《Blood Cultivation: Killing the gods (Return Divinity)》


 Chapter 0

    Life in the city seemed idyllic. On a large hilltop on the outskirts of the city, a young man no older than twenty five lay down on the green grass looking downward at the streets. Bustling markets with shouting traders, children play by the canal. The sun shining above and all is good in the world.


    But this was all an illusion. An illusion created by ignoring what was actually happening.


    According to the legends in the sky lurked three Deities. The twin suns Ognian and Amar are the main deities. Their light gives warmth those under it and allows for growth. The warm golden haze once shone down beautifully from the clear blue sky.


    However, where there is light, there is inevitably darkness. The twin Sun''s light allowed a dark shadow to pass. A dark deity came into form. This new deity conquered all and eventually blocked even the light of the twin suns to pass through it''s miasma.


    The young man dispelled the the panel of light in front of him and looked upon reality. Dark and grimy. The grass he once lay upon, now darkened and corrupted mud. The city once beautiful now nothing but ruins. A shadow of it''s former glory. The Miasma covered the land centuries ago. It corrupted the pure desires and happiness of life, slowly morphing humans into monsters.


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    Instead of children playing there are only abominations. Gross ''things'' not worthy of being human anymore, devoid of the warmth of sunlight. The sun was blocked by the miasma that encompassed the entire accessible land. One day however, the light may be brought back and this young man might once again bathe in sunlight.


    According the the stories and myth only with the power of both suns can the dark be held back but ever since this age of darkness began sunlight has not pierced through the thick miasma.


    Throughout these dark lands are vestiges of the age of light. This boy does not know it yet but he may just reckon a new age of light and bring his people to freedom.


    "The darkness is growing everyday, if I procrastinate bringing back the sun hope may be lost..."


    Only by creating a gateway which brings in sunlight can he bypass the dark shroud covering the physical realm and peer into the past, what once was.


    He sighs exhausted


    "This world really is unfair, I''ll be back soon.... Goodbye"


    He turns his back to the city and turns to the wilderness. Where in the olden days there were forests of green trees and wildlife now only pure and concentrated malice fill the wilds.


    All sorts of animals have been morphed into monsters. Humans morph into what is known as disciples. Even plant life was not immune to mutation. They have become beings called parasites who can give anyone a magical ability at the cost of reason.


    ...

 Chapter 1

    Luckily he does not need to venture into the wilderness, just like how he could creat a gateway to peer into the past, he can also create a gateway anyplace else.


    As he was exhausted from looking into the historical gateway, he decided to go back home. Back to the sanctuary, Sacrarium, a place he created himself in times of danger.


    More than a decade ago, the young man ''awoke''. With no memories as a child. At the time he didn''t realise his powers and was merely a lost child in a dangerous world rotting at its core.


    Luckily there was someone still alive when he awoke. When I was almost attacked after I awoke, he saved me. His left arm was extremely toned and monstrous, this was his own power like the young man''s gateway. Due to this he was called Arm.


    There was a vine attached to the monstrous arm running up towards his neck, which seemed to radiated a golden glow.


    The child was attacked by a monster which was originally a small dog but had been corrupted into a large and grotesque monster. One that stalks it''s prey until it sees an opportunity and lunges, growing five times the size. With a momentary burst of power its bite strength can overpower any normal human.


    Just as it gaped its mouth open to consume the child, it stopped mid air frozen in place. Losing its opportunity it shrunk again and tried to run from whatever has stopped it. However Arm had grabbed it with his extreme power in his left hand stopping it''s attack mid-way.


    Once it shrunk again, Arm took the opportunity to use his strength to crush the beast''s head form sheer strength.


    That was how the child and Arm first found eachother, and to cut a long story short he took care of the child until it became the man he was today.


    Once he discovered his power he was able to protect others and form a colony, Sacrarium. This was his life''s achievement, he was able to craft a semblance of civilisation within chaos.


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    It wasn''t large but almost everyone had something special like Arm and could defend from beast until they could be moved using his power. Sacrarium didn''t have a permanent position, it moved every time a group of disciples too big to defend attacked.


    Back to the young man as he formed an instant connection to his destination, as soon as the connection was made, a bustling street of vendors and shoppers flooded his eyes and ears.


    Taking a step in and he prepared for the greetings,


    "Saviour is back!"


    "You''ve returned! Arm was looking for you"


    ¡­ The full street seemed to stop what they were doing to greet the leader.


    Since he gathered everyone, saving them in the process, he got a nickname, Saviour. He really didn''t like the name but it stick no matter how objections.


    People normally got a nickname based on their ''power'', he at least counted himself lucky he wasn''t called "Mr Door"


    Immediately after hearing Arm was looking for him, he once again took a step and simultaneously created a gate to the strategy room. Hearing his arrival Arm came bursting into the room.


    "where were you?! You''re a leader now, you cant just leave without announcement" Arm betrayed.


    "Just let me know why you wanted me first" Saviour cut to the chase, he didn''t want to have come back for nothing.


    "we found a new Symbiote¡­"


    "is it one we know of?"


    "no, this is a completely knew species" Arm reiterated.


    Powers and abilities are based on symbiotes. Essentially the same as parasites, plants filled with divinity. However, unlike parasites hosts retain most of their sanity. There are two main things that change what abilities are gained from symbiotes, location and species. Vine type plants, like Arm''s, give an enhancement such as super strength. But this is only in the location the symbiote latches onto and therefore can effect. Just a mere thought will trigger sunlight to be released and the ability to be activated.


    This is why Arm needed to inform Saviour of a new symbiote, it can give someone an ability. However, because it''s power is unknown that need to decide who to give it to and where.


    But there''s a problem, symbiotes contain large amounts of sunlight, divinity which is beneficial. This can attract the miasma divinity like that in monsters. A human host is needed to bond in order to suppress the divinity quickly.


    "lets go through the candidates, announce to all eligible that a new power has been located"


    "yes sir"


    ...

 Chapter 2

    All the candidates who were eligible and wished for an ability were sent to the strategy room. Saviour is a simple person so to save time he simply called them [One], [Two], [Three], and [Four].


    Immediately he opened a gateway to the closest location to the found symbiote he could. Immediately the surroundings became dark and the air stuffy. This is the real difference between Sacrarium and any other safe haven, due to Saviour''s gateways he can use sunlight to clear the miasma in the air.


    The symbiote resembled a blade of grass but much larger. By intuition, Saviour guessed that it was an attack type symbiote purely since it resembles a blade of sorts.


    Theres another factor which can determine power some call it talent, some say compatibility. Some people are more attuned to hold and use divine powers through symbiosis.


    The reason Saviour brought everyone here is to test compatibility, all four were eligible so instead of choosing randomly, he decided to give to whoever could bring out the most power.


    There''s a simple way of testing compatibility Sacrarium deduced, a small amount of blood from each candidate is put near the symbiote and whoever''s blood is absorbed first has the most compatibility and will then be bonded spiritually by blood, only by physical symbiosis can the abilities be manifested.


    As each candidates blood is poured in four corners around the plant, sunlight starts to glow from the spine of the blade. The blood of the chosen candidate starts to simmer, then boil. It bubbled up and released a flash of light which cleared the miasma temporarily.


    In an instant the symbiote launched out of the ground and pierces [Three]''s throat. His blood starts to fish out of his throat like a fountain until it stopped in mid air. The droplets of blood flowed back as if in reverse while the hole created by the symbiote testing flesh was covered by a crystal green like material.


    "We''ve never had a Symbiote attack to the throat? [Three], try to focus your attention on your throat" Saviour commented.


    "mmh¡­ I''ll try" As he said this a sunlight infused sound wave blasted out of [Three]''s mouth


    To dodge it, he created a gateway under myself to teleport behind [Three].


    "woah. We''ve never had a sound based Symbiote"


    Saviour really was surprised, the soundwave visibly pushed the miasma in front of it, although temporarily.


    "I''ll assign you to stay to base, using the sound waves you can do an area-of-effect defence for Sacrarium"


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    "...bu" [Three] started to protest


    "ALL OF YOU! The Symbiote has chosen go back and prepare for the upcoming beast raid. Saviour, open up a gate to the city walls." Arm interrupted


    [Three] before he could get his objection out.


    Saviour then raised his hand up, while also thinking of the city walls. Then from somewhere deep within sunlight rises up. With that divinity and his thoughts, a gateway appears. Gateways don''t have a definite look or border. Its as if the two spaces encompass the same area and they merge and shift formlessly.


    After everyone but Saviour and Arm steps through, the gateway closes. He had a feeling Arm interrupted everyone suddenly to get Saviour to listen to him somewhere private, here in the wilderness.


    "This is becoming a problem, just in the last few months two different new Symbiotes have appeared, 5 previously seen Symbiotes and even a Blessed one"


    "yes, I too fear that what we''ve theorised was true. Because I use gateways in Sacrarium to bypass the Miasma, more Sunlight can pass through. I cant keep this Sunlight in Sacrarium though and its been creating more Symbiotes and more Blessed."


    Blessed beings are people who have been chosen by sunlight directly. Like Saviour they have perfect control over the ability given, without it being restricted and passed through a symbiote.


    "Yes it creates more people able to fight against monsters but at the same time it can attract more and more monsters¡­ There has even been recent reports of disciples spotted in some hunting spots." Arm shuddered when he said disciples.


    "Now that is a problem, disciples are very strong, Even with my gates it takes time to transport everyone, in that time only a few disciples could massacre the weak"


    "This was completely fine when we had a few dozen people but Sacrarium has grown to almost everyone left in the habitable lands, there are hundreds nearing a thousand. With this amount we cant defend against disciples with only you and Cubit"


    "We are fine. With Cubit''s ability to increase distance between two targets, we can gain enough time to evacuate everyone"


    "but what if one of those disciples can bypass Cubit''s ability? What if" Arm argued with a bravado only he could have against the leader.


    "STOP. This is my decision, I''m NOT going to leave people in the miasma, hell that might hurt us. If we abandon others they could turn to disciples against us"


    "okay okay. I''ll back down, this is why I simultaneously love and hate your leadership. You wont abandon your people, but sometimes losing things is necessary"


    Saviour shook off any doubts and created a gate to Arm''s encampment and gesturing for him to step through. He said all that but if that sighting was right, he knew he couldn''t defend against another disciple.


    The last disciple he fought against was when Sacrarium had just over a hundred people.He was overrun and ask he could do was run around opening gates for everyone.


    Even then they had to sacrifice lots, even saviour was not left unharmed. He was still left with a scar from when a parasite had punctured his chest.


    Without my abundant sunlight from being blessed the parasite would''ve taken over. He pulled down the neck of his shirt to look down at the large wooden-like growth on his chest, hidden within a parasite. Hibernating right now since it was flooded it with sunlight but if it awakens when his sunlight was low from using his ability it could take over.


    However, Saviour had a plan to deal with this parasite that has been looming over his shoulder all these years. He had been experimenting with miasma and found that some divinity and miasma have similar abilities. Perhaps if he could open up a gateway that let in the same type of sunlight as the miasma in the parasite he could replace the miasma and convert it into a symbiote.

 Chapter 3

    But that was something Saviour could only afford to experiment with once he deals with this beast tide. Every few years of Sacrarium working a large beast tide would be attracted. This was because Saviour wanted the best environment for his people and created a gateway he permanently sustained above Sacrarium. This sent sunlight down and chased miasma away. However miasma and sunlight have both a repelling and attracting force.


