, Lord Lu Shu. I am a servant, bestowed by a Keeper of the Dead, to assist you in killing the leader of the magical beasts below the Spirit Knight tier. Should you succeed, I will not be destroyed and serve you and follow your orders for eternity. Like the puppet and Holy Spirit Beast, when you die, I will die," the skeleton bowed on both knees.


    Shu stared at the four foot soldier and said, "My own personal samurai, and it''s even undead. Sweet. Your name is Bakura. Yeah. Man, I missed that show. Well, before it got stupid. The shows of the past had a view surviving recordings during my time."


    "Yes, Lord Lu Shu. I am Bakura," the skeleton said, rising to its feet. "I will be the wraith skeleton that protects you in the light, while wraith puppet guards your Holy Spirit Beast in the shadows."


    "My time with you is done here. As I said, the wraith has become a sentient skeleton minion, one that will be the same cultivation strength as you are. Just like your wraith spider puppet. No doubt, you realize how powerful wraiths can be. Just so you know, the one who bought the book was not a human, but a demon. It wore a magical item similar to the Crimson Ring, but inferior to the one called Spook. Do not doubt my words: it will be your greatest enemy. That demon, and its allies, also possess one of the three maps. However, the ruins do not open until all three maps are present at the entrance. Its dangers are similar to the Pantheon of Devils," the specter said. "Do not attempt to go in below the Archon Dragon tier. That is one indisputable fact. You will die otherwise. Good luck and please kill the leader."


    "No matter how powerful I become, there is always something bad I learn that I am too weak for," Shu sighed as the specter disappeared before he could blink once.


    "That was scary," Spook said. "This one was more powerful than the one you met before, when half of me was the Crimson Ring you wore during the tournament in Kasara. I was unable to speak and suggest some questions for you to ask. It is a good thing you included the ancient tree in your question. Otherwise, the Keeper of the Dead might not have told so many specific details."


    "Whoa. You mean you were actually silenced? Geez," Shu said as Bakura practiced swinging its katana and wakizashi, a smaller sword similar to a katana. "It seems this world is full of mysteries. No, the universes and galaxies within those universes."


    "Are you going to drink the vial?" Spook asked as Wraith disappeared into Hao''s shadow as the Spirit Beast finally slept, Shu surprised it did not seem affected by the Keeper of the Dead.


    "No, the specter said I should not enter the ruin below the Archon Dragon tier. This tree sap should be attainable at the ruins, although with high risks compared to the sap within the vial. I''m guessing the extraction method was different. I think I will drink it when I reach the Archon Dragon tier," Shu said as he stored the vial in Spook. "For now, I''ll focus on the matter at hand: leading my Tiger Army through Giant''s Chain, alive with as little casualties as I can. I can''t worry about the future if I am struggling with today."

 Book 3: Chapter 3- The Berserker Element

    (Author: Hello! For those asking about romance, it will happen as I am writing chapter 5. I was a little distracted while writing my side story as I had a trail of thought for it. As it is the third book, now is a good time to start the romance in it. On to the story. At last, the usage of the items Lu Shu found has been revealed (save for the Practitioner weapon and staff). Lu Shu also has another wraith minion: Bakura, an undead samurai! Call it my tribute to my undead story and the name of a character I considered badass in the past. Well, the evil one. I considered a ninja, but Lu Shu has Wraith, a sentient wraith spider puppet! Well, enjoy.)


    ------------Chapter 3: The Berserker Element-----------------------


    The next day, Lu Shu exited his private tent and Bakura revealed itself to the Tiger Army. Many people were frightened, seeing an undead samurai with a tiger''s skull and gold flames for eyes. None of them thought about the height. They just wondered where it came from. Especially the mage apprentices studying summoning and necromancer magic.


    "G, general," Lu Gong started, seeing the samurai. "What is that? It looks like an undead, but it has a tiger''s skull! Wait, is that a tail made of bone?"


    "Uh," Shu said, noticing the tail. "Oh, I didn''t notice that before. That could also be utilized as a weapon and a way to regain your balance. Be sure to integrate it with your combat style, Bakura."


    "Yes, Lord Lu Shu," the samurai bowed.


    "General?" Lu Gong, Cao Wei, Jiro, and Ken asked in unison.


    "Ah, this is Bakura. He is a former wraith that is now an undead samurai. He will fight alongside me as my personal bodyguard," Shu answered, shocking everyone.


    "A wraith?" many mage apprentice necromancers cried with envy, awe, jealousy, and intrigue.


    "I''m surprised you don''t walk the Devil Immortal path. Wraiths are usually made and controlled by those Practitioners," Ken said, staring at Bakura with unease. "However, there is no doubt it is the best protection. It cannot die without the death of its master. It could be destroyed, but it could also be remade spontaneously. Sword Immortal and Devil Immortal cultivators have all the superior fighting power."


    "I''m just glad it''s not a rogue wraith," Jiro shivered, many nearby soldiers nodding furiously.


    "I''m just glad it''s one," Cao Wei sighed.


    "If only you knew. I wonder what they would think if they saw Wraith?" Shu asked Bakura, using telepathy as he was its master.


    "Lord Lu Shu, it is best not to scare your men too much. A leader must be more feared than the enemy, to prevent insubordination. However, too much fear will sow chaos among your ranks. Clearly, they can barely tolerate my own existence," Bakura replied.


    Shu shrugged and said, "Have the six armies ahead of us begun their march?"


    "They are packing their tents as we speak," Cao Wei answered. "General, once we pass the final island we conquered, we must travel one of seven paths. Great General Meng Cao is giving us the most explored path of the unconquered island, but that will also mean the enemy will be expecting us there."


    "Lu Gong, I only killed two types of Hyperion. Several Hyperion were like beasts of immense strength while the other type was a humanoid. Which ones used to inhabit the island we conquered. We might need to be wary of attacks from the skies and seas, while we make our way through the bridges and islands," Shu nodded, thinking of any possible ambush tactics the Hyperion might use.


    "There is one amphibious type Hyperion. It comes from the sea and then destroys the bridge as others climb and kill the soldiers crossing it. As for the flying Hyperion, we are too far away for them to escape an assault so easily," Lu Gong answered. "General, we should proceed across the bridges with the infantry carrying shields and walking on the sides of the bridges. Our archers should be in the center of the bridge. Our mages will help guard the supplies and staff. Our  cavalry will have to occupy themselves with protecting their mounts. The Hyperion are growing stronger, their numbers even greater than before. Worst of all, their tactics have changed, even weak human Hyperion revealing themselves to lead guerilla attacks. The savages are getting smarter and more cunning."


    "We''ll do as you suggest," Shu said. "I want all our water mages to focus their mana into their surroundings and maintain a vigilant watch on the water''s current. If it suddenly shifts, something is down there. I want all mages capable of summons to hide. We need them to fight against the Hyperion."


    "Yes, general," the lieutenant generals cried and ran to tell the soldiers their orders.


    "I''ll make sure the summoners are hidden. I can''t fight, but I can offer support outside of battle," Jiro said.


    "I will also ensure the cavalry are well prepared," Ken said, leaving Shu alone.


    "Shu, whatever you do, don''t reveal your wings here. The Hyperion should be able to recognize the vermillion wings," Spook warned. "You can use your Phantasmal Sky technique to fly in the sky now albeit with high spirit energy consumption. However, you have an exceeding amount. You should be fine. As for your elements, your water and ice element is still your best. Your darkness has evolved, due to constant use with poison. Your earth and nether flames are of little consequence. You should not focus on earth and your nether flames originates from your sword. The problem is your lightning."


    "Why?" Shu asked, changing into his armor and mounting his collared tiger.


    "It has become a living spirit technique. That is true, but it did not change. The emerald lightning only applied in Spirit Road and you never enhanced your lightning. You need to come up with a method," Spook said before becoming inanimate as Shu''s men arrived.


    Shu rode at the front of his army, spreading his spirit sense all around him. Occasionally, he sensed a magical beast within the water as they crossed the islands and bridges. The fact that only one approached, momentarily pausing before speeding away, meant that the Hyperion were indeed becoming smarter. The magical beasts were dead. Naturally, the Hyperion would send scouts to monitor the islands conquered by the Yan soldiers.


    "Phew," Jiro sighed. "We made it to the last island the Yan conquered without casualties. Now all we need to do is make several bridges to lead the nine armies there."


    "This is bad news, not good news," Lu Gong said. "I can tell the general sensed Hyperion in the waters around the islands and the bridges. It takes enormous magical power to create a bridge of diamond to the next island. If they haven''t launched an assault on us...."


    "They''re waiting for when we make the bridge and cross. We have no choice as the mages creating the bridge can only stand ten feet behind bridge and need to cross the bridge to extend it further. They''re waiting for us to divide our forces: some to protect the base of the bridge and the others at the front protecting the mages as they continue to solidify and extend it," Cao Wei agreed. "We would be better off if it were the aerial Hyperion or rogue magical beasts of Giant''s Chain. The Hyperion are many times more organized."


