《Thunder Lord's Legacy》


 Chapter 1: Introduction - Ring of Thunder

    As a young lad, still in the bloom of youth, I would carefully listen, captivated by my father''s tales of Thunder Lord Kyiazo. His resounding voice recounting the battles and heroic feats of this mythical figure. These narratives ignited a fervent fire within my impressionable mind, and Thunder Lord Kyiazo became an icon of strength and bravery, a beacon to guide my aspirations.


    Nestled within our humble abode, embraced by the craggy mountains, I sought solace in the rugged landscapes that enveloped our village. Towering peaks stood like sentinels, their majestic forms inspiring awe, while cascading waterfalls created a symphony of whispers, beckoning me to uncover the secrets that lay hidden. It was during one of my venturesome escapades that fate led me to a concealed cavern, tucked away within the rocky crevices.


    Travelling further into the cavern gives me goosebumps. As the darkness envelops my limbs, a shiny ring lights my way, from the depths. The more I walk the further it seems to be, but I feel a strong connection to this relic of the past, an urgency to take it for myself.


    Compelled by curiosity, upon arrival, I reached out and grasped the ring, feeling its cool metal against my skin. In that instant, a surge of energy coursed through my being, awakening an awareness of the profound transformation that awaited. Little did I know that this encounter would forever alter the trajectory of my existence. The ring became my constant companion, a clandestine wellspring of power concealed from the prying eyes of kin and confidants.


    Years passed, marked by the ebb and flow of seasons, and the mountains became my crucible of growth. Relentlessly exploring their recesses, I sculpted my physique, transforming from a mere boy to an athletic and robust young man. Countless hours were devoted to honing my skills, under the tutelage of my father, Huang Hao Ren, a masterful practitioner of spear martial arts. Beneath the cover of night, he imparted upon me the ancient wisdom, guiding my steps along the path of long-range spear combat, deadly in a melee fight.


    With the break of dawn, a new chapter unfurled as my mother, Lingxia Hao Ren, a paragon of grace and finesse in sword martial arts, assumed the role of my mentor. Through her delicate yet commanding movements, I imbibed the essence of swordsmanship, learning to wield the blade with precision and grace. The passing of the sun marked the transition of my training, a seamless transition between the two realms of combat.


    Little did I know that both martial arts would be crucial to my "evolution" as a martial artist.


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    Within the realm of Yong Ning, the name Hao Ren carried a weight of distinction and renown. Our family, the custodians of ancient traditions, served as a bastion of security for the royal court, their valor etched in the annals of history. Our ancestral hamlet, nestled between the peaks and valleys, thrived as a sanctuary of tranquility, bearing witness to generations of noble warriors who had dedicated their lives to safeguarding the realm.


    Amidst the tapestry of honor and duty, the ring assumed a significance far greater than a mere artifact. It became an extension of my being, a conduit through which I channeled the essence of lightning. With a single thought, the fulmination discharge crackled and arced, a testament to my command over this electrifying gift. Yet, as my mastery grew, so did the toll upon my mortal frame. Each surge drained a portion of my vitality, rendering me simultaneously more formidable and fragile.


    And so it was that on the eve of my eighteenth birthday, a day poised to forever etch its mark upon my destiny, I ventured deep into the heart of the mountains. Driven by an insatiable curiosity that gnawed at the core of my being, I embarked upon a solitary pilgrimage, guided by an innate longing. The untamed wilderness, an uncharted canvas, bore witness to my relentless pursuit of understanding.


    Alone in the embrace of nature, I found myself teetering on the precipice of the unknown, straddling the delicate line where the fabric of fate blended with my mortal existence. Accidentally, while tracing the markings on the ring, my finger grazed the fiery red stone nestled at its center, and the nearby world erupted in a blinding storm of resplendent brilliance.


    Enveloped within the tempest''s maw, my consciousness dissipated, engulfed by a torrential vortex of thunderous power. When awareness dawned once more, I awoke within the confines of a humble cottage, nestled amid nature''s tranquil embrace. The storm had subsided, leaving behind indelible marks upon my flesh, physical testaments to the electric currents that coursed through my veins.


    Confusion gripped me, a shroud obscuring the true nature of the metamorphosis that had befallen me. Yet, deep in the labyrinth of uncertainty, an ember of purpose flickered within my heart. A relentless yearning propelled me forward, a quest for answers and comprehension. Oblivious to the ancient curses and divine destinies woven into the very fabric of the ring I had discovered, I embarked on a journey intertwined with my own "gods and demons" and Thunder Lord Kyiazo himself.


    "My name is Xu Hao Ren, and this is my story..."

 Chapter 2: Lightnings Embrace

    As I arose from a profound slumber, bewilderment shrouded my thoughts. I found myself in a small cottage, the surroundings unfamiliar and disorienting.


    On the side of the bed, a purple manual caught my eye, its pages empty, except for a single phrase etched onto the first page: "In order for cultivation to begin, one must seek continuous lightning on the path to Transcendence."


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    Confusion gripped me as I gazed at the cryptic words, trying to decipher their meaning. The lightning that had struck me during the tempest had left me unconscious, leaving behind visible marks on my flesh, testaments to the electric currents that now coursed through my veins. The realization of my transformed existence mingled with a deep curiosity about the cultivation technique hinted at in the manual.


    "Transcendence?" I mused to myself, my thoughts filled with uncertainty. "I''m currently in the Qi Refinement realm, Mother is at the middle of Golden Core, and Father''s at the peak. What level is this Transcendence realm?"


    The manual provided no immediate answers, its empty pages leaving me with more questions than before. But there was an undeniable pull, an unspoken promise of unlocking greater potential hidden within those blank spaces. Determination ignited within me, fueled by the desire to understand and harness the thunderous powers that coursed through my veins.


    With the manual in hand, I stepped outside the cottage, guided by an instinctual longing to seek out the continuous lightning that the manual spoke of, yet there was nobody in sight.


    The rugged beauty of the mountains, with their towering peaks and verdant valleys, surrounded me as I ventured into the untamed wilderness.


    As I walked through the wilderness, my senses alert to the enchanting whispers of nature, I caught sight of a mysterious old man engrossed in a game of Go. His weathered face exuded a sense of wisdom and ancient knowledge; an aura of tranquility surrounded him.


    Intrigued by his presence, I approached him cautiously. "Excuse me, sir," I began, my voice laced with curiosity. "I couldn''t help but notice your intense focus on the game. Might I join you?"


    The old man glanced up from the Go board, his eyes shimmering with a spark of amusement. "Ah, a young traveler," he said, his voice carrying the weight of age and experience. "Sit, my child, and play a game with me."


    I took a seat across from the old man, feeling a sense of reverence. As we played, the stones clacking against the wooden board, the conversation unfolded, revealing fragments of his enigmatic past.


    "I have wandered these mountains for longer than you can imagine," he said, his voice carrying a hint of nostalgia. "No one knows who I am or why I have chosen this solitude. Some say I am a lost hermit seeking enlightenment, while others believe I guard ancient treasures hidden within these peaks. The truth, my young friend, is known only to the wind and the mountains themselves."


    His words intrigued me further, fueling my desire to uncover the secrets of this land and the lightning powers that coursed within me. The game ended, but the old man''s presence lingered, a doorway to untold knowledge.


    Before he vanished into the wilderness, leaving me with more questions than answers, the old man offered a parting wisdom. "Remember this encounter, Xu Hao Ren," he said, his eyes gleaming with a depth of understanding. "Life is like a game of Go¡ªstrategies unfold, stones are placed, and destinies intertwine. The answers you seek lie within the lightning that courses through your veins. Keep that ring close, young one."


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    With those enigmatic words, the old man disappeared into the surrounding wilderness, leaving me with a mixture of awe and anticipation. Exhausted from my time spent delving into the mysteries of lightning cultivation, I decided it was time to make my way back home.


    The journey led me to a local sect, nestled among the valleys of Yong Ning. Seeking a community of like-minded cultivators, I hoped to find a sanctuary where my aspirations would be nurtured, and my lightning cultivation could flourish.


    It was here that I encountered another old man, his aura resonating with my own wild lightning essence.


    The old man, named Meng Xiaolin, carried himself with an air of authority as he conversed with the sect leader. They exchanged pleasantries, their camaraderie hinting at a long-standing friendship. Intrigued, I approached them, my curiosity piqued by the familiarity I sensed in his lightning aura.


    "Excuse me," I interjected, my voice respectful but filled with intrigue. "May I know the name of this person with a lightning aura similar to mine?"


    He turned his gaze towards me, his eyes narrowing in concentration, carefully studying me for a moment before responding. "I sense the lightning coursing through your veins, young one. I am known as Meng Xiaolin." he said, his voice carrying a mixture of surprise and interest. "But I do not know you, young one. What brings you to this sect?"


    "I am Xu Hao Ren," I replied, introducing myself. "I have journeyed through the mountains, seeking answers and a community that shares my aspirations. I am trained in the art of the Spear and that of the Sword, but Lightning cultivation is my path, and I yearn to further my growth in this domain."


    Whispers of disbelief echoed among the local sect disciples as they overheard our conversation. Their murmurs filled the air; lightning cultivation is typically very rare and can only be acquired in very specific sects. Cultivators that have multiple intertwined paths are also extremely rare, but not unheard of. Ignoring their skepticism, I focused on old man Meng Xiaolin, waiting for his response.


    The old man''s gaze shifted from the sect leader to me, leaving the local sect leader shocked and bemused. His eyes flickered with a mix of determination and respect. "Xu Hao Ren," he repeated, musing over the name. "Your lightning essence is rare and powerful. The Ti¨¡n f¨¢ sect, one of the largest in Yong Ning, seeks talented lightning cultivators like yourself. Joining our sect would not only benefit you, but it would also please me to see a young cultivator such as yourself succeed on the path of lightning cultivation."


    I thanked old Meng for his generous offer but expressed my uncertainty. "I shall consider joining the Ti¨¡n f¨¢ sect," I replied, my tone respectful. "However, I cannot guarantee how long I will remain in Yong Ning."


    The whispers among the sect disciples grew louder, filled with disbelief at my apparent refusal. Their judgmental gazes bore into me, but I remained steadfast in my decision. It was not a rejection of their sect but a reflection of my own uncertain path.


    Undeterred, Meng Xiaolin reached into his robes and produced a couple of ceramic wine jars, extending them toward me. "Consider these jars as a symbol of welcome," he said as his tone softened. "You are always welcome at the Ti¨¡n f¨¢ sect. Whenever you decide to return to Yong Ning, I would like you to pay us a visit. The lightning within you will find solace within our walls."


    Grateful for his understanding, I accepted the wine jars with a nod of appreciation.


    As I turned to leave, I could feel the weight of the sect disciples'' judgmental stares upon my back. But their doubt only fueled my determination to forge my own path, guided by the lightning that pulsed within me.


    Leaving the local sect behind, I embarked on my journey once again, my mind filled with questions and my heart ablaze with the untamed power of lightning cultivation. There was much to learn, much to discover, and the path ahead beckoned me to transcend the limitations of my current realm and reach for the boundless heights of what the purple book called "Transcendence."


    On my way home, the weariness of my travels began to take its toll. I found myself drawn to the comforting warmth and respite of the local inn. The journey back to the Hao Ren family was still a considerable distance away, due to the detour I took to reach the local sect, and I knew I needed rest before continuing.


    Inside, I was greeted by the flickering glow of lanterns and the bustling chatter of patrons. The aroma of freshly cooked meals wafted through the air, tempting my senses. I approached the innkeeper and requested a room for the night, seeking solace in the embrace of a comfortable bed and the fleeting moments of sleep.


    As I settled into the room, fatigue washed over me, and my thoughts drifted back to the enigmatic encounters and newfound revelations that had filled my days. The weight of the purple manual pressed against my chest, a constant reminder of the path I had chosen. The allure of Transcendence beckoned me, urging me to unlock the true potential hidden within me.


    "What am I going to tell Mother and Father?" I said to myself in a tired tone," They do not know that I have forsaken their teachings to follow a separate path of my own.", acknowledging that this could pose a serious problem.


    Drifting into a deep slumber, I knew that the journey was far from over. The challenges and discoveries that awaited me in the future to come whispered in my dreams, fueling my resolve to push forward. In the embrace of the inn, I rested, gathering my strength for the trials that lay ahead...

 Chapter 3: Way of the Palm

    I wake up from a deep slumber, feeling the remnants of exhaustion clinging to my body. Sixteen hours of rest have rejuvenated me, yet a lingering weariness remains. As I rise from the bed, a realization strikes me¡ªI had stayed at the inn longer than I had initially paid for. Without hesitation, I rush to find the innkeeper to settle the additional payment.


    In this world, currency holds its own hierarchy. Bronze coins are the most common and have the lowest value, followed by silver, gold, and the coveted spirit stones. The exchange rate is substantial, with one spirit stone equaling a hundred gold coins. Thankfully, in the Hao Ren family, I have the means to earn money swiftly, ensuring the financial security of both the royal court and the local villages.


    Having paid the innkeeper, I feel a sense of relief wash over me. With a rumbling stomach, I seek nourishment and approach the inn''s dining area. The menu offers a variety of dishes, but my choice is clear: "Wok Seared Wild Boar Chops with Fried Rice." The meal cost is five silver coins, a reasonable expense considering the satisfying flavors it promises.


    As I savor the delectable dish, my attention is diverted by a commotion nearby. Several thugs, their disheveled appearances contrasting with their aggressive demeanor, surround a woman dressed in vibrant red robes adorned with golden patterns. A sense of unease grips me as I recognize her as a Buddhist¡ªan uncommon sight in these parts of Yong Ning.


    Concerned for the safety of the nun, I finish my meal swiftly and approach the group with caution. The thugs leer menacingly, clearly underestimating the resolve hidden beneath my calm exterior. With a steady voice, I intervened, addressing the thugs directly.


    "Excuse me, gentlemen," I say firmly, "I believe you may have mistaken the situation. This esteemed monk deserves your respect and should be allowed to continue her journey without any disturbance."


    The thugs'' eyes widen in surprise, not expecting anyone to challenge their authority. A sneer forms on the leader''s face as he steps forward, his voice dripping with arrogance. "And who do you think you are, boy? Mind your own business before you get hurt."


    I stand my ground, my palms tingling with determination to test my newfound lightning powers. A spark ignites within me, and I respond, my voice steady and resolute. "I am Xu, of the Hao Ren family."


    The mention of my family name causes a ripple of recognition among the thugs. The Hao Ren family is renowned for providing security and protection for the royal court and the local villages of Yong Ning. Our focus lies in the cultivation of the Spear and the Sword. My father, Huang Hao Ren, is a revered spear master, while my mother, Lingxia Hao Ren, is a formidable figure in the art of the Sword.


    The leader of the thugs takes a step back, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. He recognizes the reputation that accompanies the Hao Ren family, and their involvement signifies potential trouble for his unruly gang. However, he quickly regains his composure, unwilling to back down.


    "Ah, so you''re from the famous Hao Ren family," he sneers, trying to mask his unease. "Doesn''t change the fact that we''re here to have some fun with this girl. Step aside, boy, before you regret it."


    I refuse to yield, my resolve strengthened by my family''s legacy and the lightning coursing through my veins. I take a step forward, my eyes locked with the leader''s, radiating an unyielding determination. "I won''t let you harm her. Leave peacefully, and perhaps I''ll consider showing mercy."


    Her serene expression unwavering, gazes at me with a sense of gratitude. She emanates a calming energy, as if she has already transcended the turmoil that surrounds her. With a voice that carries many years of wisdom, she interjects.


    "Gentlemen, violence only begets suffering. If you seek true enlightenment, embrace compassion and let go of your misguided ways," she implores, her words resonating with an otherworldly power.


    The thugs exchange hesitant glances, their confidence waning in the face of the girl''s serene demeanor and my unwavering determination. Sensing an opportunity to defuse the situation, I extend an offer.


    "Walk away now, and perhaps there is still a chance for redemption," I suggest, my voice carrying the weight of authority inherited from my family''s role in the region.


    The leader, begrudgingly acknowledging the futility of their actions, nods to his companions, signaling their retreat. With a mixture of relief and satisfaction, I watch as the thugs disperse, leaving behind an atmosphere of tranquility.


    Turning to the nun, I offer a respectful bow. "You have my gratitude, venerable one. It was an honor to assist you."


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    She returns the bow, a gentle smile gracing her lips. "Your courage and compassion shine brightly, Xu of the Hao Ren family. But you do not seem to know who I am, yet I know you. Shall I tell you my name so that we may reminisce?"


    Confusion strikes me as her words wash over me. How could this Bhikkhuni claim to know me when I have no recollection of her? Nevertheless, my curiosity piqued, I await her revelation.


    "My name is Lei Zhao," she says, her voice laced with a hint of nostalgia. "We were childhood friends, Xu, exploring these very mountains together with our companion, Mer Xia."


    The mention of Mer Xia triggers a flood of memories within me. Images of our carefree days spent traversing the rugged peaks and verdant valleys resurface, like fragments of a long-forgotten dream. Lei Zhao''s face now aligns with those cherished memories, and a smile spreads across my face.


    "Lei Zhao," I repeat, the name feeling both familiar and distant on my tongue. "Yes, the memories come rushing back. How could I forget our adventures and the bond we shared?"


    Her eyes gleam with delight, and we find ourselves caught up in a joyful reminiscence of our childhood escapades. We recount stories of our daring expeditions, our laughter echoing through the inn''s dining area.


    As the tales unfold, Lei Zhao reveals that she embarked on a spiritual journey, seeking enlightenment and dedicating herself to the path of a Bhikkhuni. Her presence in these distant lands and her chance encounter with the thugs were no mere coincidence but a part of her own spiritual quest.


    "We have been granted this opportunity to meet again, Xu,", her voice tinged with gratitude. "Our paths may have diverged, but fate has conspired to bring us back together. Let us cherish this reunion and learn from the experiences that lie ahead."


    A sense of purpose stirs within me. Lei Zhao''s arrival in my life feels like a catalyst, propelling me further along the path of self-discovery and enlightenment. Our connection, forged in the innocence of childhood, now takes on a deeper meaning, intertwined with the lightning powers that surge within me.


    But, before our conversation can continue, chaos erupts in the inn''s dining area. A stray table hurtles through the air, propelled by the leader of the bandits who has suddenly had a change of heart and decided to attack us both simultaneously. The room fills with gasps and startled cries as patrons scramble to safety.


    Lei Zhao''s expression transforms from one of serenity to one of fierce determination. Anger flashes in her eyes as she swiftly brings her hands together, her voice echoing with power and conviction. "I have given you the chance. I am not yet at the stage of cultivation where I have eradicated my anger!"


    In a swift motion, she pulls back her left arm and thrusts her palm forward, a surge of energy emanating from her being. With a resounding yell, she unleashes her technique, channeling her inner-power-infused palm into a devastating attack.


    "Vajra Palm Shockwave!" she bellows, the words reverberating through the air.


    A powerful shockwave radiates from her palm, rippling through the space between her and the bandit leader. The force of her strike collides with the incoming table, shattering it into splinters and sending the bandit leader sprawling backward, stunned by the unexpected display of power.


    The room falls into a momentary silence as everyone watches in awe and disbelief. The petite figure stands tall, her gaze unwavering, as she assesses the situation. The other bandits hesitate, their confidence waning in the face of such formidable strength.


    Sensing the tension in the air, I seize the opportunity to join the fray. Drawing upon my own lightning cultivation, I step forward, channeling the energy coursing through my veins. The crackling of electricity fills the air around me as I prepare to unleash my own technique.


    But, before I can act, Lei Zhao turns to me, her expression now as calm as a lake that has never felt the breeze of wind. Her beautiful brown eyes meet mine, and I see a flicker of hesitation in her gaze.


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    "Xu, let us go, quickly, before I regret the path that I am about to choose."


    Her words strike me with surprise, and I quickly assess the situation.


    Realizing that further confrontation may not be the wisest course of action, I nod in agreement.