    A large amount of sunlight will push and consume miasma and vice versa. Therefore with the gateway which let sunlight pass through miasma shroud the relatively lower concentration in the general air will be consumed.


    However when miasma gains a host it creates a will and desire to attack all sunlight and refine it into miasma. Miasma can refine sunlight due to the will it contained, sunlight on the other hand has a suppressed will and cannot control hosts and refine the divinity.


    The beast tide was soon approaching when Saviour created a gateway to base and gathered the other blessed. Saviour had a plan to defeat the beast tide which is why he didn''t move Sacrarium this time. Since the last beast tide, they gained another blessed.


    Blessed have the strength to completely change the tides of a battle. By combining their powers, Saviour estimated he would be able to at least delay the beast tide enough to escape safely.


    "Cubit are you ready, you remember the plan?" Saviour asked just to confirm.


    "I use my distance ability to shorten the length between here and as far as I can? Then you use a gateway to teleport the beasts..?"


    "You got it, on my count we only have a split second of you stretch your ability to it''s max"


    Abilities are not omnipotent, they have limitations. While Saviour can create gateways anywhere the further the distance, the more divinity used. The reason for him to be able to create gateway to sunlight is that in actuality sunlight is everywhere but in a separate realm so the distance is miniscule. For Cubit he has a similar restriction, the further he compresses and lengthens distance the more divinity is used.


    Saviour decided to combine their abilities to strengthen their effect. His plan was simple, used Cubit''s ability to shorten length temporarily to someplace far and use a gateway under the beasts to transport them away. This plan however was extremely risky as both blessed needed to use their utmost power. Saviour needed to create a large gateway to cover the whole beast tide and Cubit needed to compress an incredible amount of difference, just for a split moment though.


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    Rumble


    Instantly large bells were rung by the guards,


    Gong gong gong


    This signalled the beast tide has been spotted and for all residents to be prepared to fight or escape if the plan goes awry.


    "Hold...." Saviour held up his fist and took a deep breath calming his mind.


    State of mind was needed to activate abilities but it was especially important for Saviour for if he was caught off guard the parasite on his chest may attack.


    The beast tide was not large in numbers, at most a hundred wolves, foxes and smaller critters. However the real trouble came that these monsters all had abilities given by maisma. Even now there were 50 feet tall wolves and foxes with flames on their tails. The real problem with beast tides was the variable of unknown, noone even Saviour knew what powers might be contained in the monsters.


    Cubit was sweating, his fists were shaking. He had never seen a beast tide before he became a blessed. He couldn''t control his breath, the only thing pushing him to continue is his trust in Saviour.


    Below the tower where the blessed were watching the beast tide come closer, were ordinary guards. All guards in Sacrarium had abilities but these guards were like Arm, a simple enhancement abilities on a limb or two. They were stronger than the average person, against a single monster they could usually hold out a win.


    But these... These weren''t just monsters they were much more powerful, on the level of disciples but without human intelligence. That weren''t to say there were stupid, they were smarter than ordinary animals as they had the will in miasma to increase their thinking ability. The scary thing about these strong monsters was the amount of miasma they had, they could think just below humans.


    Even if they killed them here they would release their massive reserves of miasma and eat away at the bubble of sunlight around Sacrarium.


    rumble


    The rumbling became louder, now any ordinary person could feel the ground shaking. These weren''t monsters, this was a natural disaster. Only those blessed by Sunlight could save them now...


    "Almost there....GO!!!!!!" Saviour commanded Cubit to activate his ability.


    Instantly, Cubit accessed his will and his thoughts starting flying. He channeled sunlight to shorten the distance between here and the furthest mountain be could see.


    Like that the tip of the mountain seemed to be in the sky in front of the blessed. Their powers were unfathomable to symbiote hosts. They could morph space.


    At that same time Saviour created a gate, splitting his attention between the monsters and the mountain peak that was in front of him.


    As soon as Saviour activated his sunlight the gateway over Sacrarium seemed to shake. He was always maintaing the sky above Sacrarium but now he had to split his attention more so.


    He had activated his ability. The monsters seemed to have disappeared but in actuality there were in a superposition between the ground and mountain peak. Saviour created a three dimensional gateway in the beasts.


    All of a sudden Cubit could hold on no longer, he let out a breath and looked down. The beasts were defeated.


    The plan had worked!


    Saviour and Cubit combined their abilities and created a miracle like that of the gods.


    They instantly collapsed exhausted. But that was when the parasite in Saviour''s chest had awoken...

 Chapter 4

    Darkness


    Drip drip drip


    When Saviour opened his eyes he was instantly met with the darkness. Not only darkness, he was cold and wet. Just as he started to process where he was he felt it.


    A sharp burning sensation in his chest erupted, a sizzling sound could actually be audible. In the darkness, as Saviour looked up a dark purple miasma was wrapping around his body.


    "Aaaghhhhhhhhh" from Saviour''s position a haunting scream could be heard, if anyone else was around that is. What Saviour was in was some sort of cave, clearly abandoned by all animals life much less humans.


    The miasma from the parasite trapped in Saviour''s body had encrypted in his moment of weakness. When Saviour had just saved Sacrarium, he was relieved and for a moment his mind was exhausted. In this moment the parasite happened to wake up and activate it''s ability.


    In an instant Saviour''s body was nowhere to be seen. From Cubit''s point of view it''s as if he disappeared. It just so happened that the parasite that attached itself to Saviour also had some sort of movement ability.


    Once Saviour felt the agonising burning sensation on his body his mind jolted to consciousness. The miasma was attacking him and was trying to refine his sunlight. The miasma was full of will left by the dark god who spread it, his will was still contained within.


    Saviour did the only thing he could and tried to push his sunlight against the miasma. But Saviour did not know how to activate his will and pour it into sunlight to refine it. He was only blessed with it''s abilities not full control of the sunlight itself.


    The miasma grew, Saviour''s pathetic attempt at stopping it had only let it grow. With no other choice Saviour tried to teleport back to Sacrarium and hope someone could help him escape this pain, even if that means killing him.


    He pulled the sunlight from attacking to open a gate...


    Nothing happened. Not a thing, it was as if he was sitting still, no ability was activated. He had done as always, activating his thoughts to use his ability. But now that was useless and all Saviour could do was endure the pain.


    160 years later


    Saviour knelt in the hard rock surface below him, he sat there knowing there was nothing he could do. He didn''t know how long has passed but he knew it was all over, all his people would be long dead without him, at best they would split into smaller factions. All this time the sunlight and miasma tangled but without any knowledge Saviour could only let the miasma grow and grow. Each time it absorbed some sunlight it''s roots grew further in, Saviour could feel a burden in his mind.


    The miasma will attacked unrelenting, causing a pain that is beyond physical it was straight at someone''s mind and soul.


    Saviour had been busy as this time, he had staggered through this place. A dark and wet cave, untainted by outside miasma, it seemed different. It wasn''t like Sacrarium which he covered in a layer of sunlight. It was... pure.


    He looked through the whole cave but there was an endless number of dead ends. He should have died from hunger or thirst but he seemed to cling on somehow. Like some unknown entity was holding his body together.


    That wasn''t to say he was healthy though, his body was malnutritioned and his skin covered in scrapes and cuts.


    Once again, he started to explore the next tunnel when once again he felt a significant portion of sunlight had been refined. In an instant, he had thoughts that were not his own to give up. But Saviour persevered no matter and continued to take a step forward.


    That was when Saviour''s persistence had payed off. As he rounded the corner of the cave wall he saw something.


    Glowing and serene. It was a vast underground lake with shimmering water. But what was interesting wasn''t the lake but what perched above it. An upside down palace. Seemingly crystalline, it was dark crimson and gave off an iron smell.


    When Saviour had just comprehended what was there he froze.


    A formless blast of energy released from within the palace. Saviour''s thoughts were stopped, not only that the miasma and sunlight had frozen mid fight.


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    A crimson light bubbled up from Saviour''s body and in an instant the miasma and sunlight had burst like blisters.


    In their remains were two dark blood orbs floated in front of Saviour.


    Originally Saviour mas a small almost skeleton-like man but as the crimson energy pervaded him he grew taller. The blood and sinew formed from nothingness and created a new body from the miniscule amount left. Saviour''s white hair turned crimson almost like strands of blood.


    "Come inheritor. Come and take in my guidance, I may be old and dead but I can teach you the immensity of Heaven and Earth" a voice boomed from the two blood orbs in front of Saviour.


    In a stupor, Saviour couldn''t reply. He was stupefied and couldn''t comprehend what just happened. He had seen powers before but this wasn''t done special small power. This was a true god, only a god could create a new body and destroy the two divinities fighting within him.


    All of this went straight over his head. He was a blessed who created Sacrarium, he was a person who wants to save everyone, he ensured decades of torture and all of a sudden all of his problems and insignificant.


    "You must be in shock, I''ll explain in due time. First let''s get you some clothes and I''ll explain some things to you..." the blood orbs once again shook.


    A set of black ribbed flew out of the oasis as it collapsed, creating large splashes in the lake below. The robe noticed to fit Saviour''s body, just as good body noticed to fit it. They became one, he was not wearing clothes as much as the clothes were wearing him.


    Some time passed as Saviour awoke from his stupor and explained his situation to the blood orbs which now flew into his forehead.


    "Well I suppose I''ll explain who I am, who you are and where you are" the blood orbs didn''t speak this time but transmitted information into his brain.


    Saviour took a few days until he understood it all. These orbs are the remains of the blood ancestor Yue. He was what was known as a ''cultivator'', but Saviour knew these people as gods. The mythology he had in his head was entirely wrong, these weren''t gods but mere people. The twin suns weren''t two sun gods, they were a cultivator duo who lived in seclusion on this unnamed island until their death.


    Cultivators had an inner world, a separate dimension they form in their body. This is what Saviour referred to as the divine kingdom. When he used gates to open up the divine kingdom he was simply opposing up the inner world that this duo left.


    Cultivators use laws or dominions in their inner world to create change, by moving their inner world out if their body they can overlap it with reality. In turn they can manipulate the reality in that region.


    That was the reason why he couldn''t use his ability gained by the sunlight cultivators, he had left their inner world and entered Blood Ancestor''s. However, he got in their through the parasite miasma''s power since the miasma cultivator had encompassed the whole island while coveting the dead sunlight inner world.


    Saviour had lived in this island his whole life, the whole island was covered, in another dimension, with the inner world. He was in a constant battle between a dead sunlight inner world and a thriving miasma world.


    Divinity wasn''t that, but a substance in the air that was almost imperceptible called qi. The two divinities were two qi refining methods and two refiners.


    But all of this was useless as he didn''t know what he wanted to do anymore. He had hoped the sun gods would save his people but now so long has passed, and the gods weren''t real and we''re even dead. Surely if the sunlight cultivator duo was alive he would''ve been a puppet like those chosen by miasma. He was all alone and he was lost.


    "Now that you know a little, from now on you shall be my discipline and learn from my blood refining methods. You shall become a cultivator of your own, I will teach you all the methods you need as you need them. Can you imagine your growth of decreasing the ''evil miasma god" and refining the inner world of the sunlight. All shall be blood! But you can''t keep this old name "saviour", it doesn''t suit you, from now on you will be known by the world as...