    "No," Shu said ominously as he watched the mages begin making the bridge, holding his head. "The sea is perfect. They''re coming. Thousands upon thousands. Let them come. Just stay here. I will show you the reason Spirit Shamans of the tenth stage are the most feared among any army of the Mortal Realm."


    "Lord Lu Shu?" Bakura asked as Shu began walking on the surface of the sea.


    "I feel like I''m home," Shu said, a cerulean lobster skeleton appearing on the back of his chest and head, two eyes glowing as the cerulean lobster''s head was above his own. The soldiers began to shiver as cold frost wind blew from Shu as he walked thirty feet off shore. Then, Shu began to swirl his arms as if he were molding a clay orb in his hands. The water began to swirl around him, forming a sphere around his body.


    The sphere began to rise and the soldiers began to see a large tiger of water appear, armor made of ice around its limbs, and face. Its tail seemed to be a snake with dragon teeth and scales. Most prominent of all, cerulean water appeared, in the form of a lobster skeleton, as an armor on the tiger''s back with the head acting as a helmet of the top of the tiger''s head. Lu Shu could no longer be seen as a large sphere of ice appeared in the water tiger''s body, like a heart.


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    Now, a the fifty foot water and ice giant stood, baring its fangs of ice as it strode to the east, the direction the amphibious Hyperion were coming from. Not just the Tiger Army, but other nearby armies saw a water tiger behemoth walk towards what seemed to be fields of black scales that slowly appeared on the ocean''s surface. They appeared to look like alligators but had razor sharp claws. The Hyperion roared and leapt at the obvious threat that now stood on their path to the bridges.


    Even if the Hyperion could not conquer the islands, it did not mean they could allow the humans to either. If they failed to takeover the islands, when the humans finished conquering and making a safe route that avoided the more powerful beasts of the other islands, then the Hyperion would be unable to stop the humans from conquering their own lands.


    "I am the Armored Ocean Tiger God! Face me and die!" Lu Shu roared, the behemoth tiger amplifying his voice as if it was the one speaking. The Hyperion tried to fight back against Lu Shu, but how could they destroy a being made of water atop of an ocean. All they did was increase the number of Hyperion in Lu Shu''s attack range. The ocean would freeze and shatter with every swing and stomp of the tiger''s ice paw.


    Many members of the Tiger Army prostrated themselves behind Lu Shu. Such a feat was deeply ingratiated in their hearts. This was the power of a tenth stage Spirit Shaman, a Spirit Shaman who was not a Spirit Knight but obviously just as powerful as those of the first and second stage. Not only that, the water tiger seemed to be alive! No one had ever seen such a thing. The tiger growled, hissed, roared, and devoured like a real tiger did. If any powerful Practitioner did the same feet, the tiger would not display any emotion and appear as a moving statue.


    Every Hyperion killed seemed to have their blood drained as their torn bodies sank beneath the surface. Slowly, the ocean blue and ice white tiger began to turn crimson and enlarge. It was actually using the blood of its victims to become more powerful. When the Hyperion began to run, the tiger roared, causing a tsunami to rise from the ocean''s depths with the fleeing Hyperion trapped within.


    The tiger refused to let any get away, massacring the Hyperion left and right. It would tear with its claws, bite with its fangs, smack and crush with its paw. Its snake tail was even more ruthless. It was constantly coiling around the Hyperion, causing them to explode as it crushed them. Sometimes, it even bit the Hyperion, letting them bleed to death. The armies felt as if they were watching the wrath of a god of the ocean. Even if the Hyperion fled to the shore, the tiger would spit bullets the size of watermelons, blasting huge holes in the chests or wiping out the head altogether.


    When all its enemies were dead, the tiger roared at the heavens. Everyone watched as the blood in the tiger began to dry up as all the spirit energy within seemed to drain toward the ice sphere around Lu Shu. The water tiger roared once more before falling into the ocean, the ice shattering as Lu Shu appeared on the water''s surface. Slowly, the lobster like armor on his back and head seemed to disappear and Lu Shu opened his eyes.


    "G, general?" Lu Gong and Cao Wei asked as they bowed on one knee, all the soldiers of the Tiger Army doing the same.


    "It seems I went a bit too far. Seeing the ocean for the first time seemed to excite my living spirit technique, making me berserk. I felt as if I was watching myself kill them all, driven by instinct and not thought,'' Lu Shu thought as he stared at his army, the soldiers looking back at him with fear and awe. They realized that a tenth stage Spirit Shaman was like a one-man army. They had also never seen a water element Practitioner fight on such a scale. If it was fire or earth, they had seen some Spirit Knights attempt the same, but they looked like statues and were only able to maintain it for a few minutes. Lu Shu slaughtered the Hyperion for nearly an hour! This meant he had many times more spirit energy than any other Spirit Shaman, even some Spirit Knights.


    "Master," Bakura bowed, knowing the truth of his actions as it was bound to him. "My lord, are you alright?"


    "I am no longer in my berserk state. It seems my water spirit technique was a bit overexcited at seeing the ocean after so long," Shu answered mentally.


    "We have nothing to fear from the Hyperion. Prepare the armies for subjugation of the magical beasts in the next island," Lu Shu ordered.


    "Yes, General Lu Shu!" the soldiers cried, relieved as no one died this time. Naturally, so many Hyperion would obviously result in casualties if they fought. General Lu Shu made the right call, using his superior cultivation to prevent the loss of some of his forces.


    "That was magnificent, general," Lu Gong grinned.


    "I could only dare to use it on the ocean. You saw how I killed those on land," Shu sighed.


    "You seemed a little berserk there, as if you were the tiger," Jiro said. "Seeing your state, you must have drained the blood of the Hyperion to replenish your spent spirit energy. You need some rest though. It must have been mentally draining and you need to lessen your bloodlust or risk entering a berserk state again."


    "We''ll handle things here. Best to rest and prepare some tactics for when we arrive on the next island," Ken agreed.


    Lu Shu entered his war tent and laid back against his chair as he stared at the map. This was the first time he had gone berserk. He had never felt so scared and never felt so alive. It felt as if he had been a prisoner that finally escaped and showed its wrath after a thousand years. Even now, a part of him wanted to tear apart the Hyperion. Yes, he had gained power. However, what was the point if he lost control? He couldn''t risk doing such a thing again. Most of the Hyperion seemed to be at the sixth and seventh stage, the common cultivation stage for soldiers of a mortal army. He was lucky they were not a legion at the eighth or ninth stage.


    "How long until the bridge is complete?" Lu Shu asked as his men arrived.


    "It will take about three days. The distance to this island is longer than usual. After this island is the one where the leader of those below the Spirit Knight tier lives. After that, the rest of the conquest of Giant''s Chain should be a breeze to the Hyperion lands," Ken answered.


    "With their leader dead, they won''t be so organized. Killing the head of the snake is usually the most effective method to defeating an army, supposing the leader is not a puppet with the real leader behind the scenes. Luckily, magical beasts are organized around the most powerful magical beast," Jiro nodded. "Once we subjugate these next two islands, we can let the army staying at Giant''s Chain clean out the rest and build the checkpoints while reporting the good news back to the Yan Emperor. Ancestor Lu Feng and all those above the Spirit Shaman tier will finally rejoin us once we set foot on Hyperion land."


    "The bodies of the Hyperion were also secured, although there was no blood in any of them," Cao Wei reported, shivering a little with fear. "General, their scales and hide will be sent back to be used for the weapon smiths and armor smiths. All we need to do now is to wait for the bridge to be completed. I will be overseeing the mages as the bridge extends. I will report back once the bridge connects with the other island."


    "Good. You may go," Lu Shu said, Cao Wei saluting before leaving as Lu Shu stared at his other men. "What were the reactions of our soldiers and the other armies?"


    "They look upon you with fear and awe," Lu Gong grinned. "There is no doubt, general, that they will follow you now that they know of your power. It was also the best method to display your power in front of the other generals, many surprised as you killed those legions of Hyperion which were supposed to assault all nine armies. No doubt, some generals that thought they could defeat you will think twice before angering you. Well, they would be fools to do so as you are the second prince."


    "How did you make it alive?" Ken asked. "I''ve never seen an elemental body creation so life-like. It even had expressions, not the usual neutral face."


    "Let''s just say the ocean is alive when I wield its power," Lu Shu said. "I''m sure the ancient clan also have their own secrets. This one is a secret of the main family. If I should give a hint, it is why I killed the thief. Be sure to get the men and women ready. We won''t have the support of the other armies as they are making their own bridges and we are the only once treading the marked trail our scouts made. No doubt, the magical beasts will ambush us."


    "Yes, general," the advisors and soldiers said as they left his war tent.

 Book 3: Chapter 4- Enemy Tactics

    (Author: Hello! Regular Wednesday release. So far, no potential hiatus as I still have some written chapters. Now Lu Shu will lead his Tiger Army in islands not conquered by the Yan Dynasty. How will Lu Shu and his army fare on land? What kind of magical beast will try to kill him? Enjoy.)