    We swiftly make our way out of the inn, leaving behind the stunned crowd and the remnants of the bandits'' defeated presence.


    Outside, as we walk along the road, Lei Zhao breaks the silence with a voice tinged with sympathy.


    "Xu, I did not anticipate encountering such hostility. Please accept my apologies for involving you in that confrontation."


    I shake my head, a reassuring smile on my lips. "There is no need for apologies, little Lei."


    Lei''s eyes reflect a mix of gratitude and determination. With a cheeky smile, she remarks, "Little Lei? My, Xu, you haven''t called me that since we were children."


    Her confusion catches me off guard for a moment, but then the memories come rushing back. I recall the days of our youth, spent playing in the mountains, where Lei Zhao was always the smallest among us, earning her the nickname "Little Lei." A wave of nostalgia washes over me as I reflect on those innocent times.


    "You''re right, Little Lei," I reply, a warm tone in my voice. "It seems like a lifetime ago since we last shared those carefree moments. But even after all these years, our connection remains strong."


    Lei''s smile widens, and a spark of mischief dances in her eyes. "Indeed, Xu. Our paths have diverged, but fate has brought us back together. Who would have thought that this new lightning within your veins would intersect with my pursuit of the Palm?"


    We walk side by side, sharing stories and reminiscing about the adventures of our childhood. The bond between us strengthens with each step, and as we part ways, I know that our paths will cross again...

 Chapter 4: Paths Converging

    Having reached the main residence, a mixture of nostalgia and apprehension floods my heart. The grand courtyard unfolds before me, a sanctuary I once called home, now standing in all its familiar glory. Tall trees line the perimeter, their lush green leaves rustling gently in the breeze. In the center of the courtyard, a serene pond reflects the moon''s soft glow, adding an ethereal touch to the surroundings.


    To the left stands the Elder Hall, a magnificent structure adorned with intricate carvings that tell the story of our family''s history. The building''s wooden panels, weathered by time, hold the wisdom of generations past, each grain a testament to the resilience of the Hao Ren family. Its dark, earthy tones blend harmoniously with the surrounding nature.


    In the middle, the main family residence beckons me with its imposing presence. Sturdy stone walls form its foundation, a symbol of the fortitude that has guarded our family for centuries. The architecture carries a sense of tradition, with sweeping roofs and red pillars that exude a timeless elegance. As I draw nearer, I can almost hear the echoes of laughter and conversations that once filled these halls.


    To the right, up front, I see the building where the secondary family resides. While not as grand as the main residence, it holds its own charm and warmth. Its beige walls, adorned with intricate golden patterns, speak of familial love and unity, a sanctuary for those who share the Hao Ren bloodline.


    The giant fortress-like fence that surrounds the courtyard stands tall and formidable, a symbol of protection against potential threats. A feeling of safety envelops me as I remember the stories of how this mountainous terrain has thwarted countless attempts by enemies to attack the main branch.


    My heart weighs heavy with the knowledge that I haven''t shared the reason for my prolonged absence with my father or mother. The path I''ve chosen, the way of lightning cultivation, deviates from the traditional sword and spear cultivation that has been the backbone of the Hao Ren family for generations. I can''t help but wonder how they will react when they learn of my decision. Will they be disappointed or understanding?


    Taking a deep breath, I gather my resolve and continue toward the main family residence. The memories of my childhood flood my mind, and I yearn for the comforting embrace of home. As I step closer to the entrance, the unease within me gives way to a sense of belonging, of being rooted in this place and its history. With determination in my heart, I cross the threshold, ready to face whatever awaits me and to share the truth of my journey with my family.


    As I pass through the gates and stand in front of the main residence, my heart races with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Before me is my father, Huang Hao Ren, a legendary figure known throughout the land of Atris as the "War-Spear of Hao." His presence commands respect, and his stern expression leaves no room for doubt¡ªI am about to receive a scolding.


    "You little silver rat, where have you been?" His booming voice echoes through the courtyard, as forceful as a thunderclap. "Do you think work gets done on its own around here?"


    "The last time I''ve seen your mug was when you went hunting in the mountains 3 years ago. You''d better have an explanation, Xu, your mission was to hunt not to run away from home!".


    His words strike me like lightning, and for a moment, I am at a loss for words.


    However, I haven''t told my father or my mother the reason for my prolonged absence, or that I''ve chosen the path of lightning cultivation instead of continuing with the traditional paths of the Hao Ren family¡ªthe path of the sword or the spear. My decision to embrace the thunderous powers coursing through my veins might not be met with immediate approval. Yet, I must stay true to myself and find the courage to face my father''s disappointment and disapproval.


    With a sigh, I gather my resolve and reply, "Father, I have much to explain, and I hope you will hear me out." My voice wavers slightly, but I stand tall, ready to face whatever judgment lies ahead. The journey I''ve undertaken has been one of self-discovery and revelation, and I am determined to share my newfound path with my family, even if it means facing the storm that awaits.


    Suddenly, My father''s stomping causes crackles to form underneath, adding an air of tension to the already charged atmosphere. His change of expression and raised eyebrow indicate a mixture of surprise and curiosity, as if a sudden realization has dawned upon him. His voice softens, and I sense a shift in his demeanor as he says, "You... would like to explain your absence... Let''s hear it then."


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    I begin to share the story of my journey, with newfound determination, carefully choosing my words to reveal only what is necessary. I tell him about the tempestuous storm that struck me down and led me to the small cottage, where I discovered the Divine Thunderstrike cultivation manual. I explain how the lightning that coursed through my veins had transformed me, and how I found myself drawn to the path of lightning cultivation.


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    The revelation of my journey shows a mix of emotions flickering across his face¡ªsurprise, concern, and perhaps a hint of pride. I continue to explain how I''ve been honing my lightning cultivation in secret, seeking to master the powers that now reside within me.


    "I have been away seeking answers and understanding, Father," I say earnestly. "The path of lightning cultivation is rare and powerful, and I believe it holds great potential for me. I wanted to prove myself, to show that I can wield this thunderous power responsibly and with honor."


    While I give my father the Divine Thunderstrike cultivation manual, I watch as he reaches out to take it. However, as his fingers brush against the ancient tome, a small surge of lightning emanates from its pages, causing my father to step back in surprise. The lightning is weak, but its presence is enough to startle him.


    Shocked by the unexpected reaction of the manual, my father''s expression turns into a mix of concern and wariness. In response, he quickly grabs a nearby sword and hurls it towards me. Instinctively, I draw upon my lightning cultivation, summoning a protective barrier that deflects the sword harmlessly away.


    His forehead veins bulging and blood on his lips from biting down in anger, my father''s voice booms with frustration, "Show me the power of this lightning of yours!"


    With determination in my eyes, I summon the lightning energy within me, causing sparks to dance along my fingertips. As I focus, the air crackles with electricity, and a small bolt of lightning arcs from my hand, illuminating the night sky.


    My father watches the display with a mixture of awe and concern. Seeing the raw power of lightning before him, he seems to understand the gravity of my chosen path. I can sense his worry, but also a spark of pride in his eyes.


    I lower my hand, letting the lightning subside. "I have been practicing diligently, Father," I explain, my voice steady. "I know this power is formidable, and I''m determined to master it."


    My father''s expression softens, and he nods slowly. "Your determination is evident, Xu," he says, his voice tinged with a mix of emotions. "But remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Promise me that you will not let this lightning consume you."


    "I promise, Father," I reply earnestly. "I will wield this power with honor and integrity, and I will do everything in my power to protect our family and our home."


    With concern, my father seems to accept my words. "Very well," he says, his tone less stern. "You have always been headstrong, just like your mo..."


    Before my father can finish his words, a loud crash echoes through the area. Startled, we both turn towards the source of the noise, only to see my mother, Lingxia Hao Ren, standing in the shattered remains of the window.


    Her eyes are filled with concern, but also, with obvious anger. She is known throughout the land of Atris as the "Sword Dance of the West," and her mastery of the sword is unrivaled in this region. Along with my father, known as the "War-Spear of Hao," they both played significant roles in the previous war that took place in the Yong Ning area of Atris, where the Hao Ren family resides. Thanks to their cultivation levels being at the middle and peak of the Golden Core realm, they have lived far longer than non-cultivators. My mother is 120 years old while my father is pushing 135.


    Mother''s anger is infamous, and during the last war, she was known for her swift and merciless beheading of invaders and their generals who dared trespass into the territory protected by the Hao Ren family.


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    "Huang, enough," she says with authority, her voice trembling slightly with the anger that lies just beneath the surface. "Let the boy find his own path. We cannot expect him to follow in our footsteps blindly."


    My father''s gaze softens as he looks at my mother, recognizing the truth in her words. He takes a deep breath, as if letting go of his earlier anger, and nods in agreement. "You''re right, Lingxia," he says, his voice gentler. "Our son is his own person, and he must find his own way."


    As I stand there, witnessing this exchange between my parents, I feel a mixture of emotions. Gratitude for my mother''s intervention and her understanding of my choices, and admiration for my father''s ability to adapt and accept.


    With the tension finally dissipating, my mother steps forward, and her hand reaches out to touch my cheek with a tender gesture. "Xu, my dear," she says, her voice now filled with concern and love. "We may not fully understand this path you''ve chosen, but we trust you. Just promise us that you will be careful and true to yourself." But, without giving me time to respond, with a sigh, she lets out,


    "You know, your father here was about to put you through some pain, but don''t worry, I have something better in mind."


    My mother''s smile widens, proud of the decision I''ve made. "That''s my boy," she says, her voice filled with affection. "I have no doubt that you will make us proud."


    With her guidance and support, I continue my training, now fully embracing the three paths¡ªlightning, sword, and spear. Each day presents new challenges and discoveries, and I relish the opportunity to grow stronger and wiser.


    With the passing of time, my skills in all three disciplines improve, and my reputation as a formidable cultivator spreads throughout the land of Atris. I have quickly become known as the "Tip of the Stormblade" of the Hao Ren family, a fitting title, one that carries both respect and awe.


    It embodies all three of my cultivations, especially since the Hao Ren spears have a blade similar to that of the famous glaives.


    And so, my journey continues, with the thunderous power of lightning coursing through my veins and the spirit of the ancient Daoists guiding my every step. With the love and support of my family and the camaraderie of dear friends like Lei Zhao, I march forward on the path of cultivation, determined to reach new heights and uncover the secrets that lie in wait.


    However, as the two months pass, a growing concern weighs heavily on my heart. Despite my unwavering dedication and countless hours spent in pursuit, the elusive pages of the Divine Thunderstrike manual remain stubbornly empty. The thunderous power that once surged with such promise through my veins now feels tinged with frustration and impatience. It seems that, for all my efforts, I have hit a formidable roadblock...

 Chapter 5: Words of Wisdom

    The first full moon of the year graces the night sky, a sense of apprehension grips my heart. Tonight, my father and I are to meet with the grand elders of the Hao Ren family, a secretive trio known as "The Trinity Force." Their faces remain shrouded, a consequence of the scars left by the great war of Yong Ning that occurred two centuries ago. Their cultivation has reached the peak of the Golden Core realm, but they have chosen to focus on the development of their souls, forsaking further advancement of their physical bodies.


    The Hao Ren family''s grand elders follow a profound philosophy passed down through generations: "Soul makes the body and body makes the soul. To reach happiness in life, you must first acknowledge that you are miserable, such as a body without a nourished soul." Their wisdom and guidance shape the path of our family, steering us toward enlightenment and inner strength.


    Patriarch Mun Hao Ren, also known as "Mun the Calamity," is the one who made the fateful decision to hide the grand elders'' faces after the war ended. He is the only one who knows their true identities, and his strength is legendary throughout the Yong Ning region. As the oldest and most powerful cultivator in the area, he commands both respect and fear from the neighboring invading lands.


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    Tonight''s meeting is focused on my cultivation progress, particularly in the realm of lightning. The grand elders are concerned that I haven''t shown any progress in the traditional paths of the sword and spear. Furthermore, my lightning cultivation has stagnated, and despite my unwavering dedication, I have been unable to achieve a breakthrough in my qi cultivation or uncover the hidden pages of the Divine Thunderstrike manual.


    Over the past moths, I have dutifully reported my progress to the grand hall, updating them every few days. This meeting, however, seems different, and a heavy weight hangs in the air as we step into the dimly lit chamber where the grand elders await.


    Whilst I walk beside my father, I can feel his silent support. Yet, I know that his own concern for my future and the family''s legacy weighs heavily on him. The gravity of the situation settles upon my shoulders, and I try to steady my nerves, reminding myself to stay true to my path.


    The grand elders sit on thrones that seem to blend with the shadows, their imposing presence almost otherworldly. Their low, resonant voices fill the chamber as they question my father about my progress. I observe them carefully, attempting to discern any clues or emotions behind their veiled faces.


    The discussion takes a turn that sends a shiver down my spine. They speak of the possibility of my removal from the main branch of the family, and the abolishment of my lightning cultivation. My heart races, but I know that I must remain composed. This is not the time for weakness.


    In the face of this potential adversity, I hold firm to my convictions. The path of lightning cultivation calls to me like a bolt of lightning illuminating the darkness. It is the essence of who I am, and I cannot forsake it.


    As the grand elders await my father''s response, I gather my courage and step forward. "Honorable grand elders," I begin, my voice steady despite the nerves that churn within me, "I understand your concerns, but I am committed to my chosen path. Lightning flows through my veins, and I cannot turn away from it. I will continue to strive for progress and unlock the power that lies within me."


    The chamber falls silent as the grand elders contemplate my words. In that moment, I realize that this meeting is not just about my cultivation; it is a test of my resolve and determination.


    When the Grand Elder of the East speaks, his words weigh heavily on my mind. "Xu," he says, his voice solemn, "perhaps it is not your resolve that is lacking, but your skill. It may be that you have yet to make a breakthrough towards the next level of bodily cultivation, which is hindering your progress in lightning cultivation."


    Before I can respond, the Grand Elder of the West interjects, his tone thoughtful yet tinged with amusement. "Indeed," he says, "your soul seems unusually strong for someone your age. But at the same time, you are an unusually stubborn child. Perhaps it is that stubbornness that hinders you from embracing the necessary changes to progress."


    The Grand Elder of the North joins the conversation, and I find myself drawn to his words. He points towards a massive black door, adorned with intricate golden engravings, located below where they are seated. "Xu," he says, his voice carrying a sense of gravity, "perhaps the time has come for you to meet the Patriarch directly."


    My heart skips a beat at the mention of my grandfather, Patriarch Mun. His reputation as "Mun the Calamity" precedes him, and the thought of meeting him fills me with a mix of excitement and apprehension.


    Huang, my father, looks shocked at the words of the elders, particularly those of the Grand Elder of the North. Concern etches his features as he turns to them and asks, "Is my son going to be expelled from the family?"


    The Elder Hall falls silent, and for a few moments, it feels as if time has stood still. Then, all three of the elders speak at the same time, their voices resonating with a sense of authority, "That is up to the Patriarch to decide."


    Huang sighs, his worry evident, but he nods in acceptance of their response. With a heavy heart, he looks at me and gestures towards the door. "Xu, go ahead," he says softly, "the Patriarch is waiting for you."


    I rise from my seat and approach the foreboding door. The intricate golden engravings seem to shimmer in the dim light, and for a moment, I hesitate. But I know that this is a moment that will shape my future, and I cannot turn away.


    Pushing the door open, I step inside the dark chamber beyond, the weight of the meeting with the grand elders still heavy on my shoulders. Grandfather Mun awaits me, his presence exuding power and wisdom, and as I stand before him, I feel a mixture of awe and reverence.


    "Xu," he says, his voice carrying the weight of centuries, "you have chosen the path of lightning cultivation, a path rarely walked by humans. Tell me, child, why have you chosen this path, and what do you seek to achieve?"


    His piercing gaze seems to see through to my very soul, and I gather my thoughts to respond with honesty and conviction. "Grandfather," I begin, my voice steady, "the lightning flows through my veins, and I cannot deny the calling within me. I seek to embrace the thunderous power and use it to protect our family and our home."


    Seemingly satisfied with my answer, he nods slowly. "The path you walk is not an easy one," he says, "but I sense a fire within you, a determination that is rare to find. However, determination alone is not enough. To progress on this path, you must be willing to change, to let go of your stubbornness and embrace the wisdom of the ancient Daoists."


    His words strike a chord within me, and I realize that the grand elders were right. My soul may be strong, but my unwillingness to adapt and change may be holding me back.


    "I understand," I reply, my voice unwavering. "I am willing to learn. Please, guide me on the path that will unlock my true potential."


    With his expression softening slightly, "Very well, Xu," he says gently, "I sense that there is much potential within you, but something is blocking your progress. Perhaps I should take you under my wing for a few days. Together, we can delve into the depths of your cultivation and see if I can help you figure out what''s hindering your path."


    The idea of being personally guided by grandfather Mun fills me with both excitement and nervousness. To receive guidance from someone as revered and powerful as him is an honor beyond measure.


    "I am grateful for this opportunity, Patriarch," I say, bowing respectfully. "But may I ask for father to accompany us? His support and wisdom have been invaluable on my journey, and I believe he can also benefit from your guidance."


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    Patriarch Mun smiles, seemingly pleased by my request. "Of course," he says, "Huang may join us. This journey will be enlightening for both of you."


    With his permission granted, I feel a renewed sense of hope and determination. I know that this journey with Patriarch Mun will not be easy, but I am ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead.


    As I exit the chamber, I find father waiting anxiously. His concern is evident in his eyes, and I reassure him with a smile. "Father, the Patriarch has agreed to guide us," I say, relaying the news. "We are to join him for a few days, and I believe it will be a great opportunity for both of us."


    Huang''s expression softens, and he places a hand on my shoulder. "I have always believed in you, Xu," he says, pride and love evident in his voice. "This journey with your grandfather will be a chance for you to grow even stronger, and I will be there to support you every step of the way."


    As we make our way towards the balcony of grandfather''s quarters, I can''t help but feel a mixture of excitement and trepidation. The moon''s soft glow illuminates the dark night, and the distant mountains stand as silent witnesses to our meeting.


    However, before we can begin our discussion, Patriarch Mun surprises us both. He grabs me and father by the shoulders and, without any warning, jumps out of the balcony and towards the mountain behind the residence. The wind rushes past us, and I hold onto my father''s arm tightly, feeling a rush of adrenaline.


    "We shouldn''t be disturbed here," Patriarch Mun says as we land gracefully on the mountain peak. His words carry a sense of authority, and I can''t help but wonder what he has in mind.


    "Now, Xu," he continues, turning to face me with a serious expression, "I want you to hit me."


    Father and I exchange bewildered glances, unable to comprehend the Patriarch''s request. "Hit you?" I echo, my voice tinged with uncertainty. "But, grandfather, you are far stronger than I am. I would never be able to¡ª"


    "Stop making excuses," He interrupts, his voice stern. "This is not about raw strength; it''s about understanding the flow of power. Hit me with all the force you can muster, and don''t hold back."


    Taking a deep breath, I gather my courage and do as he says. With all the lightning energy within me, I channel the power into my fist and strike Patriarch Mun. To my surprise, he doesn''t budge an inch; his stance remains firm and unyielding.


    "You hold back," he says, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Again."


    I try again, pouring even more lightning energy into my strike, but still, Patriarch Mun stands strong. His teachings about the flow of power and the essence of lightning cultivation start to dawn on me. It''s not just about raw strength, but about understanding the intricacies of energy and its interaction with the physical body.


    "Once more!" he urges.


    I gather my focus, channeling my lightning cultivation with newfound clarity, and strike once more. This time, I feel a slight give in his stance. A spark of excitement ignites within me, knowing that I am finally starting to grasp the essence of lightning cultivation.


    "Good," He says, a small smile playing on his lips, "you are beginning to understand. Lightning is not just about power; it''s about finesse and precision. You need to reach a state of harmony with yourself and the energy that flows within you before you can advance."


    With those words of wisdom still resonating in my mind, grandfather surprises me once more. He turns to my father and with a firm tone, he says, "Don''t hold your defense back, Huang. The child needs to understand his power before he can advance. There is no harmony without understanding."