 Chapter 5

    "...Hou Zhigong, yes that will be your new name. Now we will use your family name Hou and spread this new fame; you will become a cultivator like the gods you once revered"


    "Master, but my name means to achieve one''s dreams... Everything I had is gone. I have no dream, what should I do from now on, my purpose is gone"


    "Silly disciples, what do you mean your purpose is gone. We''re you not wanting to save your companions, there''s still a way. Since this whole island is covered in someone''s inner world your companions souls might be still around whether free or reincarnated" Ancestor Yue informed Hou of this critical info, reigniting his passion.


    "Really! This means all my perseverance weren''t for nothing, I can save everyone?!" Hou was reinvigorated and his eyes seemed to regain a light. The fire of passion was lit once more.


    "Those souls can wait, you first need to learn some techniques and become a strong person, first sit down"


    Following his teacher''s instructions Hou sat down cross-legged in front of the lake of glowing water.


    "Now what?"


    "Don''t be impatient, breath and pay attention to what I''m going to do" as soon as Yue stopped talking, Hou felt something in the air. He felt a chill all across his body.


    This was qi being absorbed into Hou''s reconstructed body. Ancestor Yue was controlling his inner world they were in and putting some of the refined QI into his body.


    "Now child, follow my instructions carefully. What I''ve just done is absorbed a small amount of my inner world qi into your body. Now I want you to refine it. My method is unique in that it uses blood to cover your will. In ordinary techniques you project your will onto the qi slowly training it to follow you. My way however uses will infused blood to refine qi faster than other methods"


    Hou took this all in and said "okay I understand how do I infused my will into blood then?"


    "First you will need to form a willful connection between your blood and mind. Pour all your will into your blood stream. But first learn to extend your will outward through the natural qi in the air"


    "Master, this disciple is shameful. I don''t understand it still how do I activate my will and what does natural qi have to do with it?"


    "Will is your very essence, it is why you move and it is what differentiates you from a piece of flesh. QI is everywhere, it is in the air. Around you qi naturally forms a channel which will can be transformed from thought to action. Observe yourself and think, everytime you do a small amount will is formed around you, now try to sense your will and extend how much it goes out. Pour that will into your blood" Yue carefully explained.


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    Hou still didn''t fully understand, it was not that he was dumb, but he was trying to shift his whole paradigm to this new way of thinking. Previously he used abilities by thinking but now he needed to elevate thought to will.


    He did as his master said and sat in silence. He thought of doing an action and he could sense nothing. But he didn''t stop, he kept on meditating until he felt something.


    His eye''s jolted open as he felt it, almost like magic he seemed to have expanded his senses out. He could feel the air around him in a small range around his body. It wasn''t entirely accurate to say that, he more felt he had become the air.


    "Good junior, very good! This was not an easy technique will extension is something even cultivators struggle with, you truly are talented!"


    Hou felt proud, he didn''t think he was talented but he was happy never the less for being complimented.


    "Now Hou, focus that extension of your will entirely inside you into your flowing blood, if it helps create a cut and go backwards from the cut to the bloodstream"


    Hou decided he would take any method to help and he bit his hand until it bled. A stinging sensation attacked him but he held steady.


    Next he once again extended his will. It was in a bubble around him but then he focused his attention only on the cut, becoming the cut. Then he went further and ''became'' the blood. He felt his blood being pumped through his body by the heart.


    "Now hold onto that feeling, do you sense an attraction in your body"


    "Yes I feel a sense of attraction just under my navel region" Hou said exactly what he was feeling.


    "Move your will through the blood and extend it all around the point of attraction" Yue explained in simple terms exactly what Hou was to do.


    Hou moved his will through his blood then expanded it around the vortex of attraction. He could feel his will wanting to fall into it.


    "Now is the main technique, blood sacrifice qi refinement. Move your blood, don''t let your will be moved by the blood but exert your fierce onto it. Don''t let the physical laws trap you, pull the blood into the qi, that is the attraction you feel. This technique pulls your blood into the realm qi inhibits turning it into your will. Instead of qi carrying will, you will carry the qi in your will. This is a technique that is impossible to explain so I will activate it myself, engrave this feeling into your body"


    With that, Hou felt his will carry his blood and disappear, but using his connection to his will he ''saw'' where it was. He could feel formless energy be attacked by his own blood until it was trapped in a formation.


    Now inside Hou''s body he could forever feel this small blob of qi in his body but at the same time in another dimension.


    "You see the brilliance of my technique,this qi is refined. Normal techniques were slow and we''re not forceful. My method will almost instant refine qi into your own and make it almost impossible to counter refine site to the blood involved. By technicality you have not ''refined'' the qi but taken in other types of qi and control them."


    Hou didn''t know the norm but he knew his teacher was an incredible cultivator.


    "To soon to be amazed Hou, now I will teach you to once again use those mystical abilities you once harnessed through the inner worlds of the cultivators ''gods''"

 Chapter 6

    "let''s talk on these parasites and symbiotes first. Essentially Hou, these are similar to what I am right now. As you can guess, I''m not quite alive still, nor am I dead."


    Hou nodded, from the start he suspected Ancestor was something akin to a spirit since he did not have any body that he could see, unless the blood orbs count that is.


    "What I am is a collection of will, infused in blood. This is because of my blood technique but take the sun cultivators for example; they tamed natural qi and their will was channeled through the qi. When they died they must''ve used some technique they created to form their will into a formation that seeks a host. I suspect their plan is to use the hosts body as a way to create new will and somehow regenerate themselves back from the dead, likely however this would slowly cause their souls to weaken; not to mention attracting that other cultivator."


    Suddenly, Hou felt dizzy. The gods he once revered and wanted to bring back was actually planning to sacrifice the souls of others to revive themselves. He almost couldn''t stay conscious at this revelation but the Ancestor continued,


    "You also had a symbiote and a parasite. This would''ve put a huge burden on your soul so for now I won''t let you become a full-fledged cultivator with your own inner world. But I can show you how to ''hijack'' the parasites and use their powers as your own"


    Hou was dumbstruck this was practically cheating, he could use the other cultivators powers as his own, stand on the shoulders of giants to reach a new peak.


    ''this is too good, perhaps I could even lend these powers to others, without weakening their soul since I am alive and have will in abundance'' Hou thought to himself


    "Fu Fu, Hou you are indeed a smart one. Indeed you will be able to create subordinates of your own who can use your own symbiotes."


    Hou nodded until he realised he never said what he was thinking "HUH, how did you know I was thinking that?!"


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    Hou could then feel a chuckling from within him, of course it was Ancestor Yue.


    "Since I''m dead and you are my inheritor, my disciple, you could say that I''ve become a parasite. Using a final technique I created, I fused our two souls partially, but since I am a foreign soul and retain my independence though, you are not yet healed"


    Hou was enlightened this was why he could still talk to Yue, but that also meant that Yue could hear all of his inner thoughts. That was too embarrassing for him!


    "Don''t read my mind too much, I still want my independence master!" Hou almost shouted but then at the last moment directed it inwards transmitting his thoughts directly.


    "Okay my disciple, I will only read your thoughts when it is needed, I swear by my name" Yue paused and Hou could feel their feelings, he knew they would follow it.


    "You will first leave this place and then we can study those symbiotes. They are an interesting creation, even I wouldn''t be able to make them without studying them for a while. They seem to have split their bestowments into types will and qi..." Yue starting rambling to themselves


    As Hou listened he started nodding because this is what he had deduced before being transported here. He knew that different divinities had different powers and how they were channeled in a parasite/symbiote was important. What he didn''t realise was that ''divinity'' was both qi and will. The qi contained a will which gave the qi different abilities. At least that was what Hou gained from listening to Yue''s random thoughts while walking.


    Hou kept on walking through the cave for days. At some point Yue became silent and the two moved in complete quiet.


    After walking for a week straight Hou saw the miasma he had almost missed for decades. He knew this was the start of a new journey. He was no longer a small piece on a boardgame but now a player albeit a weak one, but not for long.


    As Hou used his reconstructed body to climb to the crest of a mountain he really saw just how much he changed. He used to be skinny and short but now he had a toned and tall build even the strongest in Sacrarium would have been jealous of. He also felt that the robe which had flew out from the blood palace was not normal either. He could not feel warmth or cold, only pure neutrality. He also did not feel the suffocation of miasma, he seemed to be protected fully.


    As he reached the summit he looked upon the board he would rise to greatness from. With his new eyes he could see through miasma as if we''re nothing, easily seeing miles away without obstruction. The land was worse than before, he could see less and less human settlement remains. But he didn''t lose hope, if humans were good at anything it was surviving no matter what.


    Even with the large monsters and hidden dangers, humans wouldn''t die so easily. Hou knew of he looked. He will be able to find the souls of his previous companions.


    Just as Hou was going to go back down, he sensed something behind him. A tingling came from his spine, a precognition of danger. He rolled on the ground as a flower had sprung onto him, covered with dark miasma.


    "Hou this is your first mission, take in this parasite and fight it with your controlled qi. Just like initially take it over using your blood."


    Hou felt his heart beating, this was his first fight with this new body and without any special ability. A smile raised and Hou could feel excitement bubbling up from within him. He wanted to fight and he could feel this was his new goal. Fighting. Growing. This was what he wanted to do...

 Chapter 7

    Swoosh


    The flower once again launched to Hou, but this time he stood still. In his mind he steeled his mind to let a parasite attack him, this was so opposite to what he used to think he had to actively stop himself from dodging.


    The flower planted itself into Hou''s hand he put forward. Given the chance, the parasite stabbed itself through his skin and attached itself into his body. Now on Hou''s palm were bright pink petals, facing outward.


    Inside Hou''s mind he could feel his will being attacked by the parasite, but he was no longer scared. He mobilised his will and formed a barrier around the attacking qi from the parasite.


    The attacker''s qi was dark and foggy, but once Hou activated his formation, it condensed into a small black orb, no bigger than a fingernail. He had done it, it was so simple, or rather Yue''s technique was so powerful even a novice like Hou could use it to control a will.


    Yue''s voice then rung in Hou''s mind,


    "Good, very good. You are now cultivating my blood path properly. I will show you now how to use this parasite yourself, come sit down. I''ll take a few hours to analyse this technique and figure out how it works...."


    36 hours later


    As Hou was sitting cross-legged, he manipulated the qi in his body, both that Yue gave to him and the one he controlled himself. They felt like a part of his body, through the blood connection his will dominated the other will, and therefore the qi.


    "Aha! Genius, these new cultivator''s have created something quite ingenious indeed, the will you have captured is basically a key and power source. Inside the parasites body, there is the spirit will. I won''t go into that just yet but spirit will is the portion of will that has abilities. When the activating will comes into contact with the spirit will it consume the qi around it and activat the ability!"


    Hou was enlightened but still asked what as spirit will is,


    "I will explain in due time, once you become a real cultivator you will find out. Back to this parasite, these circumstances are perfect. Since there is abundant qi in the form of miasma all around you, you should be able to replenish the qi and use these abilities nigh infinitely! This cultivator''s hubris of controlling the whole region will become our rise and his downfall"


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    Hou didn''t need to listen to Yue and knew what he needed to do. He controlled the activating will and used to ability!