    ----------Chapter 4: Enemy Tactics-----------------


    "Reporting, Lieutenant General Cao Wei and the mages have finished making the diamond bridge and have secured the area. General Lu Shu, under Great General Meng Ce''s order, is to march the Tiger Army onto the main path. Each of the eight other armies will enter the island on different shore sites. Beware of enemy ambushes," a soldier of the Dragon Army bowed and left.


    "So the tactic is to make multiple bridges in case one falls. One army might stay to protect the bridges while the others enter the island after traveling down the beaches. So the tactic of General Meng Xuan is to have the expedition army conquer the island by surrounding and closing in on the enemy. Quite ruthless. In this way, there won''t be survivors," Shu noted as he stared at the map of Giant''s Chain. However, he only knew the distances and shapes of the islands. The island''s terrain was unknown to all. The scout''s only made one path to the heart of the island.


    "Quite an ambitious plan. Making a net to trap a dragon," Lu Gong agreed. "What really worries me is that we only received a report on the path the scouts made. Eerily enough, none of them encountered magical beasts and only saw fresh traps. It is sure to be a trap."


    "Make sure our archers are well defended. I''ll have to ask for our scouts, and anyone with sensitive spirit sense and mana sense to position themselves on the flanks. If there is going to be an ambush, I''d rather walk into it prepared than blindly walk into it," Lu Shu said. "The ambush also works in our favor. It means the enemy will focus their attention on us. That should buy some time for the other armies to position themselves all over the island. Get the men ready to march!"


    "Yes, General Lu Shu," Lu Gong cried and ran out of the tent with his captains.


    "Your army is being used as bait. Perhaps this is a test to determine your ability as a leader," Ken warned.


    "Hmph. A mere general at the ninth stage testing me?" Shu laughed, knowing this was Meng Xuan''s plan. "Damned strategist. I''ll never move according to one''s strings. We''re not going to be just bait. We''re going for a slaughter."


    They all stared at Lu Shu as he took out the Sentinel Bow. All their eyes widened as they could tell it was a Divine Weapon! How did the second prince get his hands on that? Shu mounted his collared tiger and marched his men down their diamond bridge, the army not letting their guard down as they walked over the water to the next island.


    "Today we march into the island, the one island before the heart of Giant''s Chain for magical beasts below the Spirit Knight tier. No doubt, the magical beasts will be waiting for us on the path. You are all Practitioners and mages of the Yan Dynasty''s army! We will slaughter all the magical beasts in our way. We will not waver! We will not fall!"


    "We will not fall!" the soldiers cried, and began to prepare for the invasion.


    "Send the scouts ahead. As soon as they detect something, have them fall back and report immediately," Lu Shu said to Cao Wei.


    "Yes, general," Cao Wei bowed his head.


    "Lu Gong, the forest is a terror for cavalries. Keep the cavalry here and protect the bridge. If our expedition army underestimated the enemy, we''ll need a way to retreat. The whole strategy is to surround and close in. The cavalry should be safe here," Lu Shu ordered.


    "Yes, general," Lu Gong bowed his head and the two lieutenant generals left.


    "How do the Hyperion normally fight as a pack?" Lu Shu asked Ken.


    "Usually, they move according to a strong alpha. Not only is the alpha usually the strongest, it is also almost always the most intelligent. Kill the alpha and you disperse the pack. They never attack far from their shelter. It is also unwise to blindly attack their homes. The females are especially fierce there and some of our weak branch clan members died from berserk nursing magical beasts," Ken answered.


    "It is usually best to draw them out by attacking the entrance from afar, using magic," Jiro answered. "Then, isolate the stronger ones using barrier magic and using area attack spells on the clustered, weaker magical beasts. If you ever want to go in while they live, it is best to send in summoned creatures to avoid casualties. Even stealth magic or techniques have a tough time as magical beasts can hear or smell you."


    "Okay. Tell that information to the captains under the lieutenant generals," Lu Shu nodded, staring at the map of the island. "I want the men ready to launch in an hour."


    "Yes, Prince Lu Shu, the advisors said as they were not members of his army.


    With the Sentinel Bow in his left hand, all eyes followed Lu Shu as he led the march into the forest. Everyone remained quiet as Lu Shu closed his eyes, feeling the environment with his spirit sense. He would occasionally snap his fingers, a bolt of lightning spearing ahead, followed by a death cry. A scout returned, saying he found a nest of magical beasts at the hills further ahead. Signaling his men, Lu Shu watched as the soldiers formed a shield wall and slowly advanced.


    In front of them was a hill with a door about twenty six feet high. It was cracked and moss already grew around it. If giants existed, this could have been a home for it. He stopped his collared tiger in front of the shield wall and roared: the Great Spirit Integration technique sending sound waves so powerful that it could actually be seen by the naked eye. The ground cracked and trees splintered as the sound waves washed over to the old door in the hill side, the sound heightened further as it  bounced of the walls. The soldiers could hear the hill shudder and some parts of the ceiling collapsed, evident by the loud crashing noises they heard.


    "Mages at the ready. Burn them all! Practitioners, create formation barriers and isolate the strong ones," Lu Shu ordered. Then the enemy came. They were magical beasts at the sixth stage, gorillas with a rhino''s head and a scorpion tail. Lu Shu didn''t know what it was and watched as the fire mages attacked, the magical beasts howling as they were burned alive.


    "Shields!" Lu Shu cried, breaking boulders with a wave of his hand as the gorillas grabbed the very earth beneath them and threw boulders five feet in diameter. Lu Shu opened his arms, dozens of emerald spirit swords appearing around him. The soldiers advanced their shield wall as the gorillas were forced back as many trying to flank the soldiers were impaled by Lu Shu''s swords.


    Lu Shu shouted at the earth mages and they made the battlefield shake. Suddenly gorillas covered in fire burst from the ruined home, berserk with rage. Lu Shu scoffed and did his radiant howl technique, a howl of an unknown creature resounding as huge, fast crescent waves appeared, slicing the gorillas that were in their path. Lu Shu nodded at Cao Wei, the archers drawing back their arrows as the shield wall lowered their shields on the ground.


    "Fire!" Cao Wei roared, a large volley of steel raining down at the gorillas.


    "Charge!" Lu Shu roared, the foot soldiers also shouting as they ran past the shield wall who made openings to let them through. Lu Shu personally beheaded the stronger magical beasts that were isolated by the formation barriers. After a little over half and hour, the entire next of magical beasts was cleared out.


    "Back to the path," Lu Shu ordered, the soldiers nodding and quickly returning to the marked path of the scouts. They cleared out two more nests but no magical beasts were on the path.


    "This is strange. All we''ve been doing is clearing the female and juvenile magical beasts. We found no young magical beasts or the adult males. Even the weakest of the females was not above the sixth stage," Ken frowned.


    "Could the whole island be united?" Lu Shu asked.


    "Impossible. General, this island is over five hundred miles. Only an exceptionally powerful magical beast could have done it," Lu Gong said.


    "Still, there could be no other explanation for the lack of ambush attacks. Any force being invaded would have used guerilla tactics to slow an invasion force. Even attacking our supply to halt our advance should have been expected," Cao Wei disagreed. "Either that, or..."


    "An army advanced too far or was ambushed and annihilated early on. Thus, giving the enemy a way out of the net," Lu Shu finished.


    "What do we do? This trap might even be worse than an ambush," Jiro asked.


    "There is an ambush ahead of us. I can sense the spirit energy of several magical beasts ahead. Our scouts should also be returning soon," Lu Shu said, a frown on his face.


    "General!" a scout cried, cupping his hands as he bowed on one knee.


    "Report," Lu Shu ordered.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Yes, general. We detected a large number of magical beasts guarding the entrance to a valley below. The path, the scouts that came here made, leads into the valley, avoiding the mountains that surround it. General, they amassed their forces in numbers far greater than our own. However, we have the geographical advantage as he have to descend a hill side to go to the valley, giving us control of the high ground," the scout reported.


    "What stages are they at?" Lu Shu asked.


    "The weakest ones were at the seventh stage. Most were at the eighth stage but we were not able to find any magical beasts at the ninth stage," the scout reported and left.


    "It seems they have united. The news doesn''t seem so.." Lu Gong began as he stopped to see a scout hold his left arm, blood seeping from a wound.


    "Reporting from the Rabbit Army, we were supposed to enter the island from the opposite side of Tiger Army. However, we were ambushed by magical beasts of the ninth stage. General Sun Zhou and the Rabbit Army has fallen. The magical beasts are being led by a black dragon magical beast at the peak of the ninth stage. However, we believe it to be an true Archon magical beast. Otherwise, General Sun Zhou would not have fallen so easily," the scout said and rose. "I must report to Great General Meng Ce. May the Heavens favor you, General Lu Shu."


    "Both fears are realized," Ken said as Lu Shu said the horde of magical beasts was approaching. "We''re not even in the valley, where the real trap is, and we are being ambushed already by another force.