    Huang nods solemnly, understanding the Patriarch''s intentions. He readies himself, taking a defensive stance, as I prepare to strike him, just as I did with grandfather.


    I pour all my lightning energy into the strike, aiming for precision and control. As my fist connects with Huang''s defense, I can feel the power coursing through me, but this time, I also feel a newfound sense of understanding. It''s not just about overwhelming force; it''s about reading the energy and finding the right moment to act.


    To my surprise, father''s defense gives way slightly, showing that I have made progress in my control and understanding of lightning. He smiles warmly, proud of my growth.


    Patriarch Mun''s teachings continue throughout the following days. He offers guidance and advice, helping me delve deeper into the essence of lightning cultivation. With each passing moment, I feel myself becoming more attuned to the subtle energies within me.


    As I practice under the watchful eye of grandfather Mun and my father, I realize that this journey is not just about becoming stronger¡ªit''s about embracing my true self and finding harmony within. My lightning cultivation is not a force to be wielded recklessly; it is a reflection of who I am and a tool to protect those I hold dear.


    "Before Xu''s cultivation can advance, he needs to learn to control his lightning energy from within.", Patriarch Mun sees the potential in me but knows that I must face a crucial test to truly understand the power that resides within.


    With a serious expression, Patriarch Mun turns to my father, Huang, and says, "To truly grasp the essence of lightning cultivation, Xu must learn control from experience. Attack him with all your might."


    Father''s hesitation is evident, but he understands the importance of this lesson. He looks at me with a mix of concern and determination. "Prepare yourself, Xu." he says softly, clenching his fists.


    I ready myself for the challenge, knowing that this battle is not about defeating my father but about finding the balance between strength and control. As Huang charges in, his attacks are powerful and relentless. Despite his concern, he unleashes his full strength, and I find myself struggling to keep up with the intensity of the fight.


    The battle is gruesome, and it becomes clear that I am no match for my father''s experience and skill. In a swift and one-sided encounter, Huang''s fists find their mark, and I am left unconscious on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood.


    After the battle, Huang kneels beside me, his eyes filled with tears and regret. "Is this the correct choice?" he asks Patriarch Mun, his voice shaking with emotion.


    Patriarch Mun places a reassuring hand on Huang''s shoulder. "It was necessary." he says firmly. "Xu''s body is extremely fragile for someone at the peak of Qi Refinement. His lightning energy is powerful, but without a strong body to contain it, it would destroy him from within."


    Huang''s expression softens as he realizes the truth of his father''s words. "Then what should we do?" he asks, his concern for me evident.


    "We must strengthen his body," He replies. "Only then can he truly harness the power of lightning and reach his full potential. This will be a difficult and arduous process, but it is essential for Xu''s growth."


    With newfound determination, Huang nods, understanding the path that lies ahead.


    I slowly regain consciousness, I find myself in my room, surrounded by the familiar warmth of home. My body aches, and my face is bandaged from the injuries sustained in the battle with my father. As I glance around, I notice my mother sleeping on a chair nearby, her presence a comforting reassurance.


    As she stirs awake and her gaze falls upon me, her reaction can surely be heard from across the residence. Concern, relief, and a touch of worry fill her eyes as she rushes to my side. "Xu, my dear," she says, her voice trembling with a mixture of emotions. "you''re awake!"


    I manage a weak smile, feeling a rush of gratitude for my mother''s presence. "Y- Yes, M- mother," I reply softly, my voice hoarse from the battle, "I- I''m awake...".


    Her hand gently brushes against my bandaged face, and her eyes fill with tears. "You scared us," she admits, her voice resounding within the room. "But I''m so proud of you, Xu. You''re strong, and you''ll get through this."


    With her support and encouragement, I feel a renewed sense of determination. I know that the path ahead is not an easy one, but with my family by my side, I am ready to face the challenges and continue my journey.


    As the days pass, I focus on both refining my lightning cultivation and strengthening my body. Under the guidance of grandfather Mun, I embrace rigorous training and meditation. I learn to control the thunderous power within me, finding harmony between my lightning energy and physical form.


    I can feel myself growing more attuned to the essence of the lightning within, until the final day of the year has come and the ring had a reaction to my cultivation and my newly strengthened body.


    As the final day approaches, a sense of anticipation and excitement fills my heart. I have kept a secret from everyone¡ªthe "Ring of Thunder" that I discovered hidden deep in the mountains.


    In the solitude of my chambers, I meditate, channeling the thunderous power within me. Unbeknownst to anyone, the ring reacts to my body and cultivation. Its ancient energies resonate with my newly strengthened form and lightning cultivation.


    As I delve deeper into my practice, a profound change occurs. The Divine Thunderstrike manual, which I have studied diligently for so long, begins to reveal new words and insights. It is a moment of revelation and breakthrough, as I finally achieve a significant advancement¡ªI have reached the next level, Qi Condensation.


    A surge of excitement and accomplishment courses through me. The ring''s hidden powers have somehow synchronized with my cultivation, granting me the knowledge and understanding to progress further on my lightning path.


    The ring shines a light on the side that tempts my touch. As my hand approaches, a set of red flowers radiating a blood red aura appears. Reading through the newly appeared phrases, it seems to be related to the text from the cultivation manual.


    "Drinking the juice of the Hundred Years Malorniya, in the presence of continuous lightning, helps stabilize the condensation of Qi and boost bodily functions. It must be used not long before breaking through to the Qi Condensation realm, so as not to waste it''s Yin-Yang energies that strengthen the body."


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    I remain cautious and keep this newfound revelation to myself, aware that my journey has only just begun. There are still many mysteries to unravel, and I must continue to train diligently, seeking harmony between my body, soul, and the thunderous power that flows through me.


    With this newfound discovery, my determination only intensifies. I am more resolute than ever to unlock the full potential of my lightning cultivation and the mysteries of the ring.


    I urgently head towards my grandfather''s quarters in the Elder Hall to notify him and the grand elders, of my advancement...

 Chapter 6: Spider Cave

    With news of my breakthrough to Qi Condensation spreading within the family and reaching the ears of the grand elders of the "Trinity Force" and Patriarch Mun, I am summoned at the Elder Hall. It seems my progress may have been recognized, and now, they have something special in store for me.


    As I stand before them, anticipation builds within me.


    Exuding wisdom and power, they speak in unison, their voices resonating with a sense of authority. "Xu," they say, "as a future leader of the Hao Ren family, through tremendous hardship cause by your extremely rare thunderous cultivation, you have proven yourself worthy." My heart races with excitement and trepidation as the words "future leader" and "proven worthy" resound heavily within my thoughts. "You shall be given a special task, a high-level mission as compensation of your efforts." Grandfather Mun proclaims, while the elders agree that it is indeed time for me to prove myself once more.


    Higher level missions mean greater challenges and opportunities. The mission they''ve assigned me is to neutralize a cave of monstrous arachnids that has been recently discovered in the mountains, 50 kilometers outside the borders of Yong Ning, near Long Zhou sect¡ªa sect primarily focused on Spear cultivation.


    The weight of their words finally sinks in. Higher level missions come with higher stakes, and the task before me is no exception. To neutralize a cave of monstrous arachnids is a daunting challenge, especially considering the two known types of arachnids that infest the cave.


    Reading the mission papers given to me by my grandfather, I''ve learnt the following information:


    - The cave lies at the border between Zh¨°uy¨³ and Long Zhou, and it is the Zh¨°uy¨³ sect that orders this extermination mission.


    - The cave is infested with two types of known arachnids: the first type is small and green with jade eyes, armed with sharp claws used for digging and the second type is much larger and possesses red eyes, capable of inducing dizziness in its prey before ensnaring it with sticky spider threads.


    As I listen to further details of the mission, I find out that the mission grades, also known as levels, range from F to S. D being the lowest level of difficulty that the Hao Ren family has ever conducted, while S represents the highest level of danger and complexity currently known to the Yong Ning area. They inform me that this mission is classified as an A+ grade mission¡ªmore challenging than a normal A grade and it is not to be underestimated. While the arachnids are weak when isolated, they become one of the biggest threats known to mankind in large groups and we''re dealing with a massive nest.


    "Xu," Patriarch Mun says, his gaze piercing, "you will not face this mission alone. It requires at least two people, both for proof of completion and as backup in case of unforeseen circumstances." My mind races as I wonder who my partner in this perilous undertaking will be. To my surprise, they reveal that the disciple accompanying me will be none other than "Little Lei", my childhood friend whom I met at the inn, before coming home. Lei Zhao and I share a bond that goes beyond mere friendship. We have supported each other through thick and thin since the fragile age of 5, and although she can be impatient at times, she is smart, observant and very trustworthy. I think we complement each other''s traits very well.


    I am grateful to have her by my side for this challenging mission.


    With the details of the mission settled, my heart swells with determination. This will be a test of our abilities, our skills, and our resolve. Together, Lei and I will venture into the depths of the spider cave, facing the monstrous arachnids that threaten the peace between Zh¨°uy¨³ and Long Zhou. That said, I''ve just broken through to Qi Condensation and haven''t had the time to properly stabilize, and now, I am faced with such a dangerous task. It''s not something I expected to happen so soon, but I must rise to the challenge.


    As I leave the grand elders'' chamber with Lei by my side, the excitement in the air is palpable. We can barely contain our emotions as we discuss our reunion and the mission that lies ahead.


    "Xu, can you believe it?" Lei exclaims, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. "After all this time, we''re finally working together again! And on such a thrilling mission too!"


    I grin back at her, my heart swelling with joy. "I know, Lei! It''s like fate brought us back together for this very moment. I couldn''t have asked for a better partner."


    She playfully punches my arm. "You better not regret saying that when we''re knee-deep in giant spiders!" she teases.


    "No way," I chuckle, "I have complete faith in you, Lei. We should make a formidable team."


    Our laughter echoes through the yard as we continue our conversation, reminiscing about our chance encounter at the inn. Little did we know back then that our paths would intertwine once more, leading us on this perilous adventure.


    As we talk, Lei opens up about her training as a cultivator of the Palm, in the Zh¨°uy¨³ sect. She tells me about the ancient and sacred art of the "Palm of Buddha", a style passed down through generations. Her eyes light up as she describes the fluidity and grace of her techniques, the power she harnesses in every strike, and the deep connection she feels with Buddha''s sacred teachings.


    "I''ve been blessed by Buddha," she confides, her voice filled with reverence. "It is said within the sect that I am destined to be a brilliant Bhikkhuni. The path of the palm is not just about physical strength; it''s about finding inner peace and enlightenment. You should take notes, it might help on your path of Lightning."


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    I listen intently, fascinated by her devotion and the wisdom she imparts. Lei Zhao, one of the ten inner disciples, chosen by fate and blessed by Buddha¡ªtruly, she is an extraordinary individual.


    "I''ve always admired your dedication, Lei," I say sincerely. "Your spirit and determination are an inspiration to me. "


    Lei smiles warmly, her eyes reflecting a deep sense of camaraderie. "Let''s bust some spiders, Xu, I believe in us!"


    Soon after, we step into a clearing, ready to put our skills to the test. There''s an air of excitement and determination as we face each other in a friendly sparring session. There''s excitement in the air as we''re about to begin, knowing that this fight will help us better understand each other''s strengths and weaknesses, before venturing into the unknown depths of the spider cave.


    She takes a deep breath, her palms glowing with a faint golden light as she assumes a fighting stance. "Show me what you''ve got, mama''s boy!" she says with an impatient and playful grin.


    I smile, focusing my mind on the lightning energy coursing through me. I feel the power surge within, boosting my speed and strength, but I know that I must be cautious not to overexert myself, as per grandfather Mun''s teachings.


    With a burst of speed, I charge forward, lightning crackling around me. Lei meets my advance with a powerful strike, her Vajra Palm Shockwave creating ripples in the air. Our energies clash, and for a moment, it feels like the world stands still. We trade blows, testing each other''s defenses and probing for weaknesses. Lei''s palm techniques are swift and precise, and her control over the Vajra Palm Shockwave is impressive. However, my lightning cultivation grants me agility and unpredictability, allowing me to dodge some of her attacks and deliver lightning-quick counterattacks, forcing her to block, but not without taking slight damage to her forearms.


    Despite my best efforts of overwhelming her, I start to feel the strain on my body. The lightning''s power enhances my movements, but it also makes me more vulnerable to physical harm. After reaching a certain lightning power threshold, my skin starts burning itself from the lightning on its surface.


    Lei notices my struggle and eases off slightly, not wanting to push me too far, but being the impatient brat that she is, she puts an end to the fight with one heavily charged shockwave which leaves me on the ground.


    As the spar comes to an end, I catch my breath, feeling a mix of satisfaction and frustration. I may have lost the spar, but I''ve gained valuable insights into Lei''s techniques and the limitations of my own body.


    With an obviously concerned expression, Lei approaches me kindly. "Xu, are you alright?" she asks, her voice filled with genuine worry.


    I give her a reassuring smile. "I''m fine, little Lei... Just a bit fatigued from using my lightning cultivation. It takes a toll on my body, as you can see from the burns on my skin. I''ll figure out a way to improve and overcome this weakness before we start our mission."


    "You''re incredibly talented with lightning alone, Xu, but you need to find proper balance between your strength and fragility. You would''ve beaten me easily if you didn''t rely solely on lightning cultivation. Maybe there''s a way to cultivate both your body and your lightning energy simultaneously." she says, understanding the situation I have intentionally put myself in.


    Her words resonate with me, realizing that there is a way. I call Lei to my room and tell her to not utter a word to anybody about what is to come.


    We both enter the room and immediately, I begin letting my lightning energy surge within me, focusing on harmonizing it so as not to hurt my physical body. "There''s no room for weakness or hesitation¡ªI must become stronger." I tell Lei while looking her in the eyes and without further hesitation, I touch the side of the ring, bringing out the flower I have stored for future use and shocking Lei in the process.


    As I hold the Hundred Years Malorniya flower in my hand, its petals gleaming with a soft, ethereal light, I can''t help but feel a surge of hope. The words from the Divine Thunderstrike manual echo in my mind: "Drinking the juice of the Hundred Years Malorniya, in the presence of continuous lightning, helps stabilize the condensation of Qi and boost bodily functions. It must be used not long before breaking through to the Qi Condensation realm, so as not to waste it''s Yin-Yang energies that strengthen the body."


    Taking a deep breath, I bring the flower close to my lips and drink the juice from within with determination. It has a bitter taste, but I don''t mind. This is a chance to enhance my abilities and rise to the challenges that lie ahead.


    As I consume the juice, I focus on the lightning energy within me, seeking to harmonize it with the nourishing essence of the flower. The room seems to glow with a faint lightning aura, and I can feel the energy swirling around me, resonating with the legendary flower.


    Time passes slowly as I am forced into a deep meditative state, feeling the effects of the flower taking hold. Gradually, a sense of calm and strength washes over me, and I can sense my lightning cultivation stabilizing.


    The energy flows more smoothly within me, and I can feel my physical body strengthening in response. After what feels like an eternity, I open my eyes, feeling rejuvenated and more focused than ever. I turn to Lei, who has been meditating beside me, and share a confident smile.


    "Lei, I think it worked," I say, my voice tinged with excitement. "The juice of the Hundred Years Malorniya¡ªit''s truly remarkable."


    She looks at me with curiosity. "What do you mean, Xu? I''ve been meaning to ask, what is this plant?"


    "I read about it in the Divine Thunderstrike manual," I begin explaining how I have a manual that, for some reason, can only be held and read by me, and how I "found" the Hundred Years Malorniya during one of my journeys.


    Her eyes widen in surprise as I reveal the existence of the Divine Thunderstrike manual and its peculiar connection to me. "A manual that only you can hold and read? That''s incredible, Xu," she exclaims.


    "Yes, it''s strange," I reply, "but it''s been a valuable resource in my pursuit of cultivation. It contains ancient knowledge and techniques related to lightning cultivation that have guided me thus far. The passage about the Hundred Years Malorniya caught my attention, and I felt compelled to try it."


    Lei nods, her curiosity piqued. "It seems like destiny has led you to this manual, Xu. I have no doubt that it will continue to guide you towards greatness."


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 Chapter 7: Secret of The Cave

    Some time passes since my empowerment and stabilization and we move out. With determination to fulfill our task, we pass the border and cross the mountains 50 kilometers outside of Yong Ning area. Our journey was not without trouble, as we''ve encountered packs of wolves and bandit camps across the land.


    Reaching our destination, Lei and I approach the entrance of the cave specified in our mission, a chill running down our spines. As the cave looms before us, it''s clear that we''re not alone. Three of the smaller arachnids, the ones with jade eyes and sharp claws, are gathered at the entrance. Their grotesque forms are illuminated by the pale light filtering in from outside. My eyes widen as I realize what they''re doing. The arachnids are huddled around what appears to be a homeless person, their victim, cocooned in sticky webs. Horror and anger well up inside me at the sight of the poor soul caught in this nightmare.


    Lei''s expression darkens as well. "This is worse than we thought, Xu," she says quietly, her voice filled with a mixture of sorrow and determination. "We can''t let these creatures continue their reign of terror."


    I nod in agreement, my resolve hardening. "Agreed. We''re here to put an end to this. But we need to be cautious. These arachnids may be small, but they''re dangerous in numbers."


    We exchange a knowing look, silently communicating our plan. Lei readies her Vajra Palm, enveloping her palms with a soft golden light, while I focus on enveloping my body with lightning, ready to strike at a moment''s notice.


    With a shared nod, we step forward, entering the cave and alerting the arachnids to our presence. The creatures turn towards us, their multiple eyes fixated on our intruding figures. It''s clear that they view us as a threat.


    As the arachnids advance with menacing hisses, I can''t help but wonder how many more of these creatures lurk deeper within this cave, and what other horrors we might encounter in this arachnid-infested lair.


    The battle in the cave erupts like a storm. Lei takes the lead, her palms glowing brightly as she unleashes her Vajra Palm Shockwave upon the closest arachnid. Golden shockwaves streak through the air, aiming for the creature''s head. Despite its grotesque appearance, the creature is surprisingly agile. It ducks under the shockwave, avoiding the devastating attack with a serpentine grace. The other two arachnids swiftly join the fray, flanking Lei with coordinated precision.


    They move as a unit, their movements synchronized like a deadly dance. The arachnids are quick and cunning, using their sharp claws to swipe at Lei with alarming accuracy.


    Lei, though skilled, is forced to backpedal, narrowly avoiding the lethal strikes. The creatures'' teamwork is uncanny, and their strategy appears to be to isolate and overwhelm her.


    I seize the opportunity, my lightning cultivation enhancing my speed. I dash toward one of the arachnids, unleashing a barrage of lightning-charged punches. My fists crackle with electricity as they connect with the creature''s exoskeleton. It screeches in agony, its jade eyes widening in pain.


    However, my attacks, while effective, don''t go unnoticed by the other arachnids. They break away from Lei and converge onto me, determined to protect their injured comrade. Their teamwork is relentless, as they coordinate their movements to shield their wounded companion.


    As Lei and I exchange a quick, determined glance, we silently agree on a new strategy. We need to disrupt the arachnids'' coordination, separate them, and exploit their vulnerabilities. With renewed determination, I force the lightning surrounding my body to unite on the skin of my palms, preparing a lightning discharge. The spiders reaching close combat range, I release the energy stored between my palms, zapping the trio and leaving them stunned and prepared for Lei to release a powerful shockwave that leaves only their corpses behind.


    With the arachnids at the cave entrance vanquished, Lei and I share a quick, triumphant nod before we decide to press forward into the depths of the cave. We''re met with an eerie silence, broken only by the occasional skittering of legs in the darkness.


    The deeper we venture into the cave, the more our surroundings grow more ominous. The cave''s walls seem to close in around us, and the air becomes heavy with the scent of damp earth and decay. It''s a stark contrast to the bright sunlight outside.