    Ting


    In a flash that even Hou was barely able to see, the six pink petals on his hand flew in a helix into a stone nearby. Hou started to smile, he could protect himself and others again, this was the power he needed to fight.


    After Hou waited five breaths he could feel the limited miasma qi he controlled be used, and the six petals regrew one after the other clockwise.


    Hou then decided he was ready to explore further and find others, he could defend himself with his robe and attack with his petal attack. But before he did so he released his blood and formed a formation in the air, trapping and controlling more miasma qi, then the black bead of condensed qi flew into his body, seeming to phase through not stopped by his physical skin. This was because qi was not physical and Hou removed will from around his body that let the qi go into him.


    ***


    Hou moved down the mountain he had peaked and found more small and weak parasite, continuing to use his blood to control them. By the time he had reached the bottom, he had 4 more parasites. On both of his legs he had vines that his body accomadated and turned into his veins. This was the power of Ancestor Yue''s masterful body reconstruction. These parasites could increase his speed, power and endurance in his legs. Next on his left ring ringer extending upwards to the back of his hand he had bright red moss. Once activated it it could release a blood fog. Inside the fog vision was impaired and outside wills were slightly repelled, weak creatures inside would have trouble moving. The final new parasite was a spiky cactus which turned a wrist guard which when activated shot out a storm of small needles.


    "Just this day. I''ve already become a elite warrior, Ancestor I can''t thank you enough for letting me become so strong" Hou put his fist and palm together like Yue transmitted to him and bowed. This was how cultivators greeted and thanked eachother.


    Hou  seat down and started forming an empty incomplete blood formation in his body. Once it was almost done he released it into the air and completed it, again forming beads of qi. He had a limited amount of qi that could be instantly used, he needed more so all of his abilities could be fueled. The speed was also increased since he was also naturally gaining miasma qi from the wills inside of him drawing more in.


    "Disciple you are truly more than I ever could have hoped! You were clueless about cultivation yet now you are advancing so quick, even though your not yet a cultivator you can utilise the inner world of the two cultivators as your own! I dare say you may even surpass me in talent... Before I died I was known as the most talented upstart in the country I was from, it is appropriate that you, my disciple, will continue to show the world my power!"


    Hou felt proud as he had had never had such a master who played him so openly. The closest he had was his quasi-father Arm, but he was too prideful to directly say anything.


    Behind Hou a death shadow formed slowly, starting out small bit quickly growing taller than the trees it good in, just as it lunged Hou felt it and activated his leg parasites to dodge it.


    He turned around and saw...

 Chapter 8

    A large silver wolf has attacked him from behind. Hou however felt confident after gaining his abilities. He wanted to test them out and defeat the enemy in front of him.


    First he spread his blood fog by activating the red moss on his left hand; across the patch of forest they were in a crimson blanket covered the two fighters.


    Hou had a reconstructed body and so could see perfectly but also the wolf he was fighting was an apex predator given mystical abilities, It took could see through it. Although it did not impair the wolf''s vision, it did become noticeably slower.


    The wolf once again started charging out Hou but he activated his leg parasites and jumped to the side, but he had underestimated the wolf''s intelligence. It had baited him and also preemptively jumped to the side. Luckily the wolf chose the wrong side and Hou was safe, but now he was much more weary of close combat.


    Hou activated the cactus parasite on his left wrist and the flower on his right palm simultaneously. As the wolf repositioned itself it was assaulted with a vortex of small missiles.


    The wolf was a mystically enhanced being, and naturally had a very strong coat of fur. The cactus needles bounced of the fur and made no difference than that of an annoyance.


    The flower petals on the other hand caused light scratches to appear, if he used it on the same spot he could draw blood.


    Hou was feeling weak once more, he had all these abilities but they were too weak, but he continued to fight hoping an opportunity would arise.


    Just as the vortex and projectiles stopped, the wolf started to quickly circle Hou, creating a trail of dust behind it. Hou was on edge as he had to follow the wolf''s movements lest he was stabbed in the back.


    The wolf tried to get a hit in but Hou used a powered jump and shot another set of petals to the wolf''s face. He decided to stop using the cactus as it was useless with this enemy, instead focusing his miasma qi usage with dodging and attacking with flower petals.


    Instead of waiting, the wolf went in instantly for another attack. Hou was caught of guard but still reacted quick, he tried to activate the leg parasites but had no response.


    With no other option, and an open beast''s jaw in front of him, his hoped his strong body could block at least one attack as he went to punch the wolf away. Just then, the legs activated and the movement caused his already strong punch to become extremely strong, the wolf was knocked back.


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    ''eh, what happened? Wasn''t the leg parasites only capable of enhancing my leg strength?'' Hou was confused at his sudden burst of power.


    It was then Ancestor Yue''s voice responded, "disciple you are not aware of fighting... Where does the power of a punch come from?"


    "Well, it comes from.. the arms..? Does it..not?" Hou responded with confusion he was never a hands on fighter.


    "Sigh wrong! Everything is connected, the strength of a punch comes from the whole body. When you happened to activate the legs while punching, the power generated moved up the body causing a tsunami of power to rise up and out to your punch. This was an effect of using a parasite it had a cooldown for each ability. Now that you are aware, try using that to fight and we''ll go through it afterwards.


    Even though the two of them had a whole conversation, it had only been two breaths, since they are connected from the soul, they can instantly transmit their thoughts.


    The wolf shook it head and growled, the blood fog trembled and dissipated. Without a consistent supply of miasma qi from Hou it had started to weaken and finally broke.


    Once again the wolf charged forth to Hou. Hou looked forward not with fear or apprehension but excitement, he focused his attention forward and waited.


    He felt a change in the veins in his legs, his parasite had become able to be activated again. Hou breathed and counted his breaths.


    One


    ...


    Two


    ...


    THREE!


    The wolf was once again infront of him, Hou activated his legs and followed the potion to release the power in his punch.


    The wolf once again was knocked back, it''s jaw was bleeding dripping hot crimson blood as it breathed heavily.


    Hou once again took stance and waited. Just as he expected the wolf charged at him again with no change in action. Hou knew what he need to do and counted his breaths...


    One...two...THREE!


    He started to once again activated his leg powered punch when the wolf suddenly ducked. AHou was left in an open position from his imperfect form and the wolf took its chance.


    It bit down on Hou''s side ripping apart his flesh, then it backed away looking fiercely at it''s prey.


    On the other side of this fight, Hou was dumbstruck that he felt for it''s plan and it''s sudden increase in speed. That was until he realised,


    ''I had grown complacent with it''s slowed speed under the blood fog, I did not even think that it was hiding it''s true speed. This is sure to be a lesson I will remember''


    "This is a precious lesson, be like the wolf. It has natural instincts for fighting, unlike you. Embody the wolf''s fighting instincts, float like a butterfly but sting like a bee. A fight involves both attack and movement in dodging. Move your feet, anticipate the movements of the enemy and move into a position where no matter what you always have a way to defend or attack" Yue was not a close combat specialist but even the weakest dragon could surpass a chicken.


    Hou was enlightened as he gave an acknowledgement thought to Yue and once again focused on the fight.


    This time he would become a beast, like Yue said ''Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee''.

 Chapter 9

    Hou and the wolf both stared at eachother. The Wolf''s natural instincts screamed that something had changed and it became more cautious.


    Hou was not a fighter but he was very talented and began looking at the wolf''s feet and mirroring a similar footwork but adapted for his human body. As the wolf walked left, Hou walked right. He was always in a stance that was ready to dodge. This dance continued for dozens of breaths until Hou took a risk and decided to move in.


    He didn''t use his leg parasites but just ran forward but he had more than pure physical power, as he closed the distance he activated the red moss on him and while the wolf was distracted jump onto it.


    The wolf was slower due to the blood fog and didn''t manage to dodge in time, Hou put his right palm over the wolf''s eye and shot the petals into it.


    The sudden pain and loss of it''s right eye caused the wolf to shake and launch Hou flying into a tree. Hou felt a shock go through his whole body as he struggled to stand up again.


    Then a rush of blood went to his back and Hou stood, spitting out blood from his mouth. He rubbed his mouth and focused on exploiting the weakness he made through destroying the right eye on the wolf.


    He suspected that now there was a large blind spot he could exploit the wolf wavered as it looked at Hou it''s bloodlust rose and it activated it''s trump card, from it''s mouth miasma radiated and a patch of purple moss could be seen. The miasma was growing over the wolf as it''s body starting growing further. Hou could feel like danger was rising and moved forth to stop it.


    He charge in and was going to do a big punch when he felt a tingling and moved back the last moment. He leant back and the wolf''s paw just missed him.


    Hou took the chance and let out more petals slashing it''s paw and he moved forward once more to get a punch in. He ducked left and narrowly dodged the wolf''s bite then as he was crouched he activated the leg parasites and punched upwards. From the shock in the head, the wolf became unconscious. It shrunk and became a smaller than average wolf.


    Hou walked over and was going to deliver the last blow when Yue talked,


    "Don''t decide whether to kill this monster just yet, just like with parasites you could use it for your own advantage. The monster has an ability and you could use it as a companion in fighting. If you do wish to simply use your blood and inject your will in replacement of the miasma will. You''ll then gain a connection with the wolf and you will be the source of its intelligence"


    Hou nodded and decided that would be the best course of action, he plugged a cactus before and drew blood, dripping it into the eye wound he created in the fight.


    As Hou focused his attention on his will, he could feel it and moved it towards where he could feel the miasma qi containing will, each time he expended some blood and captured the miasma qi under his control. When all the foreign qi was under his control he could feel he had somewhat control over the wolf.


    "From now on you shall be Da for your ability to grow massively tall, wake up." Hou takes to his new companion then turned inwards to talk to his master,


    "Is there a way to heal the wolf like you did with my body, can you teach me?" Hou pleaded with his master.


    "There is but it has a cost, I should explain that to reconstruct your body I expended spirit wills, the ones with powers, and using my knowledge of merging physical and spiritual to sacrifice the strong spirit wills and create a weaker but permanent physical phenomena. Hence to heal this wolf, you will need to have spirit will suited and sacrificed them, once you have them I will teach you the technique" Yue lectured.


    "I see, for now I''ll give time for the wolf to heal it''s shallow wounds and absorb miasma qi so I have enough for any other fights I might have"


    Hou sat cross-legged and the now much smaller wolf Da on his lap. The two took a few days to recuperate while Hou absorbed qi and occasionally passed it to his wolf companion so it would have enough qi for multiple fights.


    Hou stretch on the fourth day and felt ready once again to move forward, he commanded Da to grow and it became a trusty mount he used to gallop through the forest.


    Luckily he had lots of qi stored and could sustain Da''s large size constantly, and just when he was feeling bored Hou saw a golden glow in front of him.


    A symbiote!


    Hou orded Da to shrink and the two of them walked forward carefully looking at the symbiote. It was a tall thing flower with lots of leaves, and purple turning to white petals. The strange thing though was the sunlight was mostly coming from underground, even then it was bright.