    "They divided their forces. I can sense they are only at the seventh stage," Lu Shu said, opening his eyes. "THey are testing us, hoping to dwindle our numbers before we enter the valley.


    "Shall I issue the retreat?" Lu Gong asked.


    "No. It is too late. We''ll lose even more men," Lu Shu said. "I want all mages to concentrate on using wide area attack spells and area-of-effect spells. Lessen their numbers and force them into a bee line for the archers."


    "Mages, enchant the arrows. I want to see them explode on contact," Cao Wei ordered.


    "Shield wall up front. Soldiers, make sure to spear in between the gaps of the shield wall!" Lu Gong roared.


    "They''re here," Lu Shu said, as a cloud of dust appeared. As they looked up at the hill, the valley on the other side, the magical beasts seemed endless as they descended. "Have a scout return to the bridge and summon the cavalry once we defeat the horde. Momentum is the key to a cavalry''s victory and a descent onto a horde, from the high ground, is the best for it."


    "Yes, general" Cao Wei bowed and summoned one of his scouts and relayed the orders.


    "Earth mages and Practitioners who use the earth element come forth," Lu Shu ordered.


    "Yes, general," a large group bowed.


    "When they get in range, I want the earth mages to create pits on the ground. Also create rock walls. The weakness of a charge down hill is that you get stomped to death if you stop moving," Lu Shu ordered. "Earth Practitioners, you control the earth. Make it soft and turn it into sand below the surface. I want as little magical beasts to attack the shield wall as possible."


    "Yes, general," the soldiers cried and began taking their positions and following the order.


    "I want all mages capable of summoning to summon flying creatures. All wind mages are to focus their attention at the skies. Kill all flying magical beasts on sight. Archers, watch the flank and shoot any that attempt to break through it," Lu Shu roared. "I will not allow the Tiger Army to suffer the same fate as Rabbit Army!"


    "YES, GENERAL!" all the soldiers shouted as the magical beasts finally entered within their range.


    "Shields up!" Lu Gong cried as the magical beasts could be identified. They could see gorillas, elephants, tigers, lions, snakes, eagles, crows, owls, and other magical beasts raze the hill side with their advance as they approached.


    "Now!" Cao Wei cried, rock walls sprouting as deep pits appeared all over the battlefield. Some beasts crashed through the walls, some dropping into the pits.


    Still, the charge advanced. Arrows struck flying and non-flying magical beasts alike as spears of wind soared into the sky. Lu Shu created over a hundred swords, sending them flying and killing many magical beasts as they impaled through one only to explode as they got stuck in another. Little Hao moved restlessly next to Lu Shu as Bakura kept its bone fingers on the grips of its swords.


    "Success," Lu Gong cried as many magical beasts that moved too fast were caught in the quicksand as they ran on what seemed like normal plains.


    "Watch the skies!" Lu Shu said, crescent blade so water decapitating many magical beasts as the mages summoned flying creatures and demons from other worlds. Some magical beasts trampled on those who sank on the quicksand and finally arrived at the shield wall. Spears impaled the magical beasts as the soldiers pushed with their shields.


    "Push and advance! Push them to the quick sands! Earth Practitioners, create spikes and pierce them belly-up! Ice Practitioners, send freezing winds into the sky! Practitioners that use darkness, take away their sight!" Lu Shu roared as he pushed out with his hands, a wave of lightning shocking and pushing back some magical beasts.


    "Don''t let any gaps appear! Condense and push through them!" Lu Gong cried.


    "Mages, target the clustered enemies and don''t let them attack the flanks!" Cao Wei roared.


    Lu Shu narrowed his eyes and wings of vermillion appeared on his back, he rose to the sky and all the spirit energy seemed to condense into him, the very air storming as if he was the center of a tornado. Lu Shu raised his hands into the sky, thousands of swords made emerald spirit energy appearing. Lu Shu roared as he pointed downward, the swords flashing past him like lightning. Blood sprayed and the ground ruptured as the magical beasts were helpless against the onslaught, no match for a Practitioner of the tenth stage using spirit energy of a Sword Immortal.


    Lu Shu wasn''t down as a black cloud appeared, gradually growing in size. Blue lightning crackled and the sky grew dark as the light could not penetrate the black clouds. Then, all the flying magical beasts were bombarded with lightning bolts as Lu Shu used his Black Cloud Desolation technique.


    He was like a god among those below the Spirit Knight stage, the highest being able to interfere with mortal affairs. No one had ever seen so much powerful techniques used at once. They all wondered how much spirit energy Lu Shu had. The clouds dispersed as the shield wall was able to push the magical beasts onto the quicksand. Slowly, the ambush was stalled. Lu Gong ordered the shield wall to extend and the magical beasts were soon the ones that were surrounded and on the offensive.


    "Show no mercy!" Cao Wei cried and all the mages finished of the magical beasts.


    "Victory! We have victory!" Lu Gong cried, all the soldiers cheering as the white mage apprentices began using their healing magic on the injured.


    "Only a few dozen killed. Only a little over a hundred," Ken observed as he had watched from the treetops.


    "Lu Shu''s plan was a success. Not only that, I''ve never seen a Spirit Shaman with so much spirit energy," Jiro shivered.


    "Let''s just hope our clans don''t anger him," Ken grinned.


    "To hell with the Li Clan. They can all burn except for uncle and his son," Jiro thought as he and Ken returned to the Tiger Army.


    "The plan was a success, general," Cao Wei grinned.


    "They were at the seventh stage. The remaining forces of the horde will be more wary of us. While their number is lower now, only the elite are left. We have to contend with magical beasts of the eighth and ninth stage. I''m sure the horde that slaughtered the Rabbit Army will have returned into the valley using the secret route they used to ambush the Rabbit Army," Lu Shu said silently. "The scout should be leaving to summon the cavalry. Send another scout to Great General Meng Ce and ask for them to try to enter the valley from where the Rabbit Army was supposed to enter. If my guess is right, the enemy was securing their escape route and killed the Rabbit Army as it was discovered. I don''t want to take the valley only to know they escaped. Also send word for reinforcements. Perhaps the Shield Armor Army as they should have entered the island to our right and arrived in front of the mountains."


    "Yes, general," Cao Wei bowed  and left as Ken and Jiro arrived.


    "Congratulations," they said.


    "What''s the plan now?" Jiro asked.


    "We rest and wait for now. When sunset comes, we strike with the reinforcements. It is harder to fly at night and we can ensure less assaults from above and focus solely on the ground," Lu Shu answered.


    "We wait for reinforcements before we storm the valley.

 Book 3: Chapter 5- Valley of Magical Beasts

    (Author: Hello! Two old friends return and the Tiger Army gets reinforcements from a different army than they expected. Now, they march to the valley of magical beasts at the eighth and ninth stage in the hopes of conquering the last defense before the main threat of Giant''s Chain. Enjoy.)


    ---------Chapter 5: Valley of Magical Beasts--------------------


    "General! General! I bring word from Great General Meng Ce!" a soldier said as he burst into the war council tent an hour before dawn. Lu Shu, his two lieutenants, and his two advisors were talking about how to fight the magical beast in the valley.


    "Report!" Lu Shu said, leaning back on his chair at the end of a long, rectangular table.


    "Great General Meng Ce authorizes your advancement into the valley. He has confirmed that there are only two paths to enter. The mountains cannot be scaled and scouts are easily ambushed if they try to fly over it on their magical beasts. Thus, he will send his forces to take care of the leader guarding the hidden exit of the valley where the Rabbit Army was annihilated. Tiger Army and Jade Sword Army will attack the valley as the rest of the army surrounds the island to prevent any type of reinforcement or Hyperion ambush," the soldier cried, kneeling on one knee as he made his report.


    "When will the Jade Sword Army arrive?" Lu Shu asked.


    "General, the Jade Sword Army is expected to arrive within the hour. The Great General suggests attacking at dawn so the sun rises from your backs. The enemy will be blinded as they gaze uphill. Your first engagement, the Great General said, should have less casualties while killing more of the enemy than they expected," the soldier answered.


    "Good. You''ve worked hard. Rest," Lu Shu said as the soldier thanked him and left.


    "Have the men ready to march into the valley. I want cavalry up front," Lu Shu said. "Make some room in the event the Jade Sword Army has cavalry forces of their own.


    "Yes, general," Lu Gong said and left to tell his forces.


    "Lieutenant General Cao Wei, I understand mages have something called enchantments," Lu Shu said, as he learned more about magic from Jiro and what they were normally capable of.


    "Yes, general," Cao Wei nodded.


    "Good. I understand mage apprentices can only cast temporary enchantments. I want all the cavalry soldiers covered in defensive enchantments. As for their swords, enchant them with light magic. It will add to the blinding effect of the sun as their spears and halberds might appear invisible. As they charge, cast the enchantments on the shields of the soldiers with lightning. It will serve to paralyze those they hit with their shields. After that, the priority of the mages is to assist the foot soldiers after the cavalry leave. I want the archers to cover the retreat of the cavalry. I want to lose as little forces as possible before we head to the main island," Lu Shu ordered.