    Soon, we encounter a nightmarish sight. In a large chamber within the cave, we find ourselves facing a horde of monstrous digger spiders. There are twenty of the smaller, green arachnids, each with its distinctive jade eyes and sharp claws. But what truly captures our attention is the towering figure at the center of the horde.


    It''s a massive arachnid, easily three times the size of the others, and its red eyes gleam with a malevolent intelligence. This one appears to be a type of leader to the rest, a creature of enhanced size and strength, undoubtedly commanding the smaller arachnids.


    The leader''s presence is unsettling, and we can sense the danger it poses. Lei and I exchange a wordless understanding; we must be cautious and coordinated in our approach. We ready our weapons for the impending battle.


    She brandishes her staff, her grip steady and resolute, while I retrieve my trusty spear. It''s a weapon that compensates for my lack of range with my sword and fists, as well as for my lack of area-of-effect skills.


    With a shared, wordless signal, we launch our attack simultaneously. "Now!" we scream in unison, charging forward with our weapons in hand. The smaller arachnids are our primary target, and we strike with precision, cutting them down swiftly. This is no longer a test of their strength, as we''ve already assessed that at the entrance of the cave.


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    During combat, Lei''s staff whips through the air, creating a protective barrier of golden energy that deflects the attacks of the arachnids. Her strikes are powerful and precise, incapacitating the smaller creatures efficiently.


    However, our attention is abruptly drawn to the massive leader, with a swift and unexpected attack, it lunges at me, its front legs slashing through the air with incredible force. I manage to block some of the strikes with my spear, but the creature''s power is overwhelming. Simultaneously, it spits a viscous, sticky substance that coats my body, immobilizing me.


    I struggle to break free, but the threads hold me in a vice-like grip. The red-eyed monster, seemingly much more intelligent than the rest, hurls me with its powerful legs into the depths of the cave.


    With crash into the cave floor, the impact sends shockwaves of pain through my body. As I try to regain my bearings, I realize that I''ve been thrown past a horde of what seems like hundreds more digger arachnids. They are all heading directly toward Lei, who stands her ground, her staff at the ready.


    The leader, with a triumphant screech, jumps after me, seemingly to alert the rest of its kind. I find myself quickly surrounded by ten of the massive creatures, their red eyes gleaming with hunger and aggression.


    Desperation courses through me as I struggle to break free from the sticky threads that bind me. With the horde closing in and Lei facing her own peril, I muster all the strength I can and focus my lightning cultivation into a final, desperate gambit. I release a torrent of lightning into the cave, creating an electrifying area-of-effect attack. The electricity courses through the massive spiders, their bodies convulsing and spasming as the deadly energy surges through them. One by one, they fall, their lifeless forms twitching on the cave floor.


    However, the price of my desperate attack becomes evident as the lightning takes its toll on my own body. The energy expenditure leaves me paralyzed and unable to move, my limbs tingling with numbness. I can only watch helplessly as the leader approaches, its red eyes filled with fury and a hunger that no amount of lightning can quell. Seconds later, after judging that I am indeed unable to move, it envelops me tightly with a stronger web and drags me into the depths of the cave, all the while my body goes numb from the pain cause by my own attack...


    I wake up to the sound of flowing water and the unsettling, skittering noise of spider legs. My surroundings come into focus, revealing that I''m inside what appears to be a water cave. It seems the cave led to the backdoor entrance of a waterfall, explaining the sound of flowing water.


    The grotesque creature that had dragged me away from the battlefield is here, its hissing and dizziness-inducing red eyes fixed on me. It waits with an eerie sort of patience...


    Then, unexpectedly, a woman''s voice resonates within the cave. "Dangly, behave..." she says with an air of authority, "...let our guest down. I''d like to have a word with him."


    The spider creature, which I now know as "Dangly," obeys, releasing me from the sticky threads that had bound me. I struggle to sit up, still reeling from the effects of my lightning attack combined with the shock from hitting the ground.


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    As I take in my surroundings, my eyes fall upon a woman dressed in strange red clothing adorned with silky webs. A vibrant red flower is perched atop her head. Despite the peculiar attire, she exudes a captivating beauty that makes her seem no older than twenty years. However, there''s something about her aura that feels strangely familiar, it''s as if I''ve encountered a long-lost comrade of sorts.


    The black-haired beauty approaches, her gaze locking with mine. "Greetings," she says, her voice carrying a regal tone. "My name is Yuiren. I am the last descendant of the Jor¨­gumo."


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    </figure>


    My eyes widen in recognition as I recall tales of the Jor¨­gumo¡ªlegendary spider spirits from folklore. They were known for their enchanting beauty and cunning ways, often luring unsuspecting victims into their webs.


    "X- Xu" I reply in shock.


    She continues, "I am the Grand Elder and current acting leader of the Long Zhou sect, the guardian of this cave. The people who have perished at the hands of the spiders here were not innocent. They were bandits and criminals who posed a threat to the peace of this region. It is our duty to protect our territory."


    Yuiren''s weird black-brown mixed eyes hold a wisdom beyond her initial apparent age. She has a presence that commands respect, and her explanation begins to make sense.


    "We apologize for intruding," I say, addressing both Yuiren and Lei, who has now joined us in the water cave, guided by the spider known as Dangly. "We were sent here on a mission to exterminate what we believed to be a threat. We did not have all the facts. Can you help us understand more about this territory and your sect, Grand Elder Yuiren?"


    Yuiren nods graciously, her gaze softening slightly. "Of course, I can provide you with the information you seek. It seems there has been a misunderstanding. Let us talk, and I shall answer your questions." But first, she says, her face changing drastically to that of confusion, "Why do I feel like we''ve met before? It''s as if I''m compelled to get close to you by fate. Very peculiar...". Her words confirm my earlier feelings of familiarity between us.


    I exchange a puzzled glance with Lei, uncertain of how to respond to Yuiren''s strange remark. It''s as if there''s a mysterious connection between us that neither of us can explain.


    "I- I feel the same..." I respond, my voice filled with hesitation. The cave falls silent, leaving both Lei and our new spirit friend in a state of even more confusion.


    After a moment, Yuiren breaks the silence. "There''s a way we can verify this inexplicable connection," she says, her voice carrying a note of curiosity. "Would you be willing to undergo a spiritual test, Xu? It may shed light on the nature of our bond."


    I consider her proposal carefully. This situation is already riddled with mysteries, and if there''s a chance to uncover the truth, I should take it. "I''m willing to take the test," I reply, my curiosity piqued.


    Yuiren nods, her eyes gleaming with anticipation and a very distinct curiosity. "Very well. Prepare yourself, Xu. The test will reveal what fate has bound us together."

 Chapter 8: Awakening

    As I agree to undergo the spiritual test, I prepare myself for what lies ahead. Yuiren, with a solemn expression, after a brief explanation, suddenly grabs my head and begins pouring her spiritual essence into my mind, attempting to enter my inner world. I open my mind and spiritual inner world as instructed, trying to maintain my focus and composure.


    As her presence infiltrates my consciousness, I find myself in a surreal and ethereal illusory landscape within my own mind. It''s a vast, open space, dominated by a massive pool of water that shimmers with the brilliance of thunder and fire. In the center of this island-like formation, there''s a large jade floor, and on it, an imposing door. The door is adorned with ancient symbols written in the divine language:


    " ********", the symbols seem to have been clawed down, as if someone, or rather, something hidden within my inner world, doesn''t want to be discovered, "... To unlock the door of Divine Thunder and Fire you must *****... ".


    Reading these cryptic words sends shivers down my spine, and I feel a profound connection to them, as if they are somehow related to my existence and purpose. But the last words "Cycle...Reincarnation...Yuiren...", have me worried. Why is Yuiren''s name carved on a door hidden deep within my inner spiritual world?


    Before I can contemplate further, an inexplicable force pushes Yuiren out. As this happens, something extraordinary occurs. My physical body outside of this inner world begins to be enveloped by lightning at an astonishing rate, far beyond what I had ever experienced. Simultaneously, flames emerge from my mouth, ears, and eyes, cauterizing the wounds that were caused by the previous sudden surges of lightning energy, seemingly burning and healing me at the same time.


    Moments later, my Qi Condensation aura undergoes a rapid transformation. It fluctuates and changes at an increasing pace, cycling through realms like a whirlwind. My aura briefly reaches the intensity of a peak Golden Core realm, though it remains heavily condensed so that my actual realm level doesn''t change.


    I suddenly find myself gasping for breath, as the fire burns my body from the inside...


    Lei, shocked and scared, finds herself screaming at Yuiren, as if she were a future widow about to lose her husband, "What have you done to him!? What have you done to Xu!?" seemingly shocking Yuiren more than the fiery display itself.


    "Calm down, little one, he is undergoing what seems to be a type of body reconstruction." She says, while worried about me as well as Lei''s current unpredictability.


    "How long will he have to endure this pain?" she says, while I scream in agony, my body covered in both crackling lightning and a pool of blood that''s being steamed by the divine flames from within.


    "I- I don''t... know..." are the last words I hear, before passing out from the pain.


    Several hours later, inside the cave, I wake up covered in a pool of what seems to be my own blood, fire still lingering on the surface of my body while lightning dances through the air as it bounces off of my body, which seems to have been enhanced greatly by the multiple rapid cycles of burning and healing.


    "What happened?" I ask both Lei and Yuiren, while being unable to open my eyes.


    "You... don''t remember?" Lei replies with a trembling voice.


    "Your body suddenly burst into a pool of blood, lightning and flames. You seem to have undergone some sort of body reconstruction." Yuiren continues, "How do you feel? Can you open your eyes?" obvious worry in her voice.


    "I- I don''t remember... anything. I feel as if my body has been greatly empowered, but my eyes hurt badly, I can barely open them. Could you take a look?" I reply in a voice that I don''t recognize as my own. My vocal cords must have been burned by the flames bursting from within.


    "Let me clear the flames." Yuiren says, while summoning the water from within the cave to clear both the pool of blood and the flames on my body. She seems to be an extremely capable and cautious water cultivator, as blood contains a lot of water, it can only be manipulated by a very high and very specific type of water cultivation.


    There are people known as blood cultivators, which have forsaken the further pursuit of water cultivation in order to learn blood manipulation, typically from demonic sects. One thing echoes in my mind, "Is Yuiren a blood cultivator?".


    "Now, open your eyes, Xu.", she says as she extinguishes the flames.


    I slowly open my eyes, revealing a pair of purple with a hint of glowing yellow, beast-like eyes, shocking Yuiren, to the point where her voice stutters and the words don''t come out because of her excited yell, "Mnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"


    "What is it?!" Lei, shouts worriedly, "What happened!? Why are you so scared!?". "Woah, Xu!", she exclaims with excitement, "Are you still human? You have beast-like eyes, beautiful ones too!" all the while Yuiren is shaken with a face of pure delight.


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    "I think so?" I reply, a hint of worry in my voice, "Yuiren, are you ok?"


    "Now I know... Mmh... Bngh..Bhah... haah...haah haaah haaaaaah!", she starts laughing maniacally, uncontrollable tears flowing down her cheeks.


    "What!? What do you know!?" I ask, my face filled with more worry than before. "What happened?"


    "Oh, silly you..." she responds, wiping the tears off her beautiful silky-white cheeks "Now I know why we''ve found each other''s aura so familiar..."


    "Master."


    "M- Master!? What''s gotten into you, Yuiren?", words leaving my mouth in confusion.


    "Hold still, this will only hurt a second.", she says, and without giving me time to even think about what she wants to do, she hits my forehead with her finger, exuding a peculiar aura, while covered in a thick water coating. She then proceeds to say in excitement, "Master, I''ve finally found you!", unlocking hidden memories from deep within my mind.


    This scene leaves Lei Zhao in complete bewilderment, as she is unable to comprehend what exactly is happening between us.


    "I see, now I get it. I''ve been reincarnated again...", I say, a hint of enlightenment apparent on my newly glowing beast-like eyes.


    "Yes, Master, we''ve finally been reunited. I''ve been waiting for you, as instructed. It''s been 365 years since we''ve last met.", she reveals without hesitation in her voice, enlightening both myself and Lei Zhao.


    "365 years? Reincarnated? Master?", Lei asks in confusion while looking at me with a hint of fear.


    "Do not be scared, Little Lei, I''m the same Xu you''ve always known. Some of my memories have been awakened by our encounter with Yuiren.", I say with a slight smile.


    "Come, my disciple, we have much to do." I tell Yuiren, while leaving the cave and entering a spiritual room, through a mystical illusory wall hidden behind flowing water, "You too, Lei."


    "It is time for me to strengthen this body further so that it can accept at least half of the 365 years of my previous cultivation.", I say, my voice filled with renewed determination.


    I sit down and begin to meditate, my new eyes, they have the clear appearance of a pair of draconic eyes with a hint of divinity, giving me new insight on the world and enhanced vision. My newly forged body emanating the power of that of a peak Golden Core realm cultivator, but this is not enough, not for the mission that lies ahead.


    "Yuiren, I need your help, let us take residence within the sect for a while.", I say, knowing that the Long Zhou sect is my creation from my previous life, "I need to open the stash from the patriarch''s room".


    "Yes, Master. Come, I''ll show you to your quarters, follow us, friend of my master.", she tells Lei Zhao, who is still confused at the current situation.


    As we reach the sect, every sect disciple is curious and confused about the two strangers their current acting sect leader has brought on sect grounds, but knowing Yuiren''s short temper, they don''t dare ask. Reaching my quarters from my previous lifetime, I lay my eyes on the ornate box that''s supposed to hold the key item to my advancement, "The Fruit of Life" a mythical fruit that cannot be found in this day and age in the land of Atris. This fruit enhances all body and spiritual power as well as nourishes meridians and helps body reconstruction and recovery.


    This lightning ring I own is the key to opening the ornate box holding the fruit.


    I found this ring not by accident, but by choice, guided by my previous encounter with Thunder Lord Kyiazo, the legendary Transcendent realm human that''s long passed. The one human to pique my interest, my late teacher from 1854 years ago. It took me multiple lifetimes to finally find my way to this ring that resided in the mountainous area of Yong Ning, deep within the world of Atris, one of the many worlds I''ve reincarnated in over the years. Today marks my 635th awakening, across 75 unique lower worlds.


    Right now, I am known as Xu Hao Ren, the future patriarch of the Hao Ren family, as per my family''s agreement that my father will not take the leadership of the family because he wants to retire together with mother when grandpa Mun passes the torch.


    My current friends are Mer Xia and Lei Zhao, the first being a righteous sword user that I am yet to meet since our last encounter 6 years ago. The single disciple from my past lives is Yuiren, a Jor¨­gumo, taken in specifically because of her special water abilities that helped with awakening my memory early in this current lifetime, so that I may begin my mission of revenge upon the "Gods of the Old World" that have cursed me to a life of man, forever.


    In order to preserve myself and my power, I''ve chosen a cycle of reincarnation that can never be broken, known as the "God-Dragon Reincarnation Method", a self-developed technique that I''ve never passed onto anyone.


    Those cowards banished me because they feared my power, knowing that their curse alone would not be strong enough to keep me from reclaiming my rightful place among the Gods.


    "Alas, an immortal being such as myself has been forced into submission, for eons, by those lowly creatures, but today, today everything changes." I say, knowing well that both Yuiren and Lei Zhao would hear my words.


    I put the ring in the socket of the ornate box, opening it with a clicking sound, and grab the fruit, hurriedly biting into it, consuming it all. Seconds later, as if it were a miracle, my body has reached the peak of Golden Core, a feat that took my current father, Huang Hao Ren, 50 years to achieve, while my mother has been stuck at the middle of said realm, since her 40''s. They are regarded as the brightest humans currently, having reached Golden Core and stabilized the fastest. The only one with a higher level in the world of Atris, is Patriarch Mun, my current grandfather, sitting at the peak of Nascent Soul. He is currently the strongest human in this lower world, based on cultivation alone, since the last war and since Thunder Lord Kiyazo himself.


    Looking at Lei, I tell her with a smile, revealing some information, so that I may clear up some confusion. "Every cultivation realm enhances human life by a good couple of years, during the era of my friend, Kiyazo, we both sat at the peak of Transcendence, which is why I knew the general location of the Ring of Thunder and its conditions to summon the Divine Thunderstrike manual and why I took the liberty to engrave this information into my spirit, so that I may pass it onto my next reincarnation cycle. "


    She listens while pondering what to do with the information, but not before I reveal an even more confusing ultimatum.


    "This time, this cycle, this life... it all ends here."

 Chapter 9: Awakening II - Divine Ordeal

    "Good, this is good, the energy stored within my body has taken me to the peak of Golden Core cultivation, at the age of almost 19 years old even. I can almost begin the first trial to enhance my body." I say, with a smirk on my face. "Yuiren, I think it''s time I get back to work, when is the next sect initiation exam?"


    "You would like to take the examination to become an outer disciple, Master? Why not announce your return?", she says in confusion.


    "My return would only cause more confusion within the sect and judging by our earlier walk through the sect grounds, I shouldn''t cause more commotion. Besides, I don''t have all my memories yet.", I say concerned, "I should enter as an ordinary disciple and attract as little attention as possible, while I recollect my past experiences."


    "Yes, that''s a good plan, Xu!", Lei exclaims with excitement, understanding finally that the old and the new Xu are one and the same. "This way you could also enter the Demonic Grounds during their next opening.", she says, explaining further, "The Demonic Grounds have only started opening about 100 years ago and since you weren''t alive yet in this body, because of your special reincarnation method, you wouldn''t know about it with your current memory. Essentially, these special spaces only open once every 15 years or so and the rewards for adventuring deep within these areas are immense. But, there is a catch, these places are populated by demonic beasts and they''re pretty strong, or so I''ve been told by the elders of our sect. Mer Xia should be there this time as well and since we''re all within the realm limit, we should enter together!".


    "Demonic Grounds? Interesting, and you say Mer Xia will enter as well? This could be a great opportunity for both a reunion and some benefits on top!", I say in excitement, "Yuiren, let me know when the next sect initiation begins, Lei and I should head back now and announce the completion of our mission."


    As Lei and I made our way back, my mind buzzed with the possibilities. The Demonic Grounds presented a unique opportunity, not only to test my newfound strength but also to gather resources and allies. The thought of reuniting with Mer Xia added an element of personal excitement to the upcoming challenge.


    "Lei," I began, "tell me more about the Demonic Grounds. What kind of demonic beasts are we likely to encounter?"


    Lei pondered for a moment before answering. "From what I''ve heard, the Demonic Grounds are home to a variety of beasts, each more formidable than the last. Some are known for their brute strength, while others possess cunning intelligence and magical abilities. It''s said that the deeper you go, the more dangerous the beasts become. But with danger comes greater rewards."


    I nodded, absorbing the information. "We''ll need to be prepared. Our training will be crucial."


    "I have no doubt we will be ready, Xu. With your current strength and the power bestowed upon me by Buddha, there is nothing we cannot achieve. There''s also Mer Xia, of course!", Lei said playfully and full of confidence.


    Our arrival at the Hao Ren family was met with nothing but disappointment and shock, as the entire area had been razed to the ground, not a person in sight.


    "What happened here?" I whispered, teary eyed, "Where is my family!?"


    "What is this!?", said Lei shocked, "Where are the buildings? Where are our elders?" she yelled in pain, mourning the loss of the upper echelon Buddhists from the Zh¨°uy¨³ sect, that were taking residence within my home.


    "Wait, Lei, do you feel this?" I said, while removing the tears from my eyes, "There''s a battle in the neighboring city, it''s grandpa!", grabbing Lei from behind, I rushed towards the scene, "I''m sorry Lei, bear with me, there''s no time!".


    "W- what are you doing!? Hold on, wa- waaait!" She yelled, taken by surprise.


    Lightning formed underneath my feet, I pushed the ground as hard as I could, taking flight in an instant. "We''re lucky the city is very close, I can feel grandpa''s aura, but what about the rest? What about my parents?" I whispered to myself, just loud enough to worry my friend who I was frantically dragging along without her consent.