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    ''This will be my first exposure to sunlight after becoming Yue''s inheritor, let''s see how different it will be to control this qi''


    Hou walked forward fiercely, ordering Da to stay put. Even better the Symbiote could do anything Hou grabbed it''s stalk and pulled it out. There''s were large stores of qi underneath and Hou lefty nothing to chance and planned the flower onto his stomach. Inside his body the big stores of qi formed into a large single core and from the outside nothing could be seen but a light flower shaped birthmark on his stomach.


    Hou activated it and felt a formless change on the air, then he could feel sunlight qi coming from around him and being absorbed into his stomach and a very fast paced.


    ''This symbiote by itself is useless but once I gain more symbiotes I should be able to gain enough qi from the air to use them without restraint in a fight!''


    Hou and the wolf both stared at eachother. The Wolf''s natural instincts screamed that something had changed and it became more cautious.


    Hou was not a fighter but he was very talented and began looking at the wolf''s feet and mirroring a similar footwork but adapted for his human body. As the wolf walked left, Hou walked right. He was always in a stance that was ready to dodge. This dance continued for dozens of breaths until Hou took a risk and decided to move in.


    He didn''t use his leg parasites but just ran forward but he had more than pure physical power, as he closed the distance he activated the red moss on him and while the wolf was distracted jump onto it.


    The wolf was slower due to the blood fog and didn''t manage to dodge in time, Hou put his right palm over the wolf''s eye and shot the petals into it.


    The sudden pain and loss of it''s right eye caused the wolf to shake and launch Hou flying into a tree. Hou felt a shock go through his whole body as he struggled to stand up again.


    Then a rush of blood went to his back and Hou stood, spitting out blood from his mouth. He rubbed his mouth and focused on exploiting the weakness he made through destroying the right eye on the wolf.


    He suspected that now there was a large blind spot he could exploit the wolf wavered as it looked at Hou it''s bloodlust rose and it activated it''s trump card, from it''s mouth miasma radiated and a patch of purple moss could be seen. The miasma was growing over the wolf as it''s body starting growing further. Hou could feel like danger was rising and moved forth to stop it.


    He charge in and was going to do a big punch when he felt a tingling and moved back the last moment. He leant back and the wolf''s paw just missed him.


    Hou took the chance and let out more petals slashing it''s paw and he moved forward once more to get a punch in. He ducked left and narrowly dodged the wolf''s bite then as he was crouched he activated the leg parasites and punched upwards. From the shock in the head, the wolf became unconscious. It shrunk and became a smaller than average wolf.


    Hou walked over and was going to deliver the last blow when Yue talked,


    "Don''t decide whether to kill this monster just yet, just like with parasites you could use it for your own advantage. The monster has an ability and you could use it as a companion in fighting. If you do wish to simply use your blood and inject your will in replacement of the miasma will. You''ll then gain a connection with the wolf and you will be the source of its intelligence"


    Hou nodded and decided that would be the best course of action, he plugged a cactus before and drew blood, dripping it into the eye wound he created in the fight.


    As Hou focused his attention on his will, he could feel it and moved it towards where he could feel the miasma qi containing will, each time he expended some blood and captured the miasma qi under his control. When all the foreign qi was under his control he could feel he had somewhat control over the wolf.


    "From now on you shall be Da for your ability to grow massively tall, wake up." Hou takes to his new companion then turned inwards to talk to his master,


    "Is there a way to heal the wolf like you did with my body, can you teach me?" Hou pleaded with his master.


    "There is but it has a cost, I should explain that to reconstruct your body I expended spirit wills, the ones with powers, and using my knowledge of merging physical and spiritual to sacrifice the strong spirit wills and create a weaker but permanent physical phenomena. Hence to heal this wolf, you will need to have spirit will suited and sacrificed them, once you have them I will teach you the technique" Yue lectured.


    "I see, for now I''ll give time for the wolf to heal it''s shallow wounds and absorb miasma qi so I have enough for any other fights I might have"


    Hou sat cross-legged and the now much smaller wolf Da on his lap. The two took a few days to recuperate while Hou absorbed qi and occasionally passed it to his wolf companion so it would have enough qi for multiple fights.


    Hou stretch on the fourth day and felt ready once again to move forward, he commanded Da to grow and it became a trusty mount he used to gallop through the forest.


    Luckily he had lots of qi stored and could sustain Da''s large size constantly, and just when he was feeling bored Hou saw a golden glow in front of him.


    A symbiote!


    Hou orded Da to shrink and the two of them walked forward carefully looking at the symbiote. It was a tall thing flower with lots of leaves, and purple turning to white petals. The strange thing though was the sunlight was mostly coming from underground, even then it was bright.


    ''This will be my first exposure to sunlight after becoming Yue''s inheritor, let''s see how different it will be to control this qi''


    Hou walked forward fiercely, ordering Da to stay put. Even better the Symbiote could do anything Hou grabbed it''s stalk and pulled it out. There''s were large stores of qi underneath and Hou lefty nothing to chance and planned the flower onto his stomach. Inside his body the big stores of qi formed into a large single core and from the outside nothing could be seen but a light flower shaped birthmark on his stomach. Hou easily used a blood formation to control it and use it safely.


    Hou activated it and felt a formless change on the air, then he could feel sunlight qi coming from around him and being absorbed into his stomach and a very fast paced.


    ''This symbiote by itself is useless but once I gain more symbiotes I should be able to gain enough qi from the air to use them without restraint in a fight!''

 Chapter 10

    ''It''s a shame that this first symbiote I got is useless without another, symbiotes are much rarer than parasites''


    Then from within Yue spoke up "don''t give up hope just yet, I think we may be able to use this symbiote ability and repurpose it to absorb ''miasma'' qi as well. I assume the spirit will in the symbiote gives the ability to absorb natural qi and through some techniques it was changed to only absorb ''safe'' sunlight qi"


    Hou thought for a bit then asked "that does make sense but how do I interfere with the workings of the symbiote and charge what it does?"


    "I suspect that the way the symbiote manipulated the spirit will power is by filtering the symbiote''s external will so only sunlight qi is permitted through. To change this user your own will around the parasite and let all qi through"


    Hou took this in and instantly tried to put it in practice, he felt as if his body was covered in will as normal but then he focused on the symbiote''s location. He could sense the will was different, it was under his control but without commanding it, it continued it''s normal functioning. Instead, Hou pushed it''s will internal and covered it with his own. Then whether he needed to activate it he would let that area be open, so the ability''s suction force would work.


    Hou tested it out, using some of the stored sunlight qi with activating will and the spirit will''s ability started. A suction force was created and qi started flowing into Hou''s body, which he could then trap in a blood formation and control.


    ''Would I be able to create a permanent blood formation that traps the qi automatically?''


    Before thinking for another second Hou started making the formation but this time he moved his veins to create the formation naturally within his flow of blood. He realised that although the formation was created he still needed to activate it and make it move into the realm qi inhabited to control it. Even then he knew this would make it viable to use in battle, meaning his qi reserves would never run out while being surrounded by the qi. He could use the parasites and symbiotes as much as he wanted.


    Hou needed to thoroughly test out his abilities before moving forward. I''m his last fight he learned about the cooldowns but he still needed to figure it everything about his abilities.


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    Firstly, he looked at the first parasite he gained, the petals on his right palm. First he shot them into a clearing and tested distance they could travel. He shot them and saw them travel twenty five metres before falling off. Next he timed how long they took to regrow, after a minute they regrew one after the other expending some miasma qi. Hou shot them again and tested whether they could regrow faster if he injected qi in manually. Then in only ten or so seconds they regrew and could be used again.


    Hou thought for a while and came up with an idea, what if he only shot a few petals at a time while the other regrew, meaning he could shoot for longer. Hou tested it out and at first he shot out every petal but after a few attempts he could control each petal individually and extend his shot for longer.


    Next Hou looked at his leg parasites and new that from his previous fight, to cool down he would need a few breaths but the quicker he used without cool down the more the fatigue accumulated in his legs. But Hou had an idea with these too, if he activated the legs alternatively he could extend the time used and maximise their recovery period as each would be used only half the time.


    This technique would however put a burden on Hou''s mind, having to activate each parasite individually timing it perfectly when he needs would be much harder than if he activated both all the time.


    Hou then looked at his left ring finger, at the bloody moss. He realised that while the effect was small, even slowing and opponent slightly would increase his fighting capacity by a huge margin. In consideration of this he wanted to learn the exact ability of the blood fog.


    Hou activated it and could sustain it with no activity for 5 minutes before it dissipated, but in combat it should be lower since it would have to resist more will when action is happening.


    To this Hou sat down and contemplated hard on what he could do to make this ability stronger. He thought for a long time until he had a flash of inspiration!


    ''The abilities don''t need to be independent, I can combine abilities to create compound attacks, like punching and using parasite legs!''


    Hou immediately tried to compress the blood fog as he got an idea of what he could do. He moved the blood fog like his own body, due to the experience he had with Yue''s technique. It condensed into a few drops of red blood, which Hou threw to himself, at his last parasite, the cactus wrist guard. The needles were covered with the time of red. He suspected that once the needle pierced skin it would poison the target and cause then to be unable to move for half a second. There was no target near so he displayed it but did not rely on it working as he suspected when he tried it.


    Hou whistled and Da came running up and grew letting him jump on his back. The two tracked out of the forest into a plains area where on the other side they should see a faint smoke rising.


    Smoke meant fire and fire was a chance of humanity. Da charged forward, creating a rhythmic drumming sound as his paws got the ground. All around the duo, both miasma and light was moving onwards before disappearing.

 Chapter 11

    Rumble


    He felt the rumble and carefully looked over the crest of the hill. His hands were shaking but he still used them and stabilised himself carefully peering down at the plains.


    There was a massive wolf monster, with flashing lights surrounded it. His heart rate exploded and he immediately ran over to the fire. He used his hands to pile dirt over rite then ran over to the tents.


    "Baby, take the child and run! There''s a monster coming towards us, I''ll take care of it just make sure you and him survive..." The man started tearing up but held it back, he only needed to make sure his wife and child were safe, even if he would die he was gonna stall the massive monster charging at them.


    Even before the woman woke up, she had a child thrust into her arms as she was picked up. The man took them to a black steed and kissed her.


    "Honey don''t go, you can''t stop a monster by yourself, your child needs you, I need you!" She was screaming and crying but the man paid no attention. Even if he was gone as long as they lived he was fine. He slapped the back of the horse and it ran off.


    The man looked at the hill in front of him and prepared to run, he would run in the opposite direction as his wife and child, at least giving them a chance at survival.


    Pant


    A loud panting could be heard as the rumbling stopped and a slow start could be scarcely heard. Clearly the wolf was close and the man took a rock off the ground and got ready to throw it.


    One...


    Two...


    Three...


    Four...


    Five!


    After five breaths the the large grey wolf''s snout came into view. It''s leathery nose twitched as it smelt the smoke. Then it red eye locked onto the man, like blood they were deep and captivating. It''s left eye was completely scared and lost its colour becoming grey but it still somehow looked as if it pierced through and saw the man.


    He threw the stone in his hand and shouted "Come here you monster, come get me, I''m your food!" He patted his chest and looked into the wolf''s eyes directly.


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    Just as he was going to run he froze, the wolf crested the hill and atop it was a man in black robes with striking red hair like fire...or maybe blood.


    The man had heard  known if those with parasites could do extraordinary things but were incapable of reason, he needed to move but his body wouldn''t follow his instructions.