    "Yes, general. Cao Wei hears and obeys," Cao Wei said, surprised and impressed Lu Shu thought to such an extent.


    "Jiro, can you lead the Jade Amry officers to the war council tent?" Lu Shu asked.


    "Sure. I''ll be back with them shortly," Jiro nodded.


    As Jiro left, Lu Shu asked, "What are our chances of encountering Hyperion this far inland?"


    "None. Not even the Hyperion venture onto the islands. They don''t wish to weaken their own forces and that of the magical beasts as we need to conquer the islands to get to Hyperion territory," Ken said. "Magical beasts hate the Hyperion and prefer not to engage them also."


    "General Han Jian greets Second Prince Lu Shu," a man over six feet tall, a scar down his neck partly covered by his black hair, cried. "I am here to assist the second prince in destroying all the magical beasts in the valley. If possible, may I suggest we attempt to capture some of them as they are very powerful magical beasts that could serve the army well?"


    "If it is unconscious and no soldiers will die in the process of capture, very well," Lu Shu nodded. "How many cavalry soldiers do you have?"


    "Only a thousand, Your Majesty," the general said. "Half of my Ten Thousand Man Army is comprised of foot soldiers. Two thousand consists of soldiers who do things behind the scenes, such as smiths, cooks, prostitutes to relieve sexual frustrations, and other duties the remaining two thousand are mages. My cavalry soldiers are not Practitioners but mages who specialize in close combat and utilize various enchantments on their weapons and armor. All five thousand of my soldiers are Practitioners of the eighth and ninth stage."


    "Mages as cavalrymen," Lu Shu paused and said, "Good. They will ride down the hill and into the valley as the sun rises along with my own cavalry forces. As we secure the area around the hill, the mages of our armies will focus on long range spells."


    "Understood," the general said. "I will take charge of the mages. I am a mage after all,"


    "I thought you were a Practitioner?" Lu Shu frowned.


    "I am the only mage general. I recently replaced my father two years ago, but never changed the name of the army. I wield an enchanted jade sword that never breaks, in honor of my late father," the general answered.


    "Very well. I will take charge of the Practitioners and lead the cavalry charge," Lu Shu nodded, happy with the plan. In ths way, both general ordered soldiers and knew their capabilities while avoiding giving conflicting orders.


    "General, you have a guest," a soldier reported.


    "What guest?" Lu Shu frowned, everyone turning to the entrance of the war tent.


    "Hello!" a young woman smiled as she appeared.


    "Shao Ivy?" Lu Shu said, incredulous as he did not expect her here.


    Lu Shu had first met Ivy when he first took over the body he now inhabited. He had also been classmates with her back at Black Lotus Academy. He noticed she was at the late tenth stage of the Spirit Shaman tier. Lu Shu was also at the late tenth stage, but her cultivation seemed to near the peak. It wouldn''t be long before she challenged the bottleneck and became a beginning stage Archon Phoenix. His foundations were deeper so it took him longer to cultivate and progress.


    "Hello Shu. I''m glad you remember me," Ivy smiled as she walked up to him. "I came on business from the emperor. It would be best to talk in private."


    "Ivy," Ken nodded his head as the Matsuda and Shao clans had good relations.


    "Nice to see you, Ken. You too, Jiro. Still hate the Li Clan?" Ivy asked.


    "Except for my uncle and his son," Jiro nodded. "We''ll leave you two alone as it is Yan imperial business."


    "I will see you on the battlefield, Second Prince Lu Shu," General Han Jian bowed and left.


    "You''re certainly moving up in the world. A prince and now general," Ivy smiled as Lu Shu poured her some tea and sat down across from her.


    "How have you been?" Lu Shu asked.


    "Not good. I was told I was betrothed to a young man I never met and found out I was one of many candidates. I found out he was the second prince of the Yan Dynasty but he had left for war," Ivy teased, Lu Shu coughing as he drank his own tea.


    "Betrothed? To me?" Lu Shu spurted.


    "Am I not beautiful enough?" Ivy asked as Lu Shu looked her over. Her light brown hair was tied to a ponytail and fell to the right of her neck. She had nice porcelain skin and  she was powerful. She even followed him to Giant''s Chain instead of waiting in the capital with the other candidates.


    "You are. Very beautiful. More than," Lu Shu smiled. He was used to killing and knew the danger, but didn''t want a girl who couldn''t kill if she had to. Of course, he would never admit it.


    "I''d like to think so but you are very popular. Another candidate came and I didn''t scare her off when I said I know you. She said you even had dinner together. She attended Golden Crow, Palace and I know you two talked a lot before." Ivy said. "I''ll let you two talk."


    "Huh?" Lu Shu frowned as she left. He saw a girl in a white robe with gold armor on top of her chest, arms, and legs. She was very busty but with a normal body outline, not at all skinny like Rian. Her dark brown hair was slightly wavy as it fell past her shoulders.


    "Hello Second Prince Lu Shu or should I call you General Lu Shu?" the girl asked.


    "Hong Rian?" Lu Shu realized after ten minutes.


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    "Yes. It''s been a long time, Lu Shu," the girl smiled. "I am at the peak tenth stage of the Spirit Shaman cultivation tier. Not everyday I can see someone who became a true Archon using the [Titan Creator] body technique. I have some of the magical beast meat with me. You know, the meat of a Two-Headed Magma Hound magical beast."


    "Seriously? Ah, you''re too much. Beautiful, powerful, and you brought me food you knew I liked," Lu Shu sighed with praise. "So you were one of my marriage candidates?."


    "You were cute and I thought we had a connection as we talked about spirit reactors and magical beast meat. Of course, I didn''t expect my uncle to make me one of your potential fianc¨¦s. I didn''t expect you to leave for an expedition to Hyperion lands so soon. I had to tell my uncle and older sister I was leaving the palace to follow you here," Rian laughed.


    "Ah, sorry about that," Shu grinned as she lightly punched him on the arm.


    "I''ve been training constantly while absorbing the planet''s life force. My foundations may not be as deep as yours, but I know I''ll be more powerful than my sister," she amended.


    "So you thought about me and brought me meat. I guess you thought about me so much, you liked me," Shu said as she got closer while he leaned back on his chair.


    "Maybe I did," Rian said as their lips nearly touched. "Is that bad?"


    "Why would it be bad? You actually thought about what I liked. That earns points in my book," Shu said both closed their eyes.


    "Ahem, my lord. We have a war to fight," Bakura coughed, oblivious to human romance as a wraith. As a creature born from anger, hatred, and vengeance; he was a little disturbed by the whole scene. Even Wraith, felt uncomfortable in Hao''s shadow.


    "Ah, right. War. I have soldiers to lead to charge into the valley," Lu Shu blurted, hastily rising and knocking back his chair. "Sorry Rian. We''ll catch up. Wait outside for me, will you?"


    "Okay," Rian smiled softly and lightly touched his arm as she left. She was quite happy as she knew his abrupt reaction meant he felt a connection with her for a moment. Ivy might know Lu Shu for a longer period but she also had a chance. Maybe seeing her fight might make them closer.


    "She is a distraction. They both are. Should I behead them, Lord Shu?" Bakura asked.


    "Nonsense. You don''t understand human romance. Bah. It was getting good," Spook sighed. "Shu, this girl is a good one. She is not afraid to fight and is even stronger than you, cultivation wise. If you were an ordinary Practitioner or scion of the ancient clan, she should be stronger. For now, conquer the magical beasts on this island. You can become a man later."


    "I''m not a virgin," Lu Shu began. "Only this body is, but you''re right. First we slaughter the magical beasts here. I''ll catch up with Rian later. Bakura, hold Hao. I don''t want him running off and mindlessly feeding on the battlefield while the enemy lives."


    "Yes, Lord Shu," Bakura said and carried the Holy Spirit Beast as the skeleton samurai followed its lord and master.


    "General," the soldiers bowed their heads as Lu Shu stepped out his tent. He got atop his magical beast tiger and headed for the top of the hill. The cavalry made way as he rode to the front.


    "Status report," Lu Shu said.


    "About four hundred magical beasts at the eighth stage and sixty two at the ninth stage," Lu Gong answered.


    "Good," Lu Shu said as he drew his Nether Tiger Sword, white celestial aura emanating from the blade.


    "Twenty seconds until the sun rises over the hill!" a scout said.


    "Good luck, my prince," General Han Jian bowed.


    "We will destroy our enemy," Bakura declared, drawing both its katana and wakizashi as it rode behind him.


    "Show no mercy," Ivy nodded, drawing her sword.


    "I will fight beside you," Rian said, taking out a twin swords.


    "Charge!" Lu Shu roared, the soldiers yelling at the top of their lungs as the ground shook under them. The magical beasts roared and prepared to intercept but closed their eyes or, turned away, as the sun rose and blinded them.


    Swords and spears shined and cut through flesh as their mounts rammed through magical beasts in their path. Some soldiers were lost as some magical beasts took to the skies, clawing or crushing the soldiers as they attacked. Serpents of lightning bolted from Shu''s left hand as he sliced with his right. Bakura guarded his back as some magical beasts turned to attack the cavalry from behind as they pushed their advance.