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    "Xu, we need to prepare for the worst, you saw the area, it was razed to the ground." She said, her voice full of concern," Buildings gone, ponds evaporated, not even the bricks and cut stone blocks of the outer walls remain...".


    Minutes later, before even arriving to the city, I notice a remote area between the city and my destroyed home, an area so destroyed that only craters are left in the aftermath of a gruesome battle. The stench of blood fills the air, a heavy red mist lingering in the area, a side effect of one of the abilities used in battle, no doubt.


    As we walk through the mist, Lei stumbles and falls on a pile of corpses, her scream echoes loud. Upon closer inspection, they are the elders of the Hao Ren family, my elders, the Trinity Force. "The future looks grim...", she says with a hushed tone.


    Walking further into the mist, we''re greeted by the cadavers of the upper echelon of the Zh¨°uy¨³ sect, which leaves little Lei in tears on her knees.


    "What the hell is happening...?", I mutter in utter disbelief.


    With the dissipation of the mist, we''re able to recognize a few more of the corpses...


    A thick pool of blood underneath, their bodies bruised, their limbs cut, a gaping hole present in each of their chests.


    My mother and father, proud and strong warriors, the strongest of the region, mutilated to the point that recognizing them is difficult even for me.


    Mother, impaled through her heart by her own sword, her face bruised and beat.


    Father, impaled by his trusty spear, it entered his skull, went through his mouth and pierced his left lung.


    "N-n-no, tell me this isn''t happening... Lei Zhao, please tell me this is some kind of nightmare!" I yell in disbelief. Falling to my knees, I drop Lei Zhao, my limbs weak because of the shock. "Why is this happening, now of all times? They were my only good parents across all these damned reincarnations... Why them of all people?" I cry out loud, smashing my head against a rock on the ground, utterly breaking it and cracking my forehead in the process.


    "Oh... Xu...We- we should go... enemies might still be nearby... your grandfather is still fighting up ahead." Lei said, concerned for my mental state.


    Lifting my forehead off the ground, I reply, "That''s right... You''re right little Lei, let''s go." Having said that, while hugging mother, with shaking hands, I pull out her sword from her heart, "I''m taking Red Moon, mother, I''m sorry... You can rest now...".


    Pulling the spear from my father''s skull, I mutter in tears, "Father, your trusty spear will avenge you some day, rest in peace."


    With teary eyes and a bulging vein on my forehead, a bulge so thick that it''s about to burst open by the sheer pressure of the blood within, I grab Lei''s hand and leave the corpse filled area, rushing towards the location of my grandfather''s aura...


    Having arrived at the scene where grandpa Mun''s aura seemed to be at it''s strongest, we notice nothing out of the ordinary, staring for minutes in disbelief, we decide it''d be best if I were to discharge my electric aura, in hope that grandfather would notice it and he would rush over. To our surprise however, nothing happened, grandpa was nowhere to be seen, his aura still having a strong presence in the area.


    "This is pointless!" I yell in anger, "Where are you grandpa Mun!?" I ask, without reply.


    Minutes pass and a telepathic message from grandfather finally arrives, "Xu, I feel your aura, but I, am no more. This is but the remnants of my power, activated by your aura, it was left in hopes of a message reaching you, my boy.", the voice sounds like grandfather Mun is in pain, "Xu, you need to prepare, powers above our comprehension are in search of your lightning aura, run, hide, train, get strong-..." The voice abruptly fades, taking with it my grandfather''s aura.


    The message hit heavy, the loss of my entire family over the span of a single day shackling the very core of my soul.


    In my anger, crackling noises and sparks of lightning form all around me, pushing Lei Zhao a few feet away, a bulging vein taking form above each eye, "What use is this technique and power if I cannot save the ones I love?", I mutter in disgust with myself, "Lei Zhao... Little Lei, get away... I am losing control..."


    "Xu? No, you mustn''t! Grab a hold of yourself!" She yelled, scared by my words, "What are you doing?! You will be consumed by your own wrath and this dark aura!".


    What was once a pair of draconic bright-yellow eyes, became a bestial crimson, overflowing with the blood from the veins that were rupturing on my forehead, tears of blood dripping on my face, fire exuding from my mouth, with a burning throat, my words echoed loud:


    "YOU WILL PAY! WHOEVER YOU ARE, YOU WILL PAY!", the electric aura reaching the sky in the instant I finish my cry.


    Lightning aura once bright purple mixed with black from the darkest depths, without my knowledge, my soul was slowly being corrupted by a demonic entity from deep within, scaring Lei Zhao from the distance...


    The once docile lightning would push up into the heavens, breaking through the thick clouds.


    But, unbeknownst to us, my outburst of energy would attract the worst kind of attention...


    <figure>


    </figure>


    "We''ve found him."

 Chapter 10: Contact

    As I stood there, my eyes blazing with an otherworldly energy, my body crackling with demonic power, Lei Zhao''s voice would echo through my mind like a haunting melody.


    "Xu, no, you mustn''t! Grab hold of yourself dummy!" she cried, her words laced with fear and concern.


    But it was too late. The corruption had already taken hold, spreading like wildfire through my veins, burning away any semblance of sanity or control. To make matters worse, all I could think about would be my revenge.


    "YOU WILL PAY! WHOEVER YOU ARE, YOU WILL PAY!"


    I bellowed, the words echoing off the clouds themselves. And then... as if to punctuate my declaration, I would shatter the clouds with demonic shards of electricity arcing across the landscape like a madman''s brushstrokes on canvas.


    The air around me seemed to ripple and distort, as if reality itself was bending to accommodate the sheer force of my power. The once-pure-bright purple aura now pulsing with an evil, pich black demonic energy, as if some ancient, malevolent being had taken up residence within my very soul.


    Whatever I have awakened in my rage, I was not completely oblivious to it... to the pain... and yet... even as the darkness consumed me, a small part of my mind whispered something else. Something that seemed almost like a distant memory, or maybe just a desperate attempt to cling to some shred of humanity.


    "There''s no other way... ugh... so painful..." I mumbled, my voice barely audible over the cacophony of lightning and thunder, "I have no choice," I thought to myself, the words echoing through my mind like a desperate plea for salvation. "I must do it fast... before I lose control forever."


    As my body writhed in agony, resolute, I pushed the entirety of my very being to the limit, in hope of lessening the stress from the demonic pressure, my aura pushing me off the ground and breaching the atmosphere of the planet known as Atris.


    An action I would soon come to regret, no doubt, as my display of magnificent power would reach the senses of an unknown enemy I would shortly come to know as a pair of brothers.


    Visions flashing through my head, the speed? Too fast to understand anything... maybe my current body was not yet ready to receive whatever has awakened, but the pain from the passing visions had cleared my mind just enough... enough for a glimpse of a conversation between the shadowy figures.


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


    "Brother... you feel this?"


    "How could I not? I haven''t felt such power in eons... We must do something before it becomes a threat."


    "Yes... I suppose... Let us send some of our troops to handle the situation."


    "I agree, we cannot allow this human to breathe any further, he must be stopped... No matter the consequences."


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


    The conversation ended abruptly, and I found myself back in my inner world, though still writhing in agony.


    With the slow dissipation of the trifecta of fire, lightning and demonic aura, my weakened state began, leaving me in a state that could barely count as being alive.


    "L- ugh...L- Lei... G- grab my hand... P- chck- ugh... p- put it on my r- ring...", my pained voice would make her rush to my aid and quickly doing what I''ve asked of her.


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    As my hand touched the ornate jewel on top of the ring, the inter-spatial storage would open, "I need something... Ring... Please, help me.", I thought to myself, and as if by miracle, the ring''s storage would spat out an item and a note.


    "R-... ugh... r- read it to me."


    "O- oh... OH RIGHT!", she said while quickly reading the note,"Eye of Providence, skill storage relic, one healing skill in store. I leave this here for later use.", she finishes in confusion.


    "Hah... uggh... hah... hah hah hah... Kiyazo you bastard, you had this with you?... Thank you, old friend.", I say while grabbing the Eye of Providence, "Eye of Providence, open your storage, use the healing skill.", and with that, the Eye of would cast an eerie glow across the landscape and a green aura of healing would envelop my body. "Thank you Lei."


    "Heh-heh, glad I could be of SOME use... are you sure you''re ok now?", said Lei with a concerned tone.


    "Y- yeah, I should be fine now.", I responded, although uncertain if I was fully healed by the skill residing within the relic.


    "I... we need to leave this area, lest our opponents find us while I am in a weakened state."


    "I agree, Xu, we should go, there''s nothing but pain here for us."


    "Darn it, when I get my hands on whoever did this... grrhh..."


    "We don''t have time, Xu, we need to go right now!", she said, hurriedly pulling my arm to try and help me off the floor.


    "But... but where do we go, Xu? Do you want to join me at my sect?", she asked on a hushed tone.


    "No, we need to prepare. I need to join Long Zhou right now an-...", but as soon as I would said that, a portal would open and the pressure of the vortex from within, would drag me inside.


    A girlish voice would be heard from within...


    "Lightning lightning lightning lightning lightning... THEEEEERE YOU AAAARE!"


    "Heh heh! Found you, found you! My masters will be proud hah haaaah!", with demonic singing tune, her words echoed in my head.


    My body would swirl around, twist and turn, while traveling through the portal. Nobody but the demonic entity would know where I would exit, but one thing would be certain, they weren''t friendly, judging by the tone and the abrupt interruption of my dialogue with Lei-Lei.


    Minutes later I would find myself on the other side, an area with floating dark-purple liquid, in the middle of a wilted field. The chaotic means of transportation would leave my head in pain, dizzy and confused, but not as confused as the massive red-eyed demonic entity in the sky.


    "Yooouuu''re heeeere! Spleeeeeendid, my masters will be proud I''ve found you this quickly, human, yes-yes!", it said, the same demonic tune echoing in it''s girlish voice.


    The sky would turn into a pink-purple hue and its eyes would start to glow, "Let''s get this over with so I can go back hah hah haaaah!" and with a sudden wind demonic creatures would start appearing all over the area, "My minions, kill this human and we shall be rewarded!".


    "Y- you! Wait! What do you mean? Who are you? Why are you doing this?", would be my final words, before this battle would commence, as the demonic entity would no longer discuss with the likes of me.


    "Stupid... this... grrrh- ugh... this is ridiculous.", I would mumble while preparing for battle.


    Angered and confused, I would scream towards the sky, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?" and with a bulging vein on my forehead, lightning would start to form around me as I would charge my aura with a final yell, "Lightning DOME!"


    A bright white-blueish lightning would crackle around my body, jumping and dancing, but at the same time, expanding, and as the white-blue lightning would expand, it would form a bright purple aura, almost shield-like. But this would be no ordinary shield, as the Lightning Dome, is something Thunder Lord Kiyazo himself has thought me before his passing, the ultimate lightning skill for attack and defense. The shield traps entities inside and pulls them towards the middle and the lightning strikes them from all directions, in rapid successions, like a never-ending storm, the perfect combination of attack and defense, in a situation where you are surrounded by multiple enemies.


    "To think you would help me this much... old friend... Thank you.", these would be my last words, as the demonic entities would attack from all angles, swarms of never-ending crackles can be heard within the radius of the dome, 20 meters of black smoke would build up inside the aura, and while the Lightning Dome would prove extremely effective at clearing out the trash, its one weakness in this situation, would be the limited visibility I would have to deal with.


    "What the hell do I do now? Am I supposed to just wait here and eventually die?", I would think to myself, "Why is this thing even attacking me?", and while I would eventually catch a break... there would inevitably be another question, as from within the smoke, the figure of a silver-haired girl would be seen last standing, outside of the range of my dome.


    "Who is this!?"


    <figure>


    </figure>

 Chapter 11: Into The Unknown

    As I stood there, still recovering from my ordeal, I could feel her eyes upon me. With her petite silhouette, this demonic creature - or whatever she was - seemed to be studying me with an unnerving intensity. Her eyes gleamed in the fading light, and her dark purple aura pulsed with a malevolent energy.


    The girl''s voice cut through the silence like a knife, sending shivers down my spine. "Ahahahaha, you''re so weak, WEAK!" she sang, her tone dripping with malice. "But don''t worry, I''ll make it quick."


    Her words sent a wave of panic through me, but before I could react, she vanished into thin air. One moment she was there, and the next she was gone. I spun around, trying to locate her, but all I saw was empty space.


    And then, suddenly, she appeared right in front of me again. Her eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, and her dark purple aura swirled around her like a vortex. "Ahahahaha," she sang once more, her voice echoing through the air. "Now, let''s get this over with!"


    I raised my hand to defend myself, but as I did, she vanished again. This time, however, she reappeared behind me. I spun around, trying to get away from her, but no matter where I went, she always seemed to be one step ahead.


    As the dance of death began, I realized that this creature was playing a twisted game with me - one that I had no idea how to win.


    With every step she would breach my electric dome as if it were nothing, the damage on her body felt like it was minuscule, just as my existence in her eyes.


    I raised my hand again, and another blast of electricity crackled out of it. But instead of striking her, it seemed to simply dance around her like a ballerina, as if she were somehow absorbing it. And then, without warning, the sparks disappeared, leaving me feeling drained and frustrated.


    "You''re a tough one, I''ll give you that," she said with a giggle, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "But don''t worry, I''ll make sure to end this quickly."


    And with that, she launched herself at me once more. This time, however, she didn''t just breach my electric dome - she seemed to be able to phase through it entirely. I stumbled backward, trying to get out of the way, but she was too fast. She landed a vicious kick on my chest, sending me crashing to the ground.


    As I struggled to get back up, she stood over me, her eyes gleaming with malevolent amusement. "You know," she said, her voice dripping with cruelty, "I''ve been waiting for someone like you for a long time."


    Pinned down to the ground, I could feel my hopelessness. With her knee on my throat, I could barely catch my breath, but found the strength to ask in despair, "Wo re yu?", my words barely making a coherent sentence.


    "Pfft ahahahahaaa," with a demonic tone she giggled, as if she enjoyed my struggle, "haaaaah, you''re quite funny, funny hahahaaaa! I guess I can take my time explaining it to you, since you are about to die anyway." she said with her tongue out accompanied by a sinister smile. "You see, the higher-ups don''t like how close you''re flying to the sun with these lightning powers of yours sweetie, so they''ve sent me to cut down the beanstalk before it reaches their heights. But enough talk, your lightning aura is really starting to piss me off." she playfully pointed to her pitch-black dress getting slowly burnt, the stockings on her legs practically non existent at this point.


    "This dress is quite the high quality artifact, you see, I''m surprised you''ve managed to ruin my cute outfit when it is enchanted to resist lightning."


    "I- I ... see, that''s how." I mumbled, while thinking to myself that her artifact clothing is the reason why she''s able to counter my electric dome and pass through it as if it were butter.


    With the little strength I have left, I pulled myself together and started to push her off my neck, "You''re not the only one that has some tricks demon!". Remembering the time at Yuiren''s cave where I was engulfed by my own inner draconic flame, I begun channeling this flame into my core, mixing it with the lightning aura and creating a zone of electric-fire, although much smaller than the previous electric dome due to the required concentration to maintain the dual elements, but just enough to push her away.


    "YOU! You''re more interesting than I thought hah! I really need to kill you now, or I won''t hear the end of it..." she said while playfully wiping her burnt left cheek, with her absurdly long, snake-like tongue, seemingly healing it.


    I gritted my teeth as she wiped away her burnt cheek with an eerie slowness, her face practically growing meat and skin back.


    Her eyes seemed to gleam with amusement at my struggle, but beneath that, there was a spark of curiosity - a curiosity that made me realize that maybe, just maybe, I could use this to my advantage.


    With renewed determination, I focused on channeling the dual elements within me. The fire and lightning swirled together in a contained blaze around my body, casting an eerie glow over the surrounding area. My breathing grew labored as I strained to maintain the balance of the two energies and their condensed power, but slowly, a plan began to form.


    As she taunted me with her long tongue, I saw an opportunity to catch her off guard.


    With a burst of strength, I lunged forward, shortening the distance between us and sending a blast of electricity mixed with fire crashing into her chest. The flames engulfed her demonic dress, and the air was filled with the acrid scent of burning fabric.


    She stumbled backward, momentarily caught off guard by my sudden attack. For a moment, our eyes locked in a fierce stare-down - and I sensed that she was as surprised by my resilience as I was by hers and her artifact''s that is still somehow holding on and protecting her body.


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    Her eyes narrowed as she took a step back, her movements fluid and calculated. She was still toying with me, but beneath that playful exterior, I sensed a growing irritation - an impatience that seemed to be building with each passing moment.


    "I''VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!'' she spat out, the words dripping with venomous intent. ''YOU THINK YOU CAN RUIN MY DRESS LIKE THIS? WELL, LET ME SHOW YOU THE TRUE MEANING OF POWER!"


    As she spoke, her body began to shift and contort in ways that defied human anatomy. Her limbs elongated, her torso twisting into impossible shapes as if she were a living, breathing puzzle piece, with a long tail at the end. The remnants of her dress seemed to grow brighter, pulsing with an otherworldly energy, a black and purple aura of demonic nature enveloping her body.


    "YOU THINK YOU CAN HURT ME?"


    She taunted, her voice growing more menacing by the second, her playful yet angry tone seemingly patronising me.


    "FEEL DESPAIR!" she yelled, with a dash forward unlike she''s displayed before in our battle, her burst of speed catching me off guard as she sends me flying with a fist to the core, followed up by a series of kicks and claw slashes and a powerful sledgehammer tail slammed into my chest.


    "Blergh!" I cried, blood spilling out of my mouth as I try to recover in the air. "Ugh, that hurts like hell! I need Red Moon, where is my sword!?" I thought to myself, the pain slowly becoming unbearable.


    As I landed hard on the ground, I could feel my vision beginning to blur. The pain was intense, and I knew that I needed to focus if I was going to survive this encounter. I scanned my surroundings frantically, trying to spot any sign of Red Moon, but it seemed as though my sword had vanished into thin air since her first attack when I unwillingly released it from my grasp.


    "No... No way," I muttered to myself, shaking my head in disbelief. "I have to keep fighting."


    With a newfound determination, I scrambled to my feet and launched myself at the demon once more. This time, however, I was met with a powerful blast of dark energy to the face that sent me on my back, my head hitting the ground, leaving me unconscious.


    "Heh-heh well that was easier than I expected..." she said with a giggle, followed by a disappointing sigh, "Guess you weren''t that great huh? I wonder why my masters are so afraid..."


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


    But without her knowledge, I sunk deep within my inner world, my previous dark emotions of wrath surfacing as flashbacks of my mother''s and father''s mangled corpses appeared in my mental vision.


    A dark-purple, demonic aura enveloped my body as its energy slowly rose my body from the ground.


    With tears of blood pouring from my eyes, I woke up with a demonic roar and commanded while raising my hand, "RED MOON, COME TO ME!" and as if the sword had a mind of it''s own, it would fly through the air from the other side of the field where it was dropped into the charred ground, enveloped in a pitch-black demonic aura it would fly right into my hand as if it was where it belonged all along.


    With the addition of Red Moon and it''s newly added aura, our demonic energies would combine, creating markings on my face and forcing my draconic eyes to change and mix, bright-yellow changed to bestial crimson once more, blood flowing on my cheeks.


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


    "YOU!" her demonic smile bigger than ever,"You really are entertaining hyiahahaaaa!", she laughed as she powered up, her aura doubling in size.


    I steadied my stance as taught by my mother while adopting almost a spear-like version of my father''s, "With this stance I will maximize Red Moon''s penetration properties, it''s time to end this, or I will die...".


    With conviction and a hyper-charged demonic aura mixed with lightning and fire, in a flash that is indescribably different from my normal speed, I dash across the field and run the demon through, penetrating her aura and right into her demonic heart, a beam-like aura escaping through the back of her body.


    "Y- you bastard..." blood gushing from her mouth, staining her black lips, beard and chest crimson. "I didn''t think you''d be this strong..." she mumbled as her body started to burn away, a red cascade flowing down her body and painting the ground in a pool of blood.