    The wolf stopped and as the man jumped off, it shrunk to the size of a large dog. The man was almost as scary as the wolf, he seemed to radiate an aura of authority.


    "Who are you, are you alone?" The man''s voiced boomed out.


    "I.. I''m just a lone survivor, uh sir..?" The man hoped that this person was at least able to be civil.


    "You can just call me by my family name,... Hou. Have you ever heard of a place called Sacrarium? And tell me your name, I''m not a bad person"


    "I''m... My name is Armen Sir Hou, yes I have heard of ''Sacrarium'' it was a... A safe haven a few generations ago, uhh my ancestors who I was named after, Arm, was someone from there"


    "You are Arm''s descendant?! You are a friend, no need to call me Sir Hou you are practically family!"


    "Family? Should I know you sir, no, Hou?" Armen was confused as he did not know he had any family left after he became a like survivor.


    "No, I suppose not, but you can think of me as your great Ancestor-Uncle, I used to be like a son to your ancestor Arm!"


    "Arm?! But he was generations ago and you looked at most thirty, how could you have even seen Arm!"


    "I may look young but I''m actually more than a century old now, even if I don''t feel like it myself haha" Hou was grinning as he interacted with another human normally.


    "Then S.. no Hou I lied and I left my wife and son on a horse to leave thinking that wolf of yours would kill us I was going to distract it, can you save them!" Armen felt something deep in his heart that made him believe in Hou despite the absurdity of it.


    "Well of course it''s your wife and child I can''t let them die after you tried to save them, hop on" Hou nodded to Da as it grew once man.


    Hou jumped on and let his arm down to grab onto Armen, "this is Da my companion, he''ll get you and your family reunited in a flash"


    Hou patted and Da and it ran forward as Armen pointed which direction to go. Hou and Da both used their enhanced senses to scan for the horse and Armen''s family.


    Firstly, Da could smell the horse but then Hou could hear the crying of a baby and a woman consoling it. Found them!


    Da sped up and arrived at the horse and not daring to look back the woman hugged her son tightly in an attempt to protect him.


    "Honey it''s me! We''re safe!"


    At the sound of her husband she swung her head back and instantly collapsed after the adrenaline wore off since she knew she was safe.


    The horse however had other plans and kept running, bit Hou took this as an opportunity and condensed the blood fog with his left hand and dropped it onto the cactus spikes, he then shot them at the horse.


    As soon as the needles pierced the horse stopped moving and fell forwards.


    "What was that, how did you create that fog and shoot spikes out of you, how are you not a monster?! You retained your sanity!" Armen knew of parasites and could tell that these abilities were those but he was told those with parasites became monsters incapable of reasoning.

 Chapter 12

    Hou looked back at Armen and explained "I can control parasites, that''s all you need to know right now. I don''t want to overwhelm you with information, just know that I am in control"


    "Phew we were always told in the family that once you were infected with a parasite you would lose your sense of reasoning, I didn''t know it was possible to control them"


    "First reunite with your family, I''ll make sure the surroundings are safe then once they wake up you can introduce them to me"


    Hou shook off Armen gently and left Da to protect the family in small form. Hou took the time to look around himself and take care of any monsters or parasites.


    As Hou was looking around he mostly just saw small animals, rabbits, foxes but nothing dangerous. That was until he found one parasite, another moss, but this one was green, Hou bit his thumb on his left and bonded with the moss, he then used his blood formation to control it.


    He decided not to test it and use it for when he came back to ''camp''. Hou patrolled through the rest of the perimeter finding only an old abandoned wolf which he easily dispatched with a few punches since it had no parasites and was not a monster.


    Hou walked out of the first and back to the clearing he left Armen at, his red hair being immediately visible to Armen''s family.


    "You must be Uncle-in-law Hou, thanks for not being a monster and eating us hahaha" Armen''s wife joked with Hou, but he could still see she was rattled as her hands trembled.


    "Hou this is my wife, Ren¨¦ and my beautiful baby boy named after his father Armen Junior" Armen teared up a little patting Junior''s head.


    "Nice to meet you Ren¨¦ and little Junior, I''ll introduce myself to him once he wakes up. I''d first like to propose something to you. Would you like to join me and start a travelling sanctuary, we''ll be moving constantly but I will guarantee your safety"


    "Ren¨¦ what do you think, this is best for all of us to stay safe now that we are by ourselves.." Armen spoke quietly having a private conversation so Hou did not eavesdrop and let them talk amongst themselves.


    After a good twenty minutes or so the couple decided and Armen spoke up "we would definitely like to join you, we think it''s what''s best for the safety of our child so we''ll be in your care from now on"


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    "Good decision Armen, now hold out your hand" Hou spoke with a smile on his face.


    "My hand...?" Armen questioned but still did as told and put out his rand hand palm up.


    "Do you trust me Armen?"


    "Logically I shouldn''t but yes, I trust you"


    Hou nodded then using his sharp fingernails he slashed into Armen''s palm. Then he did the same to his own and dropped his blood into Armen, then he closed Armen''s wound with some green moss.


    The green moss seemed to become alive and started growing and patching itself over Armen''s palm.


    "You now have your very own parasite that I''m controlling, go on try it out"


    "W..what like that, but I felt nothing just the stinging of your cut, now I''ve gotten an ability like you?" Armen was dumbstruck, parasites should be painful and take over your mind but he felt nothing of the sort. Of course this was due to the blood Hou was manipulating inside him to create a formation and control the parasite.


    "Yep, as simple as... Now just think of activating it, then I''ll make it so whenever you want to use it you can of your own volition"


    When Armen though to use it, Hou took that will and used a blood formation to connect it with the action of giving the parasite miasma qi activating will.


    Now Armen used his parasite and a green fog started spreading from his hand, but unlike Hou''s blood fog it only became half a metre in diameter and if he pushed it a metre.


    "What does it do?" Armen was confused since nothing happened except the green fog


    "I dunno, but aim it at me and I''ll know" Hou was confident that no matter the effect the green fog had his spirit will infused body was strong enough to endure it.


    Hou flinched but then he felt relief, the muscle tension in his arms loosened. Hou had an idea and lifted his cut palm into the green fog and saw it heal at a speed even faster than his already abnormal healing factor.


    It was a healing fog!


    Armen saw that too and turned to use it and on his wife as she seemed to melt under the relief. They had all been injured from living alone in the wild but luckily nothing severe. Even then with the healing fog it all seemed to disappear.


    Then the fog disappeared and Armen was left confused shaking his head.


    "You can''t use it forever, it takes time before you can activate it again, and you can only last a while. Even then this is an amazing parasite power. Come here I''ll give you some miasma the parasite uses and you shouldn''t need to wait long for it to be used again for a while"


    Armen walked over and Hou moved a miasma orb from his body to Armen''s through the parasite to bypass Armen''s natural will wall as easy as possible.


    Hou decided now was a good time to sleep and led the family back to their tent, giving them a rest.


    Hou however did not need to sleep much so he put Da on watch and say in a meditative pose. While absorbing qi with his symbiote he communicated with Yue again.


    "So how was my fighting, and what should I look out for now that I have companions to protect" Hou asked Yue for guidance as his master.

 Chapter 13

    "Better. A lot better! You are a natural born learner, you instantly applied my advice. You''ve created a a good method for fighting but it could be improved. You used the punching but then you forgot the use the long range attacks. A fight is a constant struggle, you should always be doing something. In between punches launch petals, while punching launch petals. While they don''t do much, a death by a thousand cuts is still valid"


    "So I should stick with my attacks even if they seem to be doing nothing? But how do I continue to use melee while simultaneously shooting long range?"


    "Don''t neglect your new companion''s abilities, try transferring a long range parasite to Da, and try creating a multi spirit will move. Usual cultivator use spirit will directly instead of through parasites so I don''t know if they work the same but you can combine powers like with the blood fog and cactus spikes"


    "I...see. I shouldn''t focus just on me and the enemy, I am not alone anymore, I should focus on the whole." Hou''s eyes widened


    "What if... No..hmm. what if I give Da the cactus spikes, but what if I combine them with his parasite. He grew large with his parasite so if he has spikes on him they should also grow logically." Hou theorised carefully not putting full trust on his limited knowledge.


    "Yes good thinking but spirit wills have their own complex rules, the spikes may be compatible and grow or they may not. Don''t trust on conjecture alone but believe in experience. In line with that, I shall impart some of my experience to you regarding formations. You are already familiar with small blood formations to trap qi and will but now I will teach you about large scale formations you can use to protect Armen''s family"


    "I will listen patiently master" Hou bowed and let Yue speak


    "Formations are automatic systems, they use a medium to create an effect. In your case we use blood with will infused to create the effect of moving blood into the realm qi inhibits and control it. This method I will explain will still use blood since that is my path but it is more about the qi inside. To further strengthen it you will need some compatible spirit wills. I will now transfer the plan in your head, this formation uses blood to camouflage those inside using the qi around it as the cover. Look at it and study it until daybreak"


    Hou had a sudden impression of a complex blood pattern he would need to write around the encampment. Strangely there were even poems which he needed to use before creating the will blood. He monitored them all and inside his mind tried to recreate what he needed to do.


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    The birds started chirping as the sun started to rise, cresting over the horizon. Hou broke his focus and started heavily panting, his forehead was full of sweat. This formation was very complex and he was barely confident in replicating it himself, but he would still try it before feeling safe to part with Armen for a bit.


    Hou walked a distance from Armen''s tent and cut his hand. Ignoring his pain he circled around the camp letting out his blood. By the time he made a circle around it he felt lightheaded but kept going, next he started to double the circle and create a slightly larger one, then patterns he did not have any idea what they did. By the time he built the foundation the floor looked like a battle field covered with overlapping shapes of blood and strange patterns that made his head hurt even more.


    A strange murmuring came from Hou''s voice as Yue took over to repeat the incantations. The ground started to shake and the Armen family woke up. Armen thought it was an attack and came out ready to help any way he could.


    But instead he saw Hou floating in the air with the floor covered in blood starting to rise in different shapes, it continued and became a dome. Then beads of sunlight flew out of Hou''s body and went around the perimeter. They let out a stream of light which was absorbed into the blood and Armen felt something change.


    He could not pinpoint it but it felt like he was very very far away from the outside even though it only appeared to be right in from of him.


    Hou''s body floated back down and he seemed to wake up, stopping the incantations. The blood faded and only a vague fuzziness could separate where it once was.


    "Ah Armen you''re awa...." Hou stopped mid sentence and collapsed even paler than usual. The last thing he saw was Armen running over with his right hand glowing.


    "Boy, you were too reckless trying to do the whole formation in one go with your power, but you did succeed and you lived because of your friend, Armen. He healed you back and now you''re in his tent resting. Don''t wake up yet though, I feel I should tell you how the formation could create such an effect. I told you powers come from spirit wills. Well spirit wills come from spirits, which exist in the same realm as qi. By creating those patterns and speaking those incantations you attracted spirits and trapped them. But because you are trapping the spirits and not their pure will their powers are diminished. But you did succeed as I said. You created a formation which from the outside will be almost imperceptible, good job kid" Yue scolded but at the same time acknowledged Hou''s feat.


    "But master, you said we attracted spirits, can we not take the spirit wills and become strong?"