    Then, Lu Gong and the foot soldiers arrived, quickly creating a shield wall as the cavalry drew back to prepare another assault. Lu Shu was hit on the shoulder, but he just snarled and behead the magical beast.


    "Shields up! Cover the cavalry! Do not rush the advance! Let the mages attack the enemy as they cluster together! Send more soldiers to the right flank," Shu shouted as he used his Great Spirit Integration technique to hit the flying magical beasts with a sound wave technique. Rian and Ivy, take care of those magical beasts as they hit the ground! Foot soldiers, stay in formation! Let the enemy come to you!"


    "Messenger, tell the mages to focus their attacks on the right flank. There are more magical beasts there! Archers move forward and aid the left flank!" Shu cried as he cut down several magical beasts with waves of water that could cut through steel with every swing of his sword. He held his hand into the sky and brought it down, sending thirty emerald spirit swords into the magical beasts.


    "Where are the magical beasts of the ninth rank?" Shu asked.


    "At the rear," Lu Gong answered as he beheaded a magical beast with two pig heads. "Oi! Shields up! Let the foot soldiers stab at whatever tries to break through the gap!"


    "There it is," Shu said as he saw several fireballs soar through the sky and hit the magical beasts at the right flank, forcing them to head to the center. Some magical beasts also died under the hail of arrows at the left flank. Shu stared at Lu Gong, who blew a horn.


    "Shield wall, open the center flank!" Shu roared as the cavalry sped past them.


    "Advance the shield wall!" Shu roared as the cavalry returned after killing more magical beasts. "Earth Practitioners, harden the ground beneath the shield wall. Practitioners with fire and wind, target those flying magical beasts!"


    "Lu Gong, lead the right flank of the soldiers into the homes of the magical beasts to the right. Rian and Ivy, lead the soldiers to the left! I will lead the central forces to the center and target those magical beasts of the ninth stage.


    "Yes, Prince Shu," Rian and Ivy said as they raced away.


    "Messenger, tell the cavalry to proceed to attack the enemy from afar, with an archer behind each soldier. Foot soldiers, advance!" Lu Shu roared as lightning was thrown from his hands and blew up a magical beast wolf of the eighth stage.


    "Not bad. We''re moving forward into range! Summoners, send aid to the foot soldiers," Han Jian ordered as the mages moved to the foot of the hill. "Don''t send any more fireballs! Attack the magical beasts with lightning. Draw them to the central flank!"


    "Here they come," Lu Shu muttered as the magical beasts of the ninth stage finally charged ahead. Now it was time to end it. Like any other beasts, Shu would cut off their head like any other.


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


    (Author: No releases next week as I have a lot of midterms to prepare for. Sorry. Releases continue on September 30 (Wednesday, pacific time) as usual. Again, real life issues in college sucks. Especially with a huge percentage over the final grade. Enjoy the chapter and thanks for reading.)

 Book 3: Chapter 6- Man vs. Beast

    (Author: Hello! Rian and Ivy are back. Pretty sure you guys saw that coming if Lu Shu actually met the ten candidates before going to war. With the tactic a success, the collective armies of Tiger and Jade Sword fight the ninth stage magical beasts. While they outnumber the enemy, most of them are weaker than the magical beasts. What will happen in this battle of man vs. beast? Next release either Oct. 10 or 17, depending on how proficient I do my research papers, my midterms, and if my group shows up for all meetings without another reschedule. I swear, why do we have group work?...... Enjoy.)


    --------------Chapter 6: Man vs. Beast--------------------


    "Shields formation up! I want a five row formation!" Lu Shu roared as the soldiers scrambled into position. "First row, hold only your giant shields. Augment your defenses and brace for the enemy''s assault. Second and third row, ready your spears. Second row will stab between shields. Third row will stab as the second row redraws their spears for another attack. Fourth row, you are their replacements. If one falls, I want the squad leader to call out and replace that fallen soldier. Do not let the formation break! Fifth row. Your priority is shooting at the enemies. I want it to rain with your arrows and their blood."


    "Yes, general!" they cried.


    "General, General Han Jian is moving the mages up. I am to assist your flanks and have our mages assault those who try to flank you," Cao Wei said as he appeared behind him.


    "Good. You heard that men! Focus on the offensive and push forward! They are stronger, but are not men. Beasts are not organized as well as men. That is why we rule and they scatter. Trust your fellow soldier and keep your shields up!" Lu Shu roared.


    "Master?" Bakura said as Shu motioned to him.


    "I want you assist the second row in attacking the magical beasts that try to break through the formation. If one is downed, drag him to the back as he gets replaced," Shu said as Hao slept atop the tiger as it joined Lu Shu.


    "Yes, my lord. I will not fail my task," Bakura bowed and left to join the second row of the formation.


    "Brace yourselves!" Lu Shu roared as the magical beasts finally arrived. "Archers, open fire! Cao Wei, make sure those enchantment magic buffs are holding on those shields. You know what to do if they try to flank. Fourth Row, keep your eyes opened and be ready to join the fight at any time!"


    "Augh!" one of the soldiers cried as a magical beasts nearly broke past him as its rhino horn made a small dent on the shield and bruised his arm.


    "I never liked rhinos," Lu Shu spat as he threw a spear of lightning at the rhino, blasting it into ash. "Magical beasts are like regular beasts. They have the similar anatomies. Do not assume they only know how to attack a certain way. Mages, concentrate your magic on those who attack from medium to long range!"


    "Shield Wall, use your control over your element. Let it flow through your bodies and make your legs unmovable! Push forward. Bash them with your shields and keep your formation tight!" Lu Shu roared as some of them started to hesitate. "Do not retreat. Any who do will have their limbs torn apart by horses and their families whipped to death! Your life or their lives! Do not retreat. Push forward or I''ll cut off your head and replace you with someone better!"


    "Fuck it," one of the shield wall soldiers said as he decided not to run.


    "I don''t want to die," one cried and tried to run. Bakura pierced his balls and cut off his head as he fell to the ground in pain. The bloody, cruel act erased all thoughts of retreat and the soldiers immediately began to improvise their techniques to withstand the assault of the beasts.


    "Get that soldier''s corpse and see that his family is whipped to death," Lu Shu said. "I was not joking. If one retreats, more will follow and we will lose. I will not let one soldier''s cowardice affect my army."


    "Yes," Cao Wei nodded his head and told the scouts to retrieve and identify the body as Bakura brought it to them.


    "I need one replacement to the second row!" a soldier cried as one of the spearmen grabbed the shield of the traitor.


    "Tell them what I ordered Co Wei to do," Lu Shu said coldly and the soldier that was chosen to replace the spearmen nodded violently before rushing to his position. "Beasts are not men. They run away from beasts more powerful than them. Drive them back! Multiple spearmen should target the same magical beast. Let it know fear. Advance and keep your shields up!"


    Lu Shu watched as the shield wall no longer defied his  orders as the soldier from the fourth row told the soldiers what he said. He noticed the magical beasts no longer attacking as a huge wave as they realized they could not break through the formation, the magical beasts scattered as they tried to run.


    "All forces, charge and kill the enemy! Maintain a distance of one hundred feet. Spread out and kill the enemy!" Lu Shu yelled.


    "Finally!" the second and third row of soldiers cried as they  ran past the shield soldiers and started attacking the magical beasts, five attacking a single magical beast. The shield soldiers were taken back to be healed by the fourth row of soldiers as the fifth row of soldiers rushed to cover their allies and slow down the enemy retreat with their arrows.


    "Now that is the chaos of war," Cao Wei laughed as the battlefield became a mix of magical beast and soldiers all over the valley. The magical beasts had fear instilled in their hearts and Lu Shu let his men capitalize and kill to their hearts content.


    "You can only use that formation for so long. When the enemy starts retreating and not facing you, is when you dissolve the formation and charge the enemy at full force. Let''s just be glad they''re not human, or humanoid Hyperion," Lu Shu said as even Hao started hunting. The Holy Spirit Beast was tied to him and would have his cultivation like his wraith servants. If Hao was going to be hit, Wraith launched a secret attack from Hao''s shadow and retreated as Hao turned to the magical beast in anger.


    "Your little guardian lion cub and skeleton swordsman are frightening indeed. No wonder wraiths are highly sought for as is the aim to be a true Archon," Cao Wei sighed as Bakura and Hao led a one-sided slaughter.


    "We did not fight the elite as Meng Ce is fighting them with the Dragon Army. Also, this island is not the main headquarters of all magical beasts below the Spirit Knight tier," Lu Shu said as he and Cao Wei leisurely walked through the battlefield, killing magical beasts with lightning spears of flying daggers of fire.


    "True. We are lucky in that regard. Although, we lost quite the amount of soldiers. About twenty cavalry soldiers and two hundred and six foot soldiers have died since we first set out. Less then a quarter but still our soldiers nonetheless," Cao Wei nodded. "They will be replaced when we launch the final offensive on the last island in our path."