    "But you know, there''s still something you don''t know about us demons... h- hu- huh-huh..." the pool of blood slowly begun to rise, and in an instant, the blood would envelop my entire body, as if it was trying to corrupt my very soul.


    "You..." I let out in an almost depressed tone.


    "HUH!?" she said in disbelief," It''s... not working?"


    "You can''t corrupt what''s already too far down the demonic path, you wench."


    And with the sound of these words escaping the thickness of the blood and Red Moon still deep inside her body, I pulled hard on the handle, my grip firm, cutting the demon in half with a slash so powerful that it would paint the entire field in a crimson red.


    "IF I HAVE TO STARE INTO THE ABYSS AND BECOME A DEMON, THEN SO BE IT!"


    Red Moon seemed to have absorbed some of the otherworldly energy of the demon, I could feel it''s weight in my hand, heavy, but with promise of destruction. And as I stood in the crimson pool of her blood, the twisted energy of the demon would get sucked into the sword, channeling its aura into mine.


    The addition of this aura on top of my wrathful emotions and my own demonic energy, would bring about visions of the demons past, and as these visions would pass, one thing was certain.


    "This demon... she''s not the reason my family is gone... But then... WHO!?" I cried, with tears in my eyes and a sense of confusion, I mumbled, "And... how do I get out of here? How do I get back to Leilei?"


    Hours later, my travel into the unknown would leave me with even more despair, as escaping what I would soon come to realise was a separate dimension, would prove a daunting task.


    "Everywhere I go, demons, creatures not from my world, where the fuck am I?" I thought to myself, the dark demonic aura still very much present on my body, seeping slowly into my very being, corrupting my judgement, senses and amplifying my wrath.


    "I feel... like... I want... TO KILL!"


    With Red Moon in hand, I would enter a killing spree, hours upon hours of slaughter, the demons in my path would fall one after another, drenching everything from head to toe in blood. My sword''s excitement could be felt in the air, as Red Moon would become a Demonic Sword and it''s red aura would intensify tenfold.


    Hours... days... weeks... maybe years have passed, time feels like it''s standing still. And as an almost lethal fatigue finally enters my body, I find myself in front of a big building behind a giant fence, similar in design to an emperor''s palace.


    A big red gate, blocks my way, two big jade lion statues, called Shishi, are on each side as if they were guarding the place. Approaching the Shish, I slowly gaze upon their beauty, gaining a bit of insight into the architecture of this place, it seems to be a design similar to those on Atris.


    And as I gaze upon the statues more, the giant red gate would open, followed by the sound of paws of what could only be a quadruped beast, a demonic dog would appear from behind.


    "Mrrr-... My master has been expecting you."

 Chapter 12: Demon Palace

    As I stepped into the courtyard, the sound of my footsteps echoed off the stone walls as I followed Aoxiu deeper into the palace. The air was thick with an otherworldly energy that seemed to pulse through every stone and brick. As we walked, I couldn''t help but notice the intricate carvings on the walls, each one depicting scenes from a dark and twisted world.


    The courtyard itself was surrounded by high walls, with towers at each corner that seemed to be watching me as I moved. Aoxiu led me to the center of the courtyard, where two massive stone statues stood guard. They were unlike any I had ever seen before - their faces twisted into grotesque grins, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.


    As we approached the statues, Aoxiu stopped and turned around to face me. His eyes locked onto mine for a moment, and then he vanished through a fissure in space that had appeared suddenly beside him. I stared after him, bewildered, as the fissure closed behind him like a mouth devouring its prey.


    And then, without warning, two abominations materialized on either side of me. The air seemed to writhe and twist around them as they stepped out of their respective portals, their very presence seeming to draw the light from the air.


    The first creature was a demonic hellhound, its fur aflame with malevolent energy that licked at my skin like hot tongues. Its eyes glowed red as it charged towards me, jaws wide open in a snarl. The second was a specter wielding flames, its ethereal form crackling with electricity as it hurtled towards me.


    I raised Red Moon, feeling her weight and balance in my hand as I parried the hellhound''s attacks with swift, precise strikes. But it was relentless, refusing to yield despite the injuries it sustained with each blow. Meanwhile, the specter seemed almost indestructible, its flames licking at me like a constant reminder of my own mortality.


    As I fought on, my body began to ache and my mind grew foggy from lack of sleep, food and water. The world around me seemed to grow darker and more twisted as time passed, but I refused to yield.


    The hellhound''s attacks became more frenzied as it sensed its own demise approaching. It lunged at me with a ferocity that sent me stumbling back through the courtyard, dodging and weaving as best I could while trying to find an opening to strike back. Meanwhile, the specter continued to attack with unrelenting ferocity, its flames dancing across my chest like a living thing.


    In the end, it would be sheer willpower that would allow me to emerge victorious in this gruesome battle.


    Having deducted that the hellhound was merely a summon, due to the fact that it was regenerating after each vital strike I would give, I went for the specter. With a dash, similar to the pinpoint accuracy strike I''d previously displayed when first setting foot onto these demonic lands, but much weaker in power and speed, I struck the phantom''s core, driving the combination of the last of my fire and lighting energy, completely draining myself, but eliminating it in the process.


    The hellhound fell silent at my feet, during its lunge, soon after, its flames dying out as it slumped to the ground beside the light-coloured, viscous substance exuded from its fallen summoner.


    Panting in silence was all that remained, as Aoxiu would be nowhere to be seen, but his words would weigh heavy on my mind as I thought about its master.


    Without taking the time to rest, knowing that I would soon collapse if this adventure into the unknown demonic territory would not cease, I would turn to face the palace.


    While scanning its imposing structure, I would notice that the walls were made of black stone, ornate with gold, depicting carvings of dragons, my kin. "H- Here goes nothing..." I would say, as I would straighten my back, barely catching my breath.


    My footsteps would echo off into the distance, and as I would enter the palace, there would be... nothing. And as I would step into the white infinite-like void of the room, it would feel like my body would enter another dimension. The room''s sudden shift in air would weigh heavy on my body, the gravitational pressure barely allowing my hand to raise my sword.


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    "Uh- Ugh... Wh- What the hell is this room?!" I would mumble, struggling to barely remain standing.


    Words would be heard upon finishing my sentence, echoing through the area, "Hmmm... It''s been a while, old friend," the voice hoarse, demonic in nature, but strangely familiar, just as the black shape forming in the distance. As the black shape would start to make sense, it would start resembling a dragon, at least the humanoid form of very twisted individual. With an evil laughter, while at the same time, putting massive pressure on my body. And in the time I took to squint my eyes, this powerful being would deliver a fatal blow, the ground crackling underneath my feet. A blow so incredibly powerful, that my frail body would be unable to take it, and I would lose consciousness and fall through the formed crater in the ground.


    Or so I thought, as this would be but a mere illusion of what''s to come if I anger this so called friend. And as the illusion would roll in my head like a film in a theater, I would see my body traversing the entire planet, as if I were already dead and watching from afar. My body would travel at such massive velocity, that it would go straight through it''s core and onto the other side, traversing into the void of space and into a vortex. This vortex would be so magnificent in power that it would disintegrate my body due to the impact added on top of the distorted spatial wizardry that was happening all around me.


    During this disintegration process, a memory would surface, a memory of a name, that of the Demon Dragon God, Yaozrui. Angering this individual would not be a wise choice with my current power, as I would be sure to leave the plane of existence with a single strike.


    Upon waking from the illusion, panting and sweaty, my eyes barely open, I would ask reluctantly, "May I know who your excellency is? You seem familiar, but due to my many lives, I tend to forget... I am sorry If I have offended you."


    <figure>


    </figure>


    "You''ve killed so many of my minions, and yet, you do not remember their master," he said, albeit with an annoyed tone,"You''re been making a mess of my back yard, friend."


    "Yaozrui... Yaozrui... The Demon Dragon God? What is the meaning of this encounter, old friend, why have you summoned me to your palace?" I would ask with a puzzled, tired expression. "I hope you have not forgotten my eternal mission..." I would mumble annoyed.


    With a thud he would descend to the ground, "DO NOT ANGER ME!" he would say, obvious malice and anger in his voice. "You may be the original Dragon God, but you are NOTHING but a mere immortal human, at the moment.", he would threaten.


    "But fret not, I am actually here to help you on your mission this time." he would proceed to tell his story about how he has grown tired of the rest of the Gods and their ''stupid'' envoys, "It is about time for a change in the world, don''t you think so too, old friend?"


    With an uncontrollable frown, I would ask,"You... help... me? I really don''t understand your intentions Yaozrui... are we not mortal enemies?"


    "Like I''ve said before," an evil smirk on his face would make it''s appearance,"it is time for a change in the world. I am willing to put aside our differences," he would stomp his food and flap his demonic dragon wings, "to end the current Gods of the era, AND THRUST THE WORLD INTO A NEW AGE!" the sound of his malicious voice echoing through the infinite white void of the room, "An age where you could also be free of your shackles," he would exclaim, with a playful, evil tone, as if to lure me into a trap.


    "End the current Gods of the era? Thrust the world into a new age? Just what are you up to, Yaozrui?", but without getting an answer to any of my questions, he would pull out a sword, or should I say, a rusty blade.


    "Take this, it will help you on your quest," he would say, letting me know that we do not have much time to speak. "Now, I have some information regarding the previously mentioned God Envoys.", something that would spark my interest and would require all my attention no doubt.


    "They seem to be searching for you... watch your back... and you should find your apprentice too," he would say, his evil green bigger than ever, "before it''s toooo laaaate," he would say, almost singing the words.


    "Make sure you are both on board with my plan to rewrite history, after all, AAH HAAAH HAAAAH," he would enter a crazed laugh, as if he would have multiple personalities, "after all, you will both be benefiting from this."


    And with a motion from his demonic hand, his hair would start to flutter," Until we meet again... friend.", with an invisible power, he would push me into a portal, his silhouette and presence slowly fading into nothingness.


    The facts are unclear, my body is tired and so is my mind, but upon pondering, one thing is certain, I have avoided great misfortune, maybe even certain death, by showing courtesy.


    The portal would send me flying outside the palace, "We shall meet again, reincarnated one!", would be the final words I would hear, while catching a small glimpse of Aoxiu, as the gates would slowly shut behind me.


    "Ugh, what the hell? That was way too sudden...", I would think to myself, barely scraping myself off the solid ground. Upon close inspection of the gates and after a good push of the ornate gold handle, I would come to the conclusion that there would be no way to get back into the palace at this time, a few minutes later, the entire area would disappear mysteriously.

 Chapter 13: The Red Parade

    I stumbled along the muddy twisted streets of the unknown realm, my mind still reeling from the encounter with Yaozrui. The Demon Dragon God had pushed me out of his palace with a mixture of curiosity and amusement on his face.


    As I walked, my eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the eerie atmosphere that seemed to permeate every aspect of this realm. Every demon I saw seemed to be watching me, their twisted faces full of malice and hatred.


    For whatever reason, the demons would not attack, they would however grin and talk. From their words I would come to realize that I am stuck in what they call the "Demon Realm", the "Demonic Grounds" being my exact location, however the portal to the Grounds should only just now open.


    It would seem that I had been forcefully summoned into the Demon Realm.


    "Does this mean that I could leave this horrible place? And what of Lei? Should I try and wait for her in the Demon Realm while I recover somewhere? Is my recovery even possible in this God forgotten, cursed land?", I would mumble to myself, trying to stay away from conflict with the swarm of demons that would be all around me in mere seconds if I were to engage in battle.


    During my travel from the Demon Palace, I couldn''t help but wonder what Yaozrui had planned for me now that he had "honored" me with an audience. Was I supposed to be some kind of puppet or tool in his twisted game to change the world? And why were the demons not attacking me after our meeting?


    The streets seemed to grow darker as night began to fall, casting long shadows across the ground. My stomach growled with hunger and my throat felt parched from thirst, leaving my vision blurry and my strength depleted.


    A few days after the fated meeting with Yaozrui, my inevitable collapse into the muddy ground would be seen by the grinning demons.


    Just as I would start to lose hope, a figure would emerge from the shadows ahead of me. It would be a 6-armed demon with a third eye on its forehead, this figure would carry me to my next destination in this horrid land.


    The demon would speak in a low, raspy voice, saying something about needing to take me to a certain place.


    At this time I wouldn''t understand what he was saying, but I knew I needed to trust him if I wanted to survive.


    And so, with the 6-armed demon leading the way, we set off into the unknown night, bound for some destination that only he seemed to know about.


    Days later, the demon would dump me in a half-dead state in front of another gate, music would be heard from deep within this unknown place.


    "A-A Parade?" I would question the demon, "W- What is this place?"


    "Do not worry, you are to recover in this place, enjoy the show." He would say as he would disappear into the shadowy streets without a care in the world.


    With what would probably be the last of my strength, I would scrape myself off the solid ground and start walking towards the music, in hopes of food, water and a place to recover.


    Soon after, a very beautiful and petite girl, different from the demons so far, dressed in red clothing mixed with yellow and green, would come to meet me, "Hello stranger, are you here for the Red Parade?".


    "Y-yes, surely this Parade would be good for recovering my body and soul from my injuries...", I would mumble, my words barely leaving my soar throat.


    While walking with the child towards the inn, I would notice an extremely beautiful female demon, with a very peculiar set of horns, similar to that of a ram. She would be dressed in white mixed with black, a very distinct garment, her silver-blonde long hair would cover her back while two curly pigtails would be on each shoulder, her autumn gold-like eyes almost royal in nature.


    Going further into town I would notice many more other demons with a similar horn style and clothing color pattern, but not one would come close to her distinct presence, they would all have a badge on their left shoulder, but hers would be one with an X in the middle and several times more royal in nature.


    <figure>


    </figure>


    "I wonder who they are, they seem very different from the rest of the demons." I would ask the child, but she would not respond. With a face that would almost make her seem angry, she would ignore my question while leaving my side when we would reach the inn, but not before telling me that the local currency is the "demonic blood stone".


    As luck would have it, with all the demons that I''ve slaughtered over time to make it this far, I would have more than enough to clock out at the inn for the night.


    Several hours later, the music would intensify, signaling the start of the Red Parade. However, due to my accumulated fatigue, I would pass out and not wake up for the next few days.


    "Hello there, please pay the extra blood stones for your stay!", a woman would ask, possibly the demon in charge of this specific shift, or maybe the inn owner, I would be unable to tell due to her talking through the door.


    "Uh, sure, how much do I owe you?"


    "Well, you''ve payed the initial deposit of 50 stones for your first night, that would leave another 375 for the 5 days and nights you''ve stayed. You''re lucky the maid insisted on letting you sleep, mister, otherwise we would''ve had to kick you out. You do however need to pay for your stay during they day, which is another 25 stones."


    "Ah fuck... I- I''m sorry, it''s been way too long since I''ve last slept. Here, there are 500 in this pouch, thank you and please thank the maid in my stead when she returns."


    Oddly enough, the food and water would be exactly like that of Atris, so recovering proved not to be an issue. I would be left with 3750 stones after indulging in a good meal and drinks, a singular stone for every demon that I''ve killed. Turns out, the stones are made through the accumulation of demonic energy and demonic blood, in the body of a demon, which makes each stone extremely valuable as there are limited stones due to there being a limited number of demons in the Demon Realm. Because I''ve killed the demons and did not properly wait for them to mature long enough, I''ve receive only a little amount of blood stones.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    "I wonder how much time has passed in Atris?" I would think to myself, "Surely I haven''t been gone for more than a year or two. I need to find a way to leave this place, but I don''t know where the Demonic Grounds portal is...".


    As frustration would build up, so would the music of the parade, this parade I have come to know as the Red Parade and it would only last for 7 days. Nobody would give me more answers to my questions at the inn, but one thing would be certain, something would be bound to happen on the 7th day when the parade would end.


    "XU!?"


    "XU! I can''t believe it!"


    Two voices from the crowd would be heard, "Who''s calling me?", I would turn my head in the direction of the voices, trying to see through the crowd of dancing demons enjoying themselves at the parade.


    "Wait, there''s no way... Lei Lei? And... Mer Xia!? But why do you look so different? How did you get here?", I would ask them while hugging both, as tears would drop on their faces.


    "Xu... I can''t believe we finally meet again.", Lei would remark, "Do you even know how long you''ve been gone for?"


    "N-No? How long has it been since my disappearance into that portal?"


    "5 years Xu, I thought you were dead...", she would cry, struggling to contain her emotions, "Don''t ever scare me like that again dummy..."


    "Wait... hold on... 5 years!?", all sorts of emotions would hit me with this revelation, "I''ve been gone for 5 whole years? There''s no way, it''s only been 1 year and a half for me..."


    "Xu, your family, we''ve buried them, I''m so sorry I wasn''t there to help you two..." Mer Xia would exclaim, "I''m not leaving your side from now on, both of you!", clearly angered with herself and teary eyed, she would grab hold of my arm, "It''s been far too long since we''ve last met... I thought you died when LeiLei told me."


    "Y- Yeah, I''m sorry, it was out of my control", I would let out with a sigh of relief, telling them my story of how I''ve spent my time in the Demonic Grounds, starting with the initial fight with the crazy demon that started it all and has forced me onto the demonic path, ending my story with the meeting between Yaozrui, the Demon Dragon God and I.


    "Wow, that''s some crazy stuff you''ve been through, Xu", Mer Xia would exclaim with a sigh of relief that I seem to at least be in a better shape now, "Let''s have some fun at this parade, you definitely deserve it!"


    "YEAH, LET''S DO THAT!", Lei would excitedly yell, "It''s been far too long since we''ve been all together."


    "Yeah, we should, there''s a performance about to happen soon. But enough of that, you''ve both grown extremely beautiful, you know?"


    With a blush, Mer Xia would say, "Duh, we''re adults now dummy... I''m 23 and LeiLei is 21 this year."


    The announcer of the parade would yell into a device that would amplify her voice, "Come now, come all! Everyone, come, come! We''re about to have our very first ritual duel of the night! Do not miss the finale of the parade!"


    "Oh, guys, let''s go sit down and reminisce!" Having said that, Lei would excitedly grab both our arms with a smile and a blush, leading us to the nearby empty table.


    And so, a talk about the past would start between us three.


    "Alright, so, how have you been doing Merry, LeiLei?"


    "Merry? Didn''t I tell you not to call me that, dumdum?"


    "Oh come on, what''s the harm in that? I call you that all the time though?"


    "LeiLei... don''t encourage him... Do you remember our sects, Xu? I''m now an inner disciple of the Ji¨¤nd¨¤o Sect and LeiLei has reached inner disciple level as well in the Zh¨°uy¨³ sect due to our advancements in studying our special body constitution. You remember that LeiLei has the Mythic Buddha Reincarnation Method and I have the Ancient Sword Body, right?"


    "R-Right, inner disciples, in a mere 5 years that I was gone, wow you two..."


    "Hey, cheer up, you''ll get your chance, remember, Yuiren''s waiting for you to re-take your own sect."


    "Oh, right, Yuiren, I had forgotten."


    "Hey guys, look, they''re starting the performance." Merry would let us know, pointing at the ring.


    The announcer would start again, "Our preparations are ready, look here folks, these two need no introduction, we''re about to have one HELL of a show!"


    Soon after, the first performer would show himself, his appearance similar to the Samurai of legends, from my distant memories of a different reincarnation, from a place known as Japan. His appearance would be a bit off and weird at the same time however and he would give off an ominous feeling.


    The other would be a demon with 6 arms, a yellow aura combined with a red effect due to the malicious intent he was giving off. This demon would be different from the one that had carried me over to the site of the Parade, but similar in appearance.


    The three of us would watch the performance closely, as we''ve never seen demons such as these, and as the duel would come to an end and the sword of the Samurai would pierce the heart of the 6 armed demon, the moon would slowly turn red and the sky would follow.


    "Ladies, I think it''s time we move, there''s a disturbing feeling in the air, we should get away from this place.", I would say, leaving them in a state of confusion.


    "What''s going on Xu?" they would both ask at the same time.