    "No sadly not, I explained that with my blood path you transport blood to the qi realm, well it is a one way system. Now that blood is in the qi realm it cannot be moved back lest it would be destroyed. Spirit wills are useless if they are not in your inner world. Spirits use them in their inner world, and we can only use parasites or symbiotes to use other people inner world."

 Chapter 14

    "now test out the formation and capture more parasites, then we can try training up Armen to be able to fight." Yue said to Hou then went back to being dormant. Due to the soul connection Hou could feel when Yue was in a dormant state and he got back up.


    Hou sat up and stretched, this was the first time in a century since he slept in a comfortable place. He yawned and rubbed his eyes then pushed his legged and stood up.


    ''Today I''ll focus on becoming stronger no matter what''


    Hou walked out of the tent and saw Armen talking with his wife while chopping firewood. He walked over and touched Armen on the shoulder and started to talk.


    "Armen I''m going to head off, thanks for saving me there yours a real lifesaver. Stay in this dome and you should be safe. Just to make sure I''ll keep Da with you. Don''t be afraid to ask him to help you"


    After Hou told Armen his plans he whistled and got Da to follow Armen''s orders. Then he stepped out of the fuzzy dome, out of the formation, back into the forest. Inside the formation the air was purified of miasma since it was used to power the spirit wills.


    Hou stepped out and instantly tried to use the technique he thought of and alternatively activated his leg parasites while running. At the start he fell lots, if he was just a step out of phase the leg parasites wouldn''t activate and he would fall flat on his face.


    However after a while of running he got the gist of it and could run perfectly while using the right parasite at the right step. This meant that at this pace he could use the parasites for an hour or more continuously.


    Hou patrolled slowly, always going around the camp slowly going further and further. Only ten minutes after getting his technique down he found another parasite and quicky took it in. All together by the sunset he had a total of twelve new parasites.


    Parasite one and two were small green plants which attached to Hou''s two eyes. He could see even further with a small but content qi usage. But he could use more qi and see with more detail.


    Next he found ten more parasites he would control but save for Armen and his family to protect them. He didn''t know what they did but any offense is better than none.


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    Hou then went back to base and seeing Armen and his family asleep begun his training. He needed to test out his abilities and see how to fight with them. Hou first look at his new eye parasites and asked Yue in his head of there was anything he was missing.


    "You are indeed, these are not two parasites but a pair, and me split in two. There is only one spirit will but it''s effects are split between the two parts. To unlock it''s full effects you will need to destroy one eye"


    "I can''t do that! If I only have one eye I''ll be severely impaired for fighting, the parasite ability surely can''t be worth an eye,I''ll leave that for now"


    "It is your choice but from my experience this spirit will is strong, if you ever change your mind do not waver in taking that chance. Now the rest, you need to learn some fighting techniques properly. Not just punching but kicking and feints and grapples. And weapons, do you wish to use a weapon or not. Do you want to focus on abilities of their own or ones that strengthen your own ability"


    "I''ve never thought that hard... Should I use weapon or should I even focus on melee? Maybe I should focus on using abilities which can do long range damage and have others do melee... Hmm" Hou was stuck no matter which he chose there were downsides and upsides.


    "Yes it is a very hard choice, but know either choice is correct and they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. Don''t focus on which is ''best'' but what you want to do"


    "What I want... What I want to do... I got it! I''ll do melee combat with only abilities no external weapons. But that is not all, I am not a singular person. I am my people. My people are a part of me, why should I only take into account myself when I have Armen and Da."


    "Greedy very greedy, I like it. Well first let''s teach you fighting, for the next three days I want you to absorb the fighting styles I send you and then impart your knowledge on Armen. You''ll also have to figure how to command Da at the same time. You will be stretched to your thinnest but I swear to make you the strongest I can do you can become a strong cultivator"


    For the next three days, Hou got Armen and taught while being taught. He moved all day, with the help of Armen healing and his strong body he became a new person. He was now a professional and could take on any untrained individual with his strength alone.


    The fight with Da was now nothing, he realised his janky fight was so flawed even a child would be ashamed. He now moved fluid, floating like a butterfly he used real footwork to move in unpredictable wild patterns. He punches gained a lot more strength once he learned correct form and every powered punch could create shockwaves and the ground below him shook.


    Armen to a lesser extent could now properly fight and against other non-hosts he could win if they had a similar build, which was to say tall and thin but toned and fairly strong.


    Armen wasn''t surprised though as even before Hou''s training he was known to be a strong fighter, he wasn''t trained but was naturally talented at grapples and could even defeat Hou in handicapped spars.

 Chapter 15

    Hou took Armen out leaving Da to protect Ren¨¨ and Junior. As they left the dome, Hou took out ten parasites from his flowing black robe and layed them out on the floor.


    "Take your pick, you can choose any five of these parasites"


    "What do they do Hou?"


    Hou shrugged "I don''t know. The only way to tell is to use it so make your choice and hope you chose well!"


    Armen flinched but then let out a long sigh. He put his hand on his chin and thought for a few minutes before saying,


    "I''ve decided! I''ll take those three on the left and those two on the right..."


    "Okay I''ll start to give them to you, first these three vine like plants, from my knowledge they should make you stronger in general where it attaches. One of them is red and presumably does something special. So where do you want them?"


    "I want them... All on my legs! Two on the right, one on the left, the second on the right should be the special one. I''ve thought and I''ve created a move in my head, this is perfect!"


    "Okay it''s your choice" Hou moved the vines and they wrapped themselves onto Armen''s skin causing his legs to bled but then quickly heal again.


    "What next, two ordinary looking plants but one has some sort of fuzz?"


    "Put the fuzzy one on my right arm and the other on my left eye" Armen said it confidently but he had no idea what would happen but he wanted to seem ready.


    Hou did so and Armen''s eye turned from a hazel to a green. And on his right forearm, a large fuzzy green leaf formed a sort of shield.


    "Now all that''s left is to try them out, first do the legs and run about"


    Armen did that and he started to run then activating his parasites and he bursted forward. Then he activated the second parasite in his right leg and when he pushed off that leg he seemed to jolt back. He assumed it was wrong and tried again but the same thing happened.


    Hou was looking upon but noticed nothing wrong and shouted,


    "Try the second red parasite on your leg!"


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    "I did! Lemme come back,"


    Armen ran back and said what happened but Hou had no idea, from his perspective he saw nothing wrong and Hou ran straight forward.


    "Hmm... Let''s leave that for now, I don''t know what happened. What about your eye?


    Armen activated his eye and then could see the minute details of Hou''s robe and could count individual strands of fiber


    "Wow! I can see everything, it''s like everything is massive, I can see even the smallest details!" A big smile was plastered on Armen''s face as he looked around.


    And the last, the leaf on Armen''s right forearm, Hou could tell it was clearly a shield but still asked Armen to activate it.


    As Armen activated it, the leaf confirmed to his muscles and became transparent.


    "It looks like a shield to me, allow me to punch your forearm" Hou asked and waited for Armen to nod.


    Hou launched a light punch and nothing happened. Hou paused but then let out a much stronger punch, when he made contact the leaf shield bounced up and knocked Hou back.


    "Very useful, you might be better than me at defending now!"


    Armed rubbed the back off his head the helped Hou back up,


    "What about the other parasites, are you going to use them?"


    "Yes I suppose so, let''s see what happens."


    Hou took all five parasites and aligned then across his body and attached them. In a second they all pierced the robe and attached to Hou.


    On Hou''s back was a large leaf which when attached split into two and formed wings that unfurled. On his arms two ordinary vines. Then on each ear, he attached white flowers.


    Hou instantly was drawn to the wings and activated them, in an instant they felt like his own body and he could flap them and he started to rise into the sky. Hou felt the freedom of birds and floated in the air causing Armen below to shield himself from the wind.


    Hou decided to fully rest then later and went back on the floor.


    "....WOAHHHH!" Armen was struck with the sheer power of parasites as he saw the unnatural sight of human flight.


    Hou then activated his ear parasite and heard murmuring. He focused on it and realised...


    He could hear plants!


    He could hear the situation of far away through the spirit of plants connected nearby. Hou focused on one plant and heard fighting far north but decided not to interfere yet.


    "This is a bountiful day, let''s start to head back and grab a boar to eat on the way"


    "Okay!"


    Hou and Armen walked back while they talked about each others parasites. When they encountered a boar, Armen easily kicked it then snapped it''s neck in a grapple. They were no longer simple humans, they could fight amongst animals and even monsters.


    Armen carried the boar back and helped Ren¨¦ to butcher then cook it over a fire.


    For the first time in a long time, Hou had a fresh home cooked meal and gave his thanks, only at night did he make a move.


    Hou sneaked out of the formation of concealment and activated his wings and absorption. The wings used a lot of qi but we''re easily fed by activating the symbiote at the same time. Hou took off and started flying.


    At the start he couldn''t keep steady and went up and down, turning in every which way. But after an hour of hard flying he could just about fly steady with a lot of focus. He would take every night to practice.


    Practice was the main reason but also Hou liked it in the sky, he spent more than a century in a cave but now he was free and he wanted to feel it.

 Chapter 16

    The next day Hou got ready to start moving and asked Armen where they might be more people.


    "Well if we head west there''s a small town if it''s still there, other than that I heard there''s some people underground in caves but I don''t know where"


    "Okay we''ll head west then first and get everyone we can there to join us"


    Hou put his fingers in his mouth whistling and getting Da to pick up Armen and his family on his back.


    "Maybe we can get you a nice saddle buddy" Hou said to Da then he unleashed his wings and lightly tapped Da''s back to get him going.


    As Da moved west, Hou would fly ahead and take any parasites and monsters down. Any straggler monsters Armen and Da could take down.


    From the sky Hou could see a few makeshift tents ahead, and he sped up to make sure they were friendly. He came down to land in the forest a little way away as to not alarm them like he did with Armen.


    Hou walked casually out of the forest and into proximity of the collection of tents. Around the tents were small stalls and people working. There were people tanning leather and stretching it. Blacksmiths with mud forges. There were hooligans drinking midday but nobody was happy. Raising his voice Hou proclaimed,


    "Anyone who does not want to hide. Anyone who wants to be safe or fight for safety instead of cowering come to me. I will make base only a small way East. If anyone is brave enough I can guarantee safety and power!"


    With that Hou didn''t wait for the people to stop staring or answer. He showed his friendliness now he needed to show his strength, he unfurled his wings and used his leg parasites to jump high in the air and start flying East.


    In the smally shanty town, everyone who saw what came down was left speechless. A man, not a monster, had jumped higher than the trees and then flew away. This was not the power of a human, yet they heard him talk and negotiate. Everyone was in silence until all at once everyone started talking about if they would be safe, whether if they didn''t join him they would die and whether they could even fight against him if he tried.


    Hou flew for thirty minutes, meaning anyone from the neighbouring town he would join would need to have commitment to go far. Hou started to collect rocks and twigs, ready for Armen.


    He grabbed gist sized rocks and started to lay them out in a circle, he then dug out the center soil and filled it with dry timber. Next he sat down for some alone time.


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    Sigh


    ''Everythings changed so much...''


    He sat there not thinking but just taking in the world. Even though there was dark miasma covering the world, life still prevailed.