    "We should expect the Hyperion to interfere. I don''t believe the magical beasts would let them travel this far through their waters," Lu Shu nodded.


    "Report from Great General Meng Ce," a soldier said as he arrived during the chaos. "The leader of the magical beasts of this island has been captured as well as most of the elite that served it. There is also troubling news from the scouts that tried to scout the next island."


    "What is that?" Lu Shu asked.


    "The island has fallen to the Hyperion. However, the leader of the magical beasts is at the tenth stage of the Spirit Shaman tier and has been left alive to kill us. The Hyperion have made several outposts and built a giant fortress in the heart of the island. How big, none of our scouts discovered as they were killed before they could investigate further," the soldier reported.


    "Now we know the answer, General Lu Shu. I thought we were the reason the magical beasts panicked and gathered in the valley. They weren''t hiding from us. They were hiding...." Cao Wei began.


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    "....from the Hyperion," Lu Shu finished. "No wonder they stayed inside their nests. They were like people of a conquered city trying to hide from the invaders. Tell the soldiers not to kill these magical beasts and to capture them instead. We need all the fighting force we can get. If the soldiers are willing, let them bond with the magical beasts."


    "Yes, general," Cao Wei nodded and relayed his orders as Lu Shu left and returned to the war tent where General Han Jian, Li Jiro, and Matsuda Ken waited. After a while, the two lieutenant generals and his two marriage candidates arrived and they all sat on the war table with General Han Jian''s own lieutenant generals.


    "I assume you all heard the report," Lu Shu said.


    "Yes, Your Highness," Han Jian nodded as the others also agreed. "I always knew the Hyperion wouldn''t just let us waltz to their lands so easily."


    "Indeed. The Hyperion had always been a race that conquered and used offense as a defense," Ivy nodded.


    "Uncle Liao always said the boss of the magical beasts would not fall. Who knew it would betray its own kind to survive," Rian said, frowning. "My uncle is currently conferring the news to Ancestor Lu Feng. It seems my uncle was more concerned for me than I expected. I told him I would be fine."


    "I already told Lu Feng but the girl speaks the truth," Spook said in his mind. "He already spread his spirit sense all over Giant''s Chain. It seems humanoid Hyperion are on the island. He said to warn you that some of them might be experimented Hyperion and that they must have been sent here to test their worth."


    "Your Highness?" Han Jian asked as Lu Shu was quiet.


    "I received a report from my ancestor. It seems humanoid Hyperion are on the island. We are not going to face mindless beasts or ones that think like a pack. We must expect the enemy to have an intelligence near ours," Lu Shu warned.


    "What is the plan?" Lu Gong asked.


    "For now, we rest and re-supply with some of the resources here. Let the soldiers get used to their magical beasts and for reinforcements to arrive to replenish our forces. General Han Jian, I thank you for assisting us in taking the valley," Lu Shu said, nodding his head in gratitude to the general. "This war meeting is dismissed.


    "Your gratitude is more than enough, Your Highness. I thank you for allowing me to be of service. Be careful on the next island," General Han Jian said and left with his lieutenant generals.


    "By your leave, general," the others said and all left except for Rian.


    "My lord said you are dismissed," Bakura said as its hand grasped its katana.


    "I guess he doesn''t want the Two-Headed Magma Hound meat," Rian said and started to leave.


    "Wait!" Lu Shu cried, the taste of the meat in his mind. "Bakura, take Hao to my tent and let it rest."


    "She''s bribing my liege with meat. This vixen is a threat," Bakura thought as it picked up Hao and left.


    "So you want to speak with me or eat the meat?" Rian teased.


    "Both. Now that I am at the tenth stage. It is time I start awakening the power of my spirit reactors. You, who come from an ancient clan and even gave me a book about it, should know more than me," Lu Shu answered truthfully.


    "Oh," Rian said, feeling a little happy and sad as she heard his answer. "Okay. We''ll talk as we eat. We have the entire night to talk about it."


    As Rian started setting the table, Bakura had stepped outside the tent and was noticed by all the people nearby.


    "Where is Rian and Lu Shu?" Ivy asked.


    "Another distraction," Bakura muttered as it answered. "The master''s business, this lowly vassal cannot reveal. All I can say is that it requires a meal. I have urgent business to do on my lord''s behalf. I must make haste before Hao awakens after feeding on so many magical beasts."


    "The competition has already begun," Ken grinned as he and Jiro heard from a few feet away.


    "I wouldn''t date a girl from the ancient clans," Jiro said as he fingered the bead necklace on his neck. Inside was a human woman''s head with long vermillion hair. It seemed almost alive and one would feel a shiver down his spine if he looked at the bottom of the head. He would see the blood circulate around the broken fragment of the spine containing the neck of the head.


    "What''s that necklace?" Ken asked as he saw what was inside the bead necklace. "Is that a head? No wonder you hate the Li Clan so much. Was she someone you knew?"


    "No. This bead has nothing to do with my clan. Years ago, the Hyperion were searching for something. This bead was hidden at the sight. Based on the impressions on the altar, there are three more. However, someone his this bead in the root wall near the altar. Whoever did must have gotten a bead as well," Jiro said.


    "Do you know who did?" Ken asked.


    "I have a clue but my mind can''t believe he was the one," Jiro said. "I just know that the Hyperion are deceived and do not know they really need five. A five-star point formation is quite powerful and mysterious. I believe there should be five."


    "So who do you think Lu Shu will fall for?" Ken asked as he saw Ivy clench her fist and walk into the tent.


    "Honestly, I don''t know. Rian is very beautiful. Of course, Ivy has an advantage as she seemed to know Lu Shu and might even be his classmate from her academy. I forget the name," Jiro said as he was friends with her. He hated his clan, but his uncle still had him interact with the clan and do his responsibilities.


    "I do not understand why humans," Bakura said as it laid Hao next to the demon blood pool. "You''ve been with the master for a long time. How do I get rid of the distractions?"


    "It''s a human thing called love, opposite to the feeling that created us. Who knows? Anger, hatred, and vengeance made us. What would love, kindness, and forgiveness make?" Wraith shrugged as it exited Hao''s shadow.


    "That is unacceptable," Bakura said as it would have blanched if it had any flesh.


    "Living creatures with souls have feelings of love. As they are more intelligent, they don''t just pro-create with any opposite gender they feel the need to mate with. They develop relationships," Wraith said. "The more intelligent, the more they seek a companion. It is their way."


    "Will my lord be swayed by those vixens?" Bakura asked. "He must kill the leader of the magical beasts."


    "That has nothing to do with it as he will obviously kill it. However, the master''s type of woman....you should know as you have his memories due to our bond with him. His desire for meat and the power to protect what he wants, and how he lives his life, is what drives him. He would not desire a weak woman he would need to protect," Wraith answered.


    "Magical beast meat did make him pause and change his judgment," Bakura said as it remembered how his lord reacted upon hearing about the meat Rian had. "I must return and protect my liege."


    "He should learn to relax," Wraith sighed as it spread its eight legs and hopped into the pool while Bakura left to save his master..

 Book 3: Chapter 7- Spiritual Journey

    (Author: Hello! So many midterms. Well, Lu Shu learns of the Hyperion takeover over the rest of the islands of Giant''s Chain. Even the strongest magical beast under the Spirit Knight tier became their underling. Lu Shu, concerned with his task to slay that magical beast, asks Rian about information on spirit reactors. More news arrives and Lu Shu must make a choice. Enjoy.)


    -------------Chapter 7: Spiritual Journey----------------


    "So that was what happened? Ha. You''ve suffered quite a lot during your training," Lu Shu laughed as Rian poured him another cup of wine. "So about spirit reactors..."


    "Alright, but Ivy needs to leave. We are from separate clans and her clan might know as much as mine and will increase in power," Rian said.


    "Alright. Ivy, please leave," Lu Shu said.


    "This!" Ivy began, rising to her feet as she glared at Rian. However, she noticed the stare from Lu Shu and stormed out the tent.


    "You just let her leave, like that?" Rian asked.


    "I am dining with you for knowledge on spirit reactors. If you think I can be seduced so easily, you have another thing coming," Lu Shu smirked.


    "What if I want to stay the night?" Rian teased.


    "Why not?" Lu Shu grinned. "However, I''ve no plans to marry so young. In this world, you must be even stronger if you wish to marry and have a child. Otherwise, your relationships are a weakness. I may be a general under my father, but I will leave and go on my own path."


    "One of them is gone. Good," Bakura noted as it passed Ivy on the way inside.


    "Bakura, I did not summon you. Well, stand guard outside. I want no interruptions," Lu Shu said.


    "You wish to slay the female? Good. She is trouble, master," Bakura said.


    "No, she is a beauty with much knowledge in the world. Now stand guard outside," Lu Shu ordered as Rian stared at the samurai.