    "Hold on," Mer Xia would say, sensing something with her Ancient Sword Body, "grab your stuff, LeiLei!"


    "H-HUH!? Guys, I think it''s too late..." LeiLei would let out with a sigh, activating her Mythic Buddha Reincarnation Method''s palm aura, "We''re already surrounded!"


    "Darn it, not again..." I would sigh, angered from all the sudden death situations I was put through during my stay in the Demon Realm, and as I would finish my sentence, the human-like folks would change right in front of us, "I can''t catch a fucking break..."


    The sky and the moon would turn into a dark-red, blood-like color, the people would turn into creatures that even the remaining demons would be afraid of and as a blood red mist would slowly rise the entire area would go silent.


    "GUYS, RUN! THESE AREN''T NORMAL DEMONS!", I would yell, grabbing Lei Zhao and Mer Xia by their arms, "Damn it, we don''t have time!".


    "Xu?", they would both be left in shock and awe as my demonic aura would surface for the first time, "I''ll explain later, for now just trust me girls!" I would say, jumping with all my might, lighting and demonic aura being left in our trail.


    "Woah, Xu, are you a demon now? Do we have to put you down?", Mer Xia would say with a worried tone.


    "Yeah, Xu, what gives!? Weren''t you able to suppress this back 5 years ago, before you enter the portal to the Demonic Grounds?", Lei would continue, "I thought I told you not to let the demon energy grab a hold of you dumdum!"


    "I''ve been through a lot, you can thank that demon wench I told you about, she basically forced me onto the demonic path", I tell them, reassuring them that everything is under control.


    "But, you know, I''ve been wondering, Xu" Merry would question me confused,"What is up with this demonic blade?"


    "Demonic Blade? Oh, you mean this rusty old sword Yaozrui gave me?" I would question with a frown, "I thought this was just a piece of garbage...?"


    "I''m getting some weird and powerful vibes from it, this is not sword Xu, that''s a blade, it''s way thicker than a normal sword" she would continue, "You know how I''m sensitive to swords due to my special body constitution from the Ancient Sword Body, it''s giving me the creeps... it''s as if the blade is resonating with your power."


    "That''s what it was?" LeiLei would exclaim,"No wonder my senses are so off when I''m near you! All I feel is that damn blade of yours..."


    "Huh, maybe this thing will come in handy soon... Yaozrui, what have you given me?", regardless of what we would think, the blade would be useless right now as it is not in any shape to be used on cutting down foes.


    The blade would need to be restored, and through no ordinary means would that happen.


    The more I would run, the more everything around us would change, not even the plants and the trees would escape this phenomenon, our party of three would be pulled into a dark and bloody abyss. But while I would be thinking of how we could get away, an ominous voice would be heard, yelling from behind, "AAAGH-HAAAAH-HAAAAGH! WELCOME TO THE RED PARADE!"


    "Girls, I have a really bad feeling about this..."


    "Xu, stop, you can''t outrun them while carrying us." And as Mer Xia would finish her sentence, Lei Zhao would notify us, "DEMONS INCOMING FROM ALL ANGLES!", with that, Mer Xia would free herself from my grip and charge her sword with a powerful aura, her eyes would turn jade-green in color, the air around her blowing in all directions.


    "It''s time my Ancient Sword Body was put to the test!"


    <figure>


    </figure>

 Chapter 14: The Price of Power

    The dark and bloody abyss swallowed us whole, but it was too late to turn back now. I had already activated my demonic aura, an abnormal fatigue still lingering on my body.


    Mer Xia''s Ancient Sword Body glowed with an intense green light as she charged forward to face the incoming demons, but unknowing to her and Lei Zhao, I would be unable to provide any sort of meaningful support. The rest at the Red Parade¡¯s Inn was clearly not enough to help me recover this abnormal fatigue that had been plaguing my body for the duration of my stay in the Demon Realm.


    "Merry careful!" I would call out to her, my tired voice barely managing to reach her ears. My body would feel like lead, every muscle screaming in exhaustion.


    She would turnback to me, her jade-green eyes flashing with concern. "Xu, why are you so weak? What''s going on?"


    With a solid head shake, I would try to clear the haze from my mind. "I... I just need some time¡­ I¡¯m still too tired from all the fighting before reaching the Parade..."


    But deep down, I knew it wasn''t that simple. The sudden burst of demonic energy I had unleashed earlier had taken its toll on me as well, and I would soon pay the price.


    As Mer Xia turned away to face the demons, Lei Zhao''s voice echoed through the darkness. "Guys, we''re surrounded! We need to move!"


    I would grit my teeth and forc myself to stand up straight. If I couldn''t fight, then at least I could attempt to break a seal and attain new power so that I may be of some use. "Mer Xia, buy me some time," I whispered, taking a position of meditation.


    The demons would clos in, their eyes glowing with an otherworldly light as they would charge towards us. Mer Xia''s green aura would flare once more, as she would leap forward to meet them head-on. Her sword slicing through the air with deadly precision, striking down multiple demons at once, leaving traces of jade-green energy all around as the blood of demons would splatter on the ground.


    Lei Zhao would fight alongside her, the Mythic Buddha Reincarnation Method¡¯s palm aura crackling with divine energy as she would take on the demonic horde. Her palm technique refined and powerful, each hit strong and precise, but she could only kill them one at a time.


    Despite their best efforts, they would be vastly outnumbered.


    ¡°HURRY UP STUPID!¡± Lei Zhao would loudly remark, ¡°We can¡¯t hold out forever!¡±


    ¡°Give me ten minutes, I need to enter my inner world, it¡¯s time I try to break one of the seals.¡±, I would proclaim, as I would enter a deep meditative state.


    Upon entering my inner world, the darkness would envelop me like a shroud. The air thick with the scent of smoke and brimstone, and the sound of crackling flames echoing through the rocky halls.


    I could feel the weight of my own power coursing through my veins, a burning sensation that threatened to consume me whole. I had entered this realm before with Yuiren¡¯s help, but not like this - not with such raw evil energy coursing through my very being. The newly formed demonic energy in my body would clearly have an impact, but just how much?


    As I would walk forward, the ground beneath my feet would begin to shift and writhe like a living thing. The walls of rock around would begin to dissolve, revealing a great void that would stretch out before me.


    Suddenly, a multitude of draconic beings, humanoid in form, would appear all around me. Their scales glinting with abnormal energy, their eyes burning with an inner flame. With synchronized mighty roar, and flames erupting from their mouths - a stream of ice-fire that would have evaporated any mortal man, would hit my body.


    But as the reincarnated original Dragon God, I would be no mere mortal. And so, the flames would serve to temper my body and mind, followed by rapid cooling from the ice, in a never ending cycle, this would be the nature of the second Yin Yang Dragon Core trial. The trials that would awaken my soul¡¯s strength, sealed under the five trials of the Yin Yang Dragon Core, a technique of pure neutrality. ¡°The first trial I have undergone due to Yuiren¡¯s interference, I hope I can force the second and break the seal without too many issues this time.¡±, is something I thought to myself, but unbeknownst to me, the corruption of my newly awakened demonic powers would seep into my core, merging with it and creating something similar to a Demonic Core, similar in nature to what Yaozrui is supposed to have.


    With my eyes closed and a deep breath, the Yin energy of the draconic flames would burn at my Dragon Core from one side, searing away all impurities and imperfections, my neutral energy of Yin and Yang would battle with the pure Yin of the newly formed Demonic Core, which would then be hit by the pure Yang of the ice energy from the other side, freezing it in time, forging my new-found Demonic Core into something more divine in nature under rapid this rapid succession of energy exchange from one extreme to the other. I could feel my senses expanding, growing more acute with each passing moment, the rusty blade gifted by Yaozrui would have a reaction, it¡¯s as if the Demon God knew this would happen when he gave the blade away.


    Demonic energy is not something that is supposed to be present within this trial, but instead it is something demons are born with, it is impure, a symbol of corrupt divinity. Fallen Angels are said to be the fathers of all demons, primordial beings of divine corruption, but not even them would be able to comprehend what would now form within my inner world.


    And then, without warning, the dragons vanish due to a sudden outburst of energy which would affect the outside world just as much as my inner world.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°W- WHAT?! XU?¡± Lei Zhao would yell, ¡°XU WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?¡± Mer Xia would follow with a yell of her own, both clearly confused by the sudden outburst that would burn the nearby demons away.


    ¡°LEILEI, QUICKLY, THIS IS GETTING OUT OF HAND!¡±, she would yell at her bhikkhuni friend,¡±You have to use your evil subduing powers, he¡¯s losing it!¡±


    Lei Zhao would begin focusing all of her energy onto the surface of her palms, creating a bright-yellow, divine aura, activating the Mythic Buddha Evil Subduing technique she would have mastered over five years of intensive training at the Zh¨°uy¨³ sect, but to no avail, as the energy exuding from my body would no longer be evil in nature. The neutral draconic Yin and Yang energies would merge with the pure demonic Yin energy, absorbing the divine nature of Lei Zhao¡¯s Evil Subduing technique¡¯s energy.


    ¡°Mer, I can¡¯t, he- he¡¯s sucking out my energy¡­¡±, she would fall to the ground, exhausted, her energy depleted.


    ¡°Darn it Xu, what the hell were you thinking?!¡±, Mer Xia would mumble in confusion, ¡°here, take some of my energy, we¡¯re lucky master Ling¡¯Da has thought me this¡­¡±.


    And so it would continue - cycles of fire and ice mixing with the demonic and divine, each one pushing me to my limits and beyond. I could feel my body adapting, changing, as if the very essence of something new was being poured into my veins, creating something else, something which would later be known to the world as ¡°chaos energy¡±.


    But the demons would not just sit idly by and let this happen, jumping in on by one, they would attack Lei Zhao and Mer Xia in a last attempt at eating us alive, before my transformation would be finished, gnawing away at their sanity and bodies.


    A gruesome battle would take place, the demons would slowly whittle down the little energy they would both have left after their attempt to help me with subduing the outbursts from my body. Battle and bruised, they would fight to the death, which would inevitably come unless this transformation would come to fruition.


    With a blood spit from her mouth, ¡°Damn it Xu, hurry up, you need to help!¡± Mer Xia would mumble in desperation, ¡°I may be strong because of my unique body constitution, but I can¡¯t hold them off for much longer¡­¡±


    ¡°MerMer, I¡¯m sorry, I think it¡¯s time¡­¡±, Lei Zhao would whisper in her ear with a hug, ¡°I have to do this, it¡¯s taking him too long and we clearly can¡¯t hold out¡­¡±, with that her body would begin to glow with a divine yellow aura.


    ¡°W-What? W-Wait¡­ what are you doing?¡± she would ask in confusion, watching the arms that would hug her from behind begin to glow, ¡°LeiLei!? Why is your body glowing?¡±


    ¡°Love you, take care of my body¡­¡± she would reply with a smile, pouring her souls divine energy into Mer Xia with a yell, ¡°MYTHIC BUDDHA SOUL TRANSFER!¡±


    With a thud, her body would hit the ground, a smile still on her face. Showcasing the ultimate sacrifice of love for her beloved friends, Lei Zhao¡¯s divine energy would flow into Mer Xia, causing a massive headache in the process due to the merger of two souls, but her energy would expand threefold.


    ¡°LEILEI NO! UUUUUUGH¡­ this hurts¡­¡±, the headache would intensify as the merger would enter the final stages, flaring her new chartreuse-like aura and expanding it twofold, her eye displaying a similar transformation.


    ¡°YOU DAMNED DEMONS!¡±, she would yell, a voice that would have both her tones combined, echoing through the area, ¡°It¡¯s time I purged you all!¡±


    She would first look at the body lying on the ground, with a wave of her hand she would envelop it in the same aura as her own, as if to preserve it, and she would dive into battle.


    The demons would panic from the newly-powered enemy that would exude a divine aura, and like a wrathful deity, Mer Xia would cut through them with her sword, until this too would eventually break from the sheer amount of enemies she would have to face alone.


    The next twenty-five minutes would feel like an eternity to Mer Xia, as her body would slowly give in to fatigue, ¡°Damn it Xu, how are you still not ready?!¡±, she would mumble, blood dripping from her wounds that would cover her entire body. With a knee hitting the ground and her sword barely holding up her body, ¡°At this rate we¡¯ll die before you awaken¡­¡±, she would say, concerned for their lives.


    A few minutes later, the forging of the core would be complete and my eyes would begin open, ¡°I have broken the second seal¡±, uncontrollable tears would pour on my cheeks as I would notice LeiLei on the ground and Merry¡¯s wounded body barely holding on.


    ¡°X-Xu¡­ f-finally¡­¡± she would sigh with relief, barely able to sustain the aura preserving Lei¡¯s body, ¡°I thought you said ten minutes numbskull¡­ it¡¯s been more than an hour!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯ve done well, leave the rest to me¡­¡±


    With that said, I would flare up a chaotic aura which would accidentally push both of them away due to the wind pressure, while at the same time it would scare the demons stiff and force them to stop in their tracks.


    ¡°Go easy on me, I¡¯m barely holding on damn it!¡± she would exclaim with a fatigued face and worried expression.


    ¡°Take my hand¡±, I would grab her hand and pour a small portion of my soul energy into her, placing my hand on Lei Zhao¡¯s body on the ground and doing the same, I would tell her not to worry.


    ¡°You¡¯re fine now, LeiLei¡¯s going to be fine too, I WILL find a way!¡±, these would be the last of my words, as I would jump into battle, slaughtering hundreds of demons at a time by using the rusted blade, the blood of demons would seep into the blade, enveloping it completely, hydrating and sating the demonic blade that would in turn break the seal which was the cause of the rusty aspect.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Red Moon, looks like you¡¯ll have to sit this one out, you deserve a rest¡± I would say, grabbing the handle of the once brilliant sword which has served my mother and I for many battles, now a useless tool full of cracks in the aftermath of the long and restless journey,¡±I swear I¡¯ll fix you up someday.¡±


    The once rusty blade would grow in size tremendously, turning from a one-handed rusty sword, into a giant blade emanating pure demonic energy, full of wrath. This newly formed blade would glow with a fierce, thick, black demonic aura, which would in turn make it heavier than usual.


    Even with my new-found strength received after the second Dragon Core trial, I would barely be able to lift the blade due to the amalgamation of energies which have merged into the very essence of my soul. ¡°Damn this thing¡¯s heavy¡­¡±, using a two handed stance with half of the blade sticking into the ground, I would pull with all my might, infusing the handle with the last of my lightning energy and swipe in front, releasing a massive cone of black lightning energy which would cut through the ground, like a void storm of unspeakable proportions, which would wipe out the remainder of the demons, forcing the rest which were further in the back to either run or face eternal slumber.


    The aftermath of such a blow would leave an eternal scar upon the Demon Realm, a never ending black storm and a giant canyon, which would later come to be known as the Grand Hole of Storms.


    ¡°Holy shit, that was much stronger than I thought it would be¡­ you really are a great relic huh?¡±


    But while the battle would be over, our troubles would only just begin. With Merry in a state in which she would be unable to fight and LeiLei presumably dead, our future would be extremely grim, as I would find out soon enough, that the Ring of Thunder would be corrupted by the unknown form of Demonic Energy of The Red Parade.

 Chapter 15: Consequences

    The darkness was palpable as I stood there, my heart heavy with grief, my body exhausted from the after-effects of infusing the last of my energy into the blade¡¯s attack. I could feel my fingers slowly releasing the blade as my muscles could no longer bear it¡¯s weight.


    ¡°M-Merry, I need to check on Merry¡­¡±, is all I could think on the spur-of-the-moment,¡°M-Merry, how are you holding on?¡±, I would ask while dropping on one knee.


    ¡°T-This fucker¡­¡±, she would mumble, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°YOU IDIOT!¡±, she would cry with a yell, ¡°YOU PROMISED US TEN MINUTES!¡±, impulsively punching with all of her remaining strength upon my approach.


    ¡°I¡­ I know¡­ something outside of my control happened during my inner trial¡­¡±, this would be the only explanation I could deliver, but this would only make her cry in rage.


    ¡°WHY!? WHY WOULD YOU MEDITATE IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS!?¡±, she would ask, hitting my face with the back of her sword, ¡°I SHOULD KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!¡±


    Upon witnessing her actions, I would feel a pang in my chest, the gravity of my mistake being more than I initially though.


    ¡°SHE¡¯S DYING!¡±, gripping the collar of my shirt, she would cry out, ¡°DO SOMETHING!¡±, ripping it in the process of pulling me closer to her.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do¡­ I¡¯ve already given her all the energy I could spare, before my last attack¡­¡±, I would reply with a sigh, my voice cracking under the pressure of her fierce, teary gaze. ¡°If I had all of my memories¡­¡±, but alas, all I could do was look down ashamed, with tears in my eyes, as these memories cannot be simply just unlocked when I wish to do so, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯ve failed you both¡­¡±


    Her eyes would blaze with fury upon hearing my words of sorrow, causing her tears to overflow.


    ¡°Y-...You¡¯re... SORRY!?¡±, were the last words I could hear, before she would clench her teeth in anger and headbutt me in the nose, causing my exhausted body to fall on the hard ground beneath.


    A surge of guilt and shame would wash over me as I would catch LeiLei¡¯s body with the less bloodied side of my eye, her battered body barely holding on to dear life due to Mer Xia¡¯s aura keeping her heart beating.


    ¡°Please¡­¡±, I begged, my voice trembling with emotion and exhaustion. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first¡­ We¡¯ll find a way¡­ somehow¡­¡±


    But Mer Xia would shook her head, her eyes red-rimmed from having the bear the pain of her life-long friend sacrificing herself for her well being. ¡°No¡­ We need to talk about what happened,¡± she would say quietly. ¡°I can¡¯t keep up the aura for too long, but I can¡¯t let you go either,¡± she would say, tears flowing down on her cheeks. ¡°Why did it take so long? Why did LeiLei have to sacrifice herself?¡±, she would ask, questions which would inadvertently make me swallow hard in the process, feeling the sting of my failure.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ I think my demonic energy interfered with the breaking of the seal¡­ I wish I could¡¯ve broken it faster¡­ it¡¯s all my fault,¡± and while my answer would obviously not satisfy her, she would settle down for the time being.


    ¡°We should¡¯ve fought together¡­¡± she would say, while attempting to pick Lei Zhao off the ground and carry her, disappointment and disgust would be clear in her voice.


    But while we would talk, in the distance, a familiar silhouette would make her appearance.


    ¡°You two,¡± a voice of a woman would cut Mer Xia¡¯s words mid-sentence, ¡°who are you?¡± she would say while continuously approaching from the right side of the electrified canyon. ¡°You¡¯ve left quite the landmark here¡­ and judging from all the slaughtered demons, you¡¯re quite powerful.¡±


    Mer Xia would snort in disgust, ¡°Great, another one¡­¡±


    The female demon¡¯s gaze would snap towards Merry, as if to send a warning, before it would quickly return to me.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question, who are you?¡±


    Judging by her cryptic attitude, she would clearly be no enemy, but we had no way of knowing for sure.¡°I am Xu Hao Ren, she is Mer Xia,¡± I would reply, looking at Merry who was still struggling to carry LeiLei on her back. ¡°Our friend is Lei Zhao, she¡¯s gravely injured and has done a soul transfer¡­¡±


    ¡°A WHAT?!¡± she let out with a yell, ¡°How did you guys¡­ never mind that... it¡¯s not important anymore¡­¡± she would reply, biting her finger.


    ¡°Listen here, your attack earlier has had quite the impact and if I could feel it from miles away, then so could others,¡± the demon would imply, ¡°but why are you humans still in the Demonic Grounds and why do I feel demonic energy coming off of you?¡±


    ¡°Long story¡­ I would be glad to share it with you, but I really need to get my friends treated.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ Right¡­ I¡¯ll help you reach the portal,¡± but the demon would ask for a form of compensation in return, ¡°in return, you will tell me what happened and why your friend here has done a soul transfer of all things.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you,¡± I would reply, attempting to help Mer Xia with carrying Lei¡¯s body, which would initially fail due to her refusing to let go.¡±Let me help¡­ you¡¯re wounded too.¡±


    The demon would sigh and with a flick of her hand she would teleport Lei¡¯s body on her back.