    "This...yes, Lord Shu," the puppet bowed and left the tent. "No, no. Master won''t be tempted by those vixens. Master is not an adult yet. Yes, master won''t succumb to seduction yet. I must ensure any future interactions with other female humans does not include aphrodisiac. Yes. I will not fail Lord Shu."


    "Now, you know the giant cores of the spirit reactors are from Spirit Beasts, yes? There are three kinds: chaos, ancient, and holy. How many spirit reactors do you have and what kind are they?" Rian asked as the two sat down and got to business.


    "I have four spirit reactors from Ancient and Chaos Spirit Beasts, two of each. I also have one spirit reactor from a Holy Spirit Beast. I have a total of five spirit reactors," Lu Shu answered.


    "Five? You even have a spirit reactor from a Hoy Spirit Beast? Good. You must need one if you walk the Sword Immortal path," Rian said. "Seeing Little Hao, you must have made a totem and gone to Spirit Road. This is good. You must be familiar with spirits. Now, you must take the next step."


    "I''m to go back there?" Lu Shu asked.


    "No. You will be going to a different pocket dimension. There are many ancient temples with a specific reason to exist: communion with the spirits. It is much harder for a fake Archon to awaken their power at the Spirit Master stage, but true Archons have an easier time during the tenth stage of the Spirit Shaman tier. Some specific temples are the only ones to awaken those who cultivate a particulate true Archon body technique, like our [Titan Creator] technique," Rian began.


    "I knew you would ask me about it again as the book I gave you only talked about how spirit reactors were made, not awakened. In the ancient clans, we safeguard one of the Temples of the Titan just to awaken our spirit reactors. I, myself, need to awaken my own spirit reactors, for which I have two. There is a temple on Giant''s Chain. It is to the north, in the lower Spirit Knight tier islands. You must make a choice: leave the army and go there to awaken your spirit reactors, or remain here and go to my clan to do it," Rian said.


    "Why? The area should be secure along the way," Lu Shu said.


    "Yes, for now it is. However, the more powerful magical beasts will start to withdraw if sects and academies establish themselves here. They will discover the temple and hoard it, or the temple will house all those magical beasts and truly be forever lost. You don''t have much time. As soon as the heart of the Giant''s Chain, for magical beasts below the Spirit Knight tier, is lost; you will lose the chance to awaken your spirit reactor," Rian answered.


    "I cannot just leave. I am a general," Lu Shu sighed and shook his head.


    "But you are also a prince. You can order Great General Meng Ce to take charge of the Tiger Army, giving him a personal army to control instead of relying on his sister. Also, I conferred with Ancestor Lu Feng. He has already permitted it as well as notified Great General Meng Ce. You only need to say the word," Rian said. "Will you tie yourself down, to mortal affairs? Do you not wish to ascend to the Immortal Realms?"


    "I was visited by a Keeper of the Dead. My circumstances are not that simple. I must kill the magical beast leader that defected to the Hyperion forces," Lu Shu said.


    "Then we will tell your army that you and I will assassinate the magical beast as they engage the Hyperion forces. We can give a cover that you will stay in Giant''s Chain to recuperate while they proceed onward. You can take control of your own destiny then," Rian said.


    "Why go so far for me?" Lu Shu asked.


    "I felt a sort of connection between you and I as we dined last time, back in the Jakkom Empire. I am also your marriage candidate, a choice I made willingly," Rian answered.


    "I''m not ready for that kind of commitment, yet. What I pursue is power. Are you willing to wait and follow me?" Lu Shu asked.


    "I would not be here if I wasn''t," Rian answered.


    "Then I choose to take control of my own fate. We leave to assassinate the magical beast before dawn," Lu Shu said. "Oh, and be wary of Ivy. I know her enough that she is not willing to be denied, just as she persistently tried to give me a makeover once before."


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    "Don''t worry. She won''t be a problem," Rian grinned and entered his arms and kissed his cheek. "However, I don''t she will be a problem for us tonight. After all, I am staying here.


    "She tainted you master," Bakura said, drawing its katana as it entered and saw a mark on his cheek. "I will be back after slaying her."


    "No, it is alright. We have other affairs. We must plan how to kill that magical beast," Lu Shu waved.


    "We will not slay it with the army? Good. They hold master back and steal all Lord Shu''s kills and magical beast cores," Bakura nodded.


    "Alert Wraith and Little Hao. We will leave before dawn," Lu Shu ordered.


    "Yes, Lord Shu," Bakura knelt on one knee and rushed out the tent.


    "He doesn''t like me, does he?" Rian asked as Lu Shu leaned over her as a bed appeared from his storage bag, Lu Shu putting Spook in it.


    "We can deal with both of them tomorrow," Lu Shu grinned as he toyed with her clothes.


    An hour later, Lu Shu walked out of the war tent and entered his personal tent, rinsing his body before entering the blood pool. Wraith and Bakura bowed as they saw their master. In a moment, Great General Meng Ce arrived.


    "Greetings, Prince Lu Shu," Meng Ce said. "You summoned me?"


    "Yes. I will leave the Tiger Army to you while leaving for my assassination. I trust you will handle the cover story while I recuperate here?" Lu Shu asked.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. I will do as you command," Meng Ce bowed.


    "Keep an eye on Li Jiro. He owns a strange bead with what seems to be a vermillion head inside. It cannot be bond by blood, as he is a mage and cannot make a spirit reactor. During your travel to the Hyperion encampment, I want him to lose that bead among the chaos. I don''t want him dead, just the bead," Lu Shu ordered.


    "Understood. I will ensure no traces will be left behind," Meng Ce bowed and left as Lu Shu gestured to the exit.


    "That takes care of that. Now, I want you two to be on full alert tomorrow. Our mission is to infiltrate to the lair, not force our way through," Lu Shu said as he gazed on his wraith puppets.


    "It seems we will finally break away from the army," Spook said as it was worn on his finger once more. "As if to celebrate, you became a man."


    "I admit I am unused to cooperating and leaving the fight to others, but are you mocking me right now?" Lu Shu laughed. "Is it true, what Rian said about temples?"


    "Yes. Information about one in Giant''s Chain? I cannot say for it is not in my database of memories of the Great Ancestor. However, I agree with the choice you made. You walk the path of spiritual cultivation. This spiritual journey is one you need, like a pilgrimage on Spirit Road. You must break through to the Archon Phoenix tier before the opening of the Pantheon of Devils," Spook answered. "Otherwise, you must trail behind those more powerful than you and watch them take all the treasures."


    "Are you done making the Phoenix Rebirth pills?" Lu Shu asked.


    "Yes, all nine have been made. You only need to reach the peak of the tenth stage and find a safe place to cultivate," Spook answered.


    "Heh. Finally, I will be one step closer to reaching the Immortal Realms," Lu Shu said, lifting his hand up high as if to grab the very Heavens into his grasp.


    When Great General Meng Ce told the lieutenant generals the plan, Lu Gong and Cao Wei received the news that the general and second prince would go on a secret mission to assassinate the magical beast leader. They would be under the temporary command of Great General Meng Ce while Lu Shu and Rian would sneak to the enemy stronghold to kill the beast. Li Jiro and Matsuda Ken exchanged gold coins as they learned that Rian and Lu Shu had a passionate night, thanking nearby soldiers who patrolled near the war tent.


    Ivy Shao was the least pleased by the news, furious that Rian was able to get closer to Lu Shu. Her plan was to come and win his heart by following him to war. She did not expect Rian to come. Nor did she suspect that Rian would prove her usefulness before her. Rian''s success even displayed that she knew Lu Shu more than her.


    "I can''t let that vixen get Lu Shu. When they return, I must prove my worth and his affection," Ivy grumbled as she was one of the few in the Tiger Army''s encampment that slept restlessly after hearing the news.


    "So his current choice is Hong Rian. How unexpected," the emperor said as he received the report from Meng Ce through magical mirrors, Meng Ce bowing on one knee on the other side. "He didn''t impregnate her, did he?"


    "I...can''t possibly find that out, Imperial Majesty," Meng Ce answered uncomfortably. "I do not believe so as it is difficult for those who cultivate to bear children."


    "Indeed. It took dozens of years for my wife''s body to adapt and gain the ability to bear children. Such is the price of cultivation. So my son wishes to take hold of his own path. Good. I suspected nothing less. Keep me informed on the progress of the invasion of Giant''s Chain," the emperor said.


    "Yes, Imperial Majesty," Meng Ce said as the mirror''s image of the emperor returned to reflect Meng Ce''s own image.


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


    (Author: Hello! The next release is October 17. I honestly did not expect to write this chapter in time. Good luck on midterms and research papers. I know I''m busy with those. I love writing but reality bites.)

 Story Update

    Author


    Due to real life situations, I am putting my writing on hiatus and won''t be online for a while. College has become more time consuming due to research papers, group projects, <del>fucking</del> group meeting reschedules, and more midterms.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    I passed my midterms this time, but I have to study harder if I still want my A''s. A standard midterm is 20% to 30% of total grades.


    This will be updated as soon as my free time becomes more flexible.


    Sorry to all my readers and I hope you enjoy the other xianxia stories this website has.