    ¡°We really don¡¯t have time, mister Xu,¡± she would say with a worried tone, ¡°grab your friend and let¡¯s go.¡±


    A few minutes later, we would find out that the ram-horned demon I had earlier seen at the Red Parade and the one helping us reach the portal, were one and the same.


    ¡°My name is Avrora Woxar, you¡¯re lucky I¡¯m the first one to find you, after that silly display of energy.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ you did say something about others reacting to my outburst of energy¡­¡±, I would reply, after checking on Mer Xia who was now sleeping on my back.


    ¡°We have three days to reach the portal, you¡¯re lucky I¡¯ve found you when I did, a day or two later and you would¡¯ve been stuck here,¡± Avrora would remark, looking at me with a sorrowful expression, ¡°You really need to get your friend there treated, I¡¯ll help you with this other one when we reach town.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ but Avrora, who are you?¡±


    ¡°Right, I haven¡¯t introduced myself properly yet since we were in a hurry,¡± she would mumble with a sigh, ¡°I am a royal from the lower sectors of the Demon Realm,¡± she would explain enthusiastically, ¡°the current leader of the Half-Demon Goat Clan and the NXPD Sect,¡± she would continue while pointing at X of her royal badge,¡±the 10<sup>th</sup> leader, of the sect to be more precise.¡±


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    She would then follow up with explaining why she was at the Red Parade, delivering slight insight into the ones called ¡°blood demons¡±, the ones that had attacked us earlier. ¡±They¡¯re part of the Dark-Red Blood Cult, the Red Parade is something they do in order to gather offerings,¡± Avrora would continue to explain, ¡°we don¡¯t know yet why they¡¯re doing this, but that¡¯s the reason I was there, I was looking into it and trying to find them out,¡± she would exhale with a sigh unlike displayed so far, ¡°unfortunately, I didn¡¯t know they could mass infect the locals with their blood magic¡­¡±


    ¡°Blood magic,¡± I would ask, shocked from hearing a word I could not fully comprehend,¡±not blood cultivation?¡±


    ¡°No, blood magic is something different, it involves corrupt ki, you should look for me at the NXPD Academy so I can explain further, it¡¯s complicated¡­¡±


    ¡°Corrupt ki¡­ another foreign word to me¡­¡±


    As our talk would come to an end, so too would our rush towards the nearest town, a place with tall and intricate buildings unlike I¡¯d ever seen.


    ¡°Avrora Woxar, I come with guests,¡± she would say at the local inn while showing off her badge to the innkeeper. ¡°Come Xu, follow me into our room¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    ¡°Put her down, gently,¡± she would remark pointing at Mer Xia, ¡°we¡¯ll treat her first since her soul is extremely important for saving Lei Zhao.¡±


    ¡°Can you save them?¡±, I would ask, but she would ignore me as she would begin talking words in a language unheard to my ears so far, which would give off ominous feeling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is an incantation,¡± she would say as she would poke Mer Xia¡¯s abdomen with her nail, penetrating her flesh, ¡°I will act as a medium and attempt to transfer the essence of Lei Zhao¡¯s soul back to her original body, however¡­¡± she would add,¡± I do not know if and when she will wake up,¡± with that said, she would do the same to Lei¡¯s body and the transfer would begin.


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s been too long since the soul transfer has been finished, I could only transfer a small part back,¡± she would sigh in anger, ¡°we should¡¯ve come here faster, I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s ever going to wake up at this point.¡±


    ¡°W- What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been in this state for far too long for me to be able to do this alone, we¡¯ll have to put her body into a magical induced stasis, you¡¯ll have to help me by holding her heart from moving, just a second should be enough.¡±


    ¡°You want me¡­ to stop her heart from beating? How in the hell am I even supposed to do that without killing her off permanently!?¡±, I would ask in anger, anxiety taking over as there was no sure way of knowing if LeiLei would make it out alive.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ how about this? I¡¯ll inject my energy into her core and try to stabilize her heart¡­ will that work?¡±


    With a hand on Mer Xia¡¯s thorax, she would begin injecting her yellow energy, seeming healing her. ¡°There, that should do it for this one, let¡¯s hurry up, we don¡¯t have time.¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    And thus, with both my palms placed on Lei¡¯s chest, I would pour all of my remaining energy into it, momentarily causing her heart to stop beating, ¡°There, that¡¯s it, hold it steady,¡± with another incantation she would envelop my energy with something that I could only describe as a purple magic seal with a pentagram in the middle, and the rest of her body would begin to float. Shortly after, Lei¡¯s body would be enveloped by a white-yellowish aura, giving off a slight vibe of divinity unlike anything I¡¯ve felt in my current reincarnation.


    ¡°There, that should do it for now, I¡¯ve stopped her body from decomposing and her heart should be fine, but you will have to allow her to remain in my care for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Mer Xia¡¯s not going to be happy about this¡­¡± I would reply, looking at her sleeping on the bed besides us.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that, you should go into the center of town and talk to a guy named Qiavik Stramus, you¡¯ll know when you see it, he¡¯ll teleport the two of you in front of the portal when you¡¯re ready, tell him Avrora sent you.¡±


    ¡°Right, Qiavik, got it.¡±


    And so I would go and make sure we could leave this realm, but while I was leaving the room, I could not take my mind off of LeiLei. ¡°How am I supposed to fix this? I will have to return to the Demon Realm again¡­¡± and while this would be something obvious, a question would remain, ¡°How the heck am I going to come back here without having to wait for another 15 years?!¡±


    Minutes later I would arrive at the entrance to a building right in the middle of town, a huge sign hanged in the upper right corner of the door, ¡°Qiavik¡¯s Arcanum Apothecary, this has to be it.¡± Upon entering the door, I would scan the inside for signs of this person, and soon enough, a cyan-haired man with pointy ears and extremely beautiful blue eyes would meed my gaze with an emotionless stare. His brown clothes simple, but covered by a robe with a hint of nobility, he would not exude an air of any ordinary merchant.


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    ¡°Hello, this is Qiavik Stramus, how may I help you?¡± he would ask in a soft voice from behind his table, reading a book while shaking a glass of blue liquid.


    ¡°Y-Yes, hi, Avrora sent me here,¡± I would reply while looking at the array of potions and magical items that were covering the shelves all around him,¡± she said you could help with a teleport situation.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see, allow me a few moments to finish this concoction and I shall be right with you,¡± he would reply, mumbling soon after, ¡°You owe me big time your highness,¡± while continuously shaking his glass and returning to read his book.


    After the passing of a couple of minutes of me staring through the shop, he would pack some paper into a brown leather bag, ¡°Come now, let us meet her highness Avrora,¡± he would pat my shoulder while showing me outside, ¡±and please don¡¯t stumble over anything on your way out, you look quite tired.¡±


    Halfway through town, Avrora would meet us, ¡°I see you¡¯ve found Qiavik, don¡¯t worry about Mer Xia, I¡¯ve explained everything to her.¡±


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    ¡°Your highness Avrora, might I ask why you need me to teleport our friend here,¡± Qiavik would ask, ¡°you know how expensive these scrolls are, you owe me another favor."


    ¡°Yes-yes, I know, but who told you that you¡¯d be only teleporting one person,¡± she would reply hinting with her fingers that he would need to teleport not one but four different people, and in two separate directions to add on top.


    ¡°You cannot be serious, milady, that would require the use of two teleportation scrolls and a magic circle,¡± Qiavik would reply in frustration.


    ¡°Wait... scrolls, magic circle?¡± I would ask while looking at the two, albeit somewhat confused.


    ¡°Shush now, let the nobles talk,¡± she would stop me from pestering them further by gently applying pressure on my lips with her index finger, ¡°you shall be handsomely compensated for your troubles, Qiavik.¡±


    Minutes after they would finish their affairs, we would return to Mer Xia at the inn.


    ¡°Xu, you¡¯d better fix this,¡± her words sharp as a knife cutting into my heart, accompanied by a sorrowful stare.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±, would be the only thing I could mutter in shame and disappointment with myself, ¡°let¡¯s go home for now.¡±


    The demon known as Qiavik Stramus would then proceed to inscribe onto the floor of the room, a black magic circle, made from items only found in the Demon Realm, followed by carefully placing the two teleportation scrolls on each side, inside the circle.


    ¡°You all need to suppress your energies for the teleportation to commence, this will feel weird, but please trust the process,¡± he would instruct as the magic circle and both seals on the scrolls would begin to glow purple.


    Soon after, our bodies would begin to disperse into thin air, but not before Avrora Woxar¡¯s final words and gift, ¡°You better use this scroll and come find me if you manage to get a lead on anything that¡¯s about soul transfer.¡±


    Seconds later, I would find myself with Mer Xia holding my arm as if she were afraid, in front of the portal to the Demonic Grounds, ¡°Are you ok?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, let¡¯s go home, I need some time to think.¡± She would announce, both mental and physical exhaustion weighing heavy on her.


    With this said we would walk through the portal, back to the human world, back to our homes, but not before my ring would display a surge of red electricity and a sting in my arm that would cut my lightning cultivation off for an unknown amount of time,


    ¡°W- what the hell is going on!?¡±

 Chapter 16: Cursed Beginnings

    ¡°U- Ugh¡­ why does my arm hurt so much all of a sudden!?¡±


    ¡°Xu, what¡¯s happening to you? Why is your lightning spiraling out of control suddenly?¡±, Mer Xia would ask with a frown, clearly worried about my sudden predicament.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know, but this is almost as painful as my awakening in Yuiren¡¯s cave¡­¡±, I would mumble, struggling to contain the lightning within my right arm so as to not affect the rest of my fatigued body, ¡°The source of the problem seems to be the ring itself, whatever those cultist demons did during our fight in the Demon Realm seems to have taken a toll on the ring.¡±


    Moments later, I would come to a sudden realization, while trying to contain the lightning, the lightning itself would being cut off from my body, as if it would forcefully be contained within the Ring of Thunder by an unknown force.


    ¡°Ugh these damn demons¡­ they cut off my lightning cultivation¡­ Merry, you go on ahead, I need to find Yuiren,¡± I would remark, ¡°she¡¯s the only one I know of that could help right now, since the portal to the Demon Realm has closed behind us...¡±


    ¡°W- what?! Surely that¡¯s not possible¡­ r- right!?¡±, with confusion on her face, she would start to mumble in a thinking pose with a hand on her chin, ¡°surely cultivation can¡¯t be that easily cut off, there are meridians to take into consideration, the inner core as well, this cannot be possible¡­¡±, she would ponder for a moment, ¡°I shall go with you, if you think Yuiren can help with this then she could maybe take a look at me as well, maybe she can help with the soul transfer situation.¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­ why didn¡¯t I think of that? If she has the ability to enter my inner world and forcefully awaken my memories, then maybe¡­ yes, let us go!¡±


    And so our journey back to Yuiren¡¯s cave would begin, but not before saying a last goodbye to my home and my parents whom I would hurriedly bury, as time would not be on our side, but this felt like the right thing to do. After the hastened ceremony we would take turns to rinse our bodies of the blood of the demons, in the pond from within the inner garden of the Hao Ren estate ruins and be on our way.


    Days of excruciating pain later and lots of pondering and attempts to ease my pain, by Mer Xia, we would reach Yuiren¡¯s cave where we would be met by the brood, where Dangly would lead the way towards the inner depths of Yuiren¡¯s Sanctum.


    ¡°Master, you¡¯ve returned!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yuiren, however we might have a serious problem¡­¡±


    After explaining the situation to Yuiren and everything that has transpired, she would be left in shock, as the Demon Realm should not be a place where you can enter unless you do so through the Demonic Grounds Portal every 15 years. ¡°Whoever did this to you, master, seems to be linked to the wench you¡¯ve fought during your first moments in the Demon Realm.¡±


    ¡°You think so too, Yuiren!?¡± Mer Xia would exclaim, ¡°I thought I was the only one with this inkling¡­¡±


    ¡°Whatever they did, I cannot circulate my lightning qi through my meridians and I cannot seem to begin gathering it within my inner core anymore, it¡¯s been cut off from the ring¡­¡±


    ¡°That is a serious issue¡­ let me try to circulate my qi through your meridians, assume the lotus position, master, I shall try to cleanse the impurities from within.¡±


    ¡°What? You can do that?¡± Mer Xia would ask, shocked in disbelief.


    ¡°But of course, I am a demon after all,¡± she would reply on a playful and dismissive tone,¡±come now master, we must hurry with the process of cleansing your meridians, I shall look at the ring after.¡±


    ¡°R- right, ¡± Mer Xia would mumble to herself, ¡°but how is she even able to do this, normal martial arts are not invasive?...¡±


    ¡°Yuiren is a blood cultivator, Merry, the demons do not get intimidated like the humans do, they also have no taboo cultivation techniques, they will do everything to achieve a higher state of power.¡± I would explain, while assuming the lotus position and beginning to meditate with my eyes closed.


    ¡°Very good master, I am pleased that you remember. I shall now begin circulating my blood qi through your meridians and injecting it into your core to begin the cleansing process.¡±


    Hours later, Yuiren¡¯s qi would leave my body, ¡°Master, your body does not seem to have any impurities, there is nothing physically wrong with you¡­¡±, she would sigh, ¡°this is not something normal cultivation techniques can fix, master.¡±


    ¡°No impurities? Xu, was your lightning cultivation really that strong while only at the peak of the Golden Core realm?¡± Mer Xia would ask in shock, ¡°I need to train harder¡­¡± she would sigh in disbelief.


    ¡°That¡¯s a story for another time Merry. Yuiren, please, take a look at the ring, I can feel a strange force blocking my qi circulation from within it.¡±


    ¡°But of course, I was about to suggest this as well, master, please hold your hand out.¡±


    She would put her left palm bellow mine and her right palm above the ring, then she would proceed with both palms doing rotations opposite to one another, her hands would slowly begin to glow with an ominous red aura.


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    ¡°This is not good¡­ master, there are traces of a powerful curse on the Ring of Thunder.¡±


    ¡°A curse? Can you do something about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, master, this is not something any lower demon from the Demonic Grounds could fix either. Miss Avrora might be able to do something since she¡¯s of a higher rank than me and has more resources in the Demon Realm.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s of higher rank than you?¡± Mer Xia would inquire, ¡°Wait a minute, what is your rank within the Demon Realm, miss Yuiren?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯d be for the best if we knew all the details, with my memories unlocked, I lack too much information on the matter,¡± I would explain, while pondering what to do, now that my lightning cultivation has been rendered unusable.


    ¡°I am the last descendant of the ¡± Yuiren would continue, ¡°the difference between our ranks is quite big I¡¯m afraid, you see, the top 10 of the Demonic Grounds barely count as within the top 100 of the Demon Realm, and we are all of royal blood,¡± she would reveal, but the explanation would not stop here, ¡°whoever did this to you, their power is well above mine and is a magic curse user, which differs heavily from my blood cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Magic? Surely you mean cultivation?¡± I would inquire, confused by this unknown term that was also used by Avrora and Stramus during our meeting in the Demonic Grounds.


    ¡°No, master, I¡¯m afraid the demon realm has long evolved since your last reincarnation, when cultivation alone was the pinnacle of power, you see, the term ¡®magic¡¯ is used for ¡®corrupt qi¡¯, something which only us demons have access too.¡±


    ¡°Corrupt qi? So Xu¡¯s ring has been ¡®corrupted¡¯?¡± Mer Xia would mumble, pondering what to make of this new information we have received, ¡°but shouldn¡¯t you also have access to this, miss Yuiren, since you¡¯re a demon?¡±


    ¡°While I do have access to corrupt qi, mine comes in the form of blood cultivation, I cannot use magic, I am a cultivator, born in the land of Atris, trained by master Xu during one of his reincarnations, although he was known as ¡®Ryu Gehen¡¯ at the time.¡±


    ¡°I have decided, I shall join your sect Yuiren, I need to hone my physical body in order to be able to go back and meet Avrora.¡±


    ¡°But, master, the Long Zhou sect is primarily spear focused, you know that, but I see you¡¯ve got a broken sword and a demonic blade on your hands.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of demonic blade, Yuiren, I have received this as a gift from Yaozrui, could you take a look at it?¡±


    ¡°The Demon Dragon God? Why would he¡­ you know what? Never mind¡­ I shall look into the blade,¡± but as I would attempt to give the blade to Yuiren, for inspection, a demonic screech would be heard throughout the cave which would render Yuiren unconscious for an entire minute, it was being emanated by the blade on a frequency which only demons could hear.


    ¡°Xu, Yuiren, are you ok!? What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± Mer Xia would worriedly yell in shock, ¡°Come to your sense you two!¡±, she would be unable to hear the screech of the blade, but while the minute would be slowly passing, our ears, noses and eyes would begin to bleed, as if to warn us not to exchange the blade with one another.


    ¡°U- ugh, my head¡­ master, are you ok? You¡¯re bleeding¡­¡± Yuiren would say, not knowing that her bleeding was just as bad as my own.


    ¡°You should wipe the bleeding off of yourself as well,¡± I would suggest, while doing so as well, ¡°Yuiren, it seems this blade does not want me to let you examine it.¡±


    ¡°So it would seem¡­¡±


    ¡°Both of you ¡­ scared the hell out of me just now¡­ ¡± Mer Xia would remark while falling on buttocks, her knees hitting against each other in an inward motion.


    ¡°Master, it seems you¡¯ve undergone Demonization, that screech was not heard by Mer Xia, moreover, this is a tactic used by royals to avoid losing items of great interest to the Demon Realm. It seems the Demon Dragon God has given you quite the frightening gift¡­¡± she would explain, while absorbing the blood from her eyes, nose and ears back into her body, using her blood manipulation technique.


    ¡°So it would seem¡­ I thought it was just a rusty blade at first, but after what happened during our fight in the Demonic Grounds, it is clear to me that this is an item of great significance¡­ and here I thought he was merely jesting¡­ Thrust the world into a new era he said¡­ it might just be possible, if we could undo this curse.¡±


    With that said, I would ask Yuiren to take a look at Mer Xia, after explaining the Soul Transfer situation, a predicament which would sadden Yuiren profusely, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it is impossible, master, if not even lady Avrora could help with the matter, there is nothing I can do¡­¡±


    ¡°I- ¡­ darn it¡­¡± Merry¡¯s mood would take a sudden turn for the worse, ¡°I guess I should inquire about the Mythic Buddha Reincarnation Method and the Soul Transfer at the ¡±


    ¡°Yes, that would be for the best, for now. Miss Lei Zhao¡¯s masters might know of a solution to this matter,¡± Yuiren would further suggest that I start recovering in the sect¡¯s hidden spiritual room, to be able to participate in the upcoming disciple selection examination, which is a tournament where the sect elders select disciples to join the sect, as per my instructions when I have created the Long Zhou sect many reincarnations ago.


    ¡°Yes, that is a good idea, I do not want anyone recognizing me at this current time, especially now that my cultivation has been cut off¡­ I need to begin physical restoration and to re-train my body, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve used a spear.¡±


    With that said, I would raise my hand and attempt to open the ring¡¯s inner storage.


    ¡°YES! The inter-spatial storage still works, I can make use of this!¡±


    ¡°M- master?!¡±


    ¡°This ring of yours has an inter-spatial storage too?¡±


    Both Yuiren and Merry would be left in shock as the inter-spatial storage rings are known to be extremely scarce and valuable and thus, only the Impirial Palace has the resources and connections to be able to afford them.


    Upon inspecting the inner storage of the ring, I would come across many manuals, while the Divine Thunderstrike manual would currently be useless as it requires lightning qi for it¡¯s powerful techniques, a wide selection fist, palm and spear cultivation techniques would be available, unfortunately, they were all at the level of the Atris Realm and not on par with the Diving Thunderstrike manual¡¯s superior techniques, but with some luck I have found the breathing cultivation technique that would be the base for my spear martial arts during my stay at Long Zhou.