    Even in this darkness full of monsters there were humans who persevered and survived. But while they survived they did not live. Hou wanted people to be safe and wanted people to live without the constant threat of monsters on their otherwise already low quality of life.


    He wanted to give his people new hope, like in Sacrarium where everyone was ready to fight to bring back the twin suns...


    Even now, Hou was strong but not enough. He could fight individual monsters but could he protect a whole community. In a way he''s still weaker than when he was a simple blessed. As a blessed he had extraordinary power to protect his people but now he was safe from being exploited by the twin suns but... Was that better than his weak self now...


    "Master... I need to become stronger! I can''t protect much more people with my level of power right now, let me become a cultivator, it doesn''t matter that my foundation is weak, I can''t let my people have a weak leader."


    "Sigh okay, but know this will be an extraordinary pain since your soul is still weak... Are you ready?"


    "I am."


    "Then follow my instructions and follow them completely. The core of creating an inner world is a dream world. When dreaming your soul can enter your dream realm, this is a quasi-inner world. What you need to do is shatter this realm and reform it with qi in this world. Then with your inner world you shall have a new dimension which connects the qi realm of spirits with this one."


    Hou took this in and nodded. "let me do it"


    Yue sighed internally and put Hou to sleep. Yue guided good soul into his dream realm while retaining his sense of self and purpose.


    "I''m not going to help you anymore, now you need to figure out how to solve this dream and shatter it"


    Hou opened his eyes in a bed with somebody shouting for him.


    "Saviour wake up, time for your speech about the evacuation"


    Hou rubbed his eyes and looked down, he was small and much much younger. And he could feel a slight warmth in his chest. He reached out his hand and saw a gateway open connecting in front of him to outside his door.


    "What''s taking you so long?" A big man with a muscular arm opened the door with a complicated expression. On the surface he was frustrated but he was also a little worried.


    Hou saw this man, he saw Arm, and tears started flowing. He cried and didn''t stop until Arm grabbed him into a hug.


    "I know you''re stressed, you don''t need to pretend with me. Let it all out and when you''re ready you can go out. I knew it was too much to let you be a leader, your only a child."


    Arm held Hou in a tight hug and patted his head until Hou stopped crying.


    "What about this, we delay the evacuation until tomorrow and you feel better, that better?"


    Hou was still confused, he was back in his old body.


    ''Didn''t I save Sacrarium and get transported in that cave. Didn''t I meet master and... Master? Who''s master and what do I mean save Sacrarium? I need to save Sacrarium! Today we need to use my gateways to move after a beast horde too large to handle was spotted.... I remember. I''m Saviour, and today is a few days after my thirteenth birthday''

 Chapter 17 (Dream pt.1)

    "I''ll inform everyone the speech and evacuation is delayed, get rest and don''t be too stressed" arm patted Saviour''s back and left the room shouting for someone else.


    Saviour felt something was wrong and layed down staring at the ceiling for an hour or so. After an hour he got bored and jumped back up.


    ''I don''t know, something feels wrong but I don''t know what, I''ll just forget it and go see Runna''


    Saviour stuck out his hand and channeled sunlight into his ability, sure enough space started to distort. In a split second it seemed like a back alley was in his closed room, the spaces connected together seamlessly.


    He felt the drain and took a step forward through the space. His room disappeared and he was outside, he closed the gate and went to a backdoor entrance of the alley he was in.


    This was his childhood friend Runna, she was the first person of his age he met and they quickly hit it off. Even though he was now a leader of the community, he still wanted to visit his best friend at her father''s smithy.


    Saviour put his hands on the door handle and sneakily opened it, but the door still creaked.


    "Who is it?! What you doing sneaking in, I''m no old man yet!" A burley middle aged man shouted from a nearby room.


    A hammering sound could be heard, while small sparks and embers floated in the air.


    "It''s me Mr Hammer, is Runna here?" Saviour peeked around the corner and showed his face to the man working on the forge.


    "Oh it''s you, come here boy, no need to sneak in yer'' family"


    As Saviour walked over, Hammer grabbed in a big hug and ruffled his hair,


    "Runna is up at that tree house you guys built, go get her kid. Bring her home by sunset though haha" Hammer pushed Saviour back and waved him goodbye.


    Following the momentum, Saviour opened a gateway behind him to the treehouse and waved goodbye to Hammer,


    "Thank you sir, and me and Runna aren''t like that... Yet" Saviour blushed as he mumbled that last word and he fell back into the gateway.


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    He fell back and hit his head on the wood floor boards


    "Oww" He held his head while whimpering.


    "Oh you, come here I''ll check it" a young girl with red hair gestured for him to come to.


    Saviour crawled to Runna and sat cross legged,


    "Is it bleeding, it feels like it.."


    "No it''s not you''re just a wuss, come on get up"


    Runna stood up and reached her hand out for Saviour to grab. He however didn''t take it and instead got up himself and took her outstretched hand and kissed it.


    His cheeks almost became as red as Runna''s hair as he lifted his face to say her reaction.


    Runna was also red while chuckling, and she responded in kind doing a bow.


    "So why''s the evacuation delayed? I thought we were gonna move now... Even though I wished we didn''t need to lose all our progress"


    "Can''t say, it''s C O N F I D E N T I A L" Saviour responded with a smirk but then continued,


    "I also don''t want to leave we''ve created this whole place and all these buildings but we already have to run away. If only we could fight against the monsters... But what can I do but run"


    "HEY! Running isn''t cowardly, sometimes a step back can let you see the full picture and fix the mistakes. I''m blessed just like you but all I can do is run fast, don''t make it seem like it''s useless" she punched Saviour on his arm then looked outside.


    Because of Saviour they was a gateway above the sanctuary that let in sunlight, getting rid of the miasma.


    "Don''t you ever get tired of maintaining that gateway, I can barely run long before I get tired"


    "Maybe I''m just stronger, but it doesn''t matter if I get tired, if rather be tired than us live in the miasma..."


    Up until sunset the two talked while looking down at the town from the tree on a hill they were in. Saviour brought Runna back and said goodnight.


    "Sigh tomorrow so if this will be gone, we''ll have to leave and the monsters will destroy everything"


    Saviour lamented and the destruction but ultimately he knew this was for the best, if he didn''t, then they would die defending.


    Saviour opened up a gateway and went back home. He saw Arm sitting there almost asleep. He tried to sneak past to not wake him up but Arm wasn''t so unperceptive. He jolted away and greeted Saviour.


    "Welcome home Saviour come sit down. It''s a bit late but you need to have something to eat, you''re a growing boy." Arm sat up and gave up his seat for Saviour.


    Saviour shook his head and wanted to reject but he knew Arm wouldn''t let him, so he took his offer and plopped himself down at Arm''s chair.


    Hou watched as the last visages of sunlight slowly moved across the room. Arm was stood near a hearth and was cooking a stew. Occasionally giving Saviour some vegetables to cut.


    As the sunlight was almost gone Arm got some splints of wood and lit some candles. Then after the stew was done he portioned it up for Saviour and let him eat.


    ''for some reason this feels nostalgic, I don''t know... It shouldn''t be''


    Saviour took his time eating while Arm said to him,


    "I know you''re sad about leaving this place but it''s the best option we have, make sure to have a good night''s rest once you''re done eating. I''ll be in my study preparing for tomorrow, if you want you can sleep their tonight"


    Saviour nodded, his white-silver hair flipping in from of him covering his eyes, tearing up.


    The sun set fully and the night begun, Saviour sitting up with Arm as he shuffled maps and slowly he closed his eyes and fell asleep...

 Chapter 18 (Dream pt.2)

    "Saviour wake up it''s morning" Arm shook his shoulder and went into the main room.


    Saviour stretch and yawned, rubbing his eyes. He used a gateway at a lake to get some water in a bowl. He splashed his face with the water then clean himself with the rest and a towel.


    Saviour went to his room and got out a suit he had gotten made. It was a white suit matching his hair with a red shoulder cape. This was the suit he used when doing official business. Even though he was young he had responsibility that came with his power.


    He got dressed up and came out of his room fully suited up. A white jacket and trousers with a black shirt. Then a red tie and shoulder cape to compliment the white. Saviour asked Arm to help with his hair though.


    Arm stopped making food for a second and ruffled Saviour''s hair until it looked presentable.


    "There you go, now you look like a real prince" Arm flashed a smile and wink before turning round and continuing to cook breakfast.


    "It''s gonna be wolf meat steaks today, and some eggs from Mrs Stammer" Arm was sat over the fire with a frying pan working away.


    "Is everything okay with the monster? We have enough time to evacuate?" Saviour asked while shuffling his tie around not quite getting it in the right place.


    "All is good, we might be cutting it close but we should be able to fend off the scouts and escape in time, you feeling ready?"


    "Yeah... But for some reason ever since yesterday I felt something was off but I can''t think what that is..."


    "It''s just your nerves, this will be the first time evacuating so many people but this is what''s best, don''t worry I believe in you!" As Arm said this he handed a plate over to Saviour, two big juicy stakes and three eggs.


    Saviour gave his thanks and started eating, being careful not to mess up his suit.


    An hour later Saviour and Arm both were fully ready and they used a gateway to transport straight to the tower wall.


    "Right bring half the fighters with you, those with symbiotes and set up base far away, then start bringing everyone else. The rest of us fighters will stay just incase" Arm recounted the plan and went to rile up his men.


    ''right all I need to do is open gateways for everyone'' Saviour slapped his cheeks lightly and shook his head. He was ready.


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    Saviour gathered everyone in the sanctuary and started a speech,


    "As you all know, there''s a large group of monster coming towards us, no need to threat though. Just keep calm and make sure all your belongings are packed up. We will keep you safe in the move. Do not panic and believe in us, thank you"


    Saviour quickly wrapped up his quick speech and bowed.


    Then the following hour or so was choosing who to protect the new settlement while the evacuation happens. Finally a regiment was created and Saviour thought of a place he saw before and opened a gateway.


    The space in front of the guards somehow morphed, the surrounding went from a building to a grassland with trees surrounding seamlessly.


    Saviour told them to just walk through and defeat any monsters there, just wait for the civilians.


    After getting that done, Saviour was going to start evacuating when a howl was heard. From outside the walls, a small horde of scouts came and the guards shouted


    "Begin the evacuation as soon as possible, this scouting party is a lot larger than thought!"


    Panic erupted but Saviour still opened up the gateway as normal and started to funnel people inwards.firstly the women and children were sent through.


    As Saviour was letting people through he didn''t see Runna and asked where she was. He was told that she was seen at the opposite side of town earlier on.


    Saviour decided to make sure Runna was safe and kept the gateway open but ran to the direction she was seen,


    "Go in orderly, let women and children in first!" Saviour quickly shouted before running again to Runna.


    He didn''t use a gateway as he was already sustaining the gateway bringing sunlight in and the evacuation gateway. This took a lot of mental effort which he couldn''t use another without jeopardizing the others.


    As Saviour was running through the streets he warned anyone remaining that they would not survive if they did not evacuated.


    Then when he was at the other wall, at the other side of town, he saw Runna''s bright red hair.


    But she was not alone.


    Grabbing Runna by her throat was a man whose body was like stone and black in colour. He was more monster than man but his face showed that he was once human.


    Saviour froze, he had never seen a disciple before, those blessed by miasma. He almost couldn''t move but to protect his friend he shouted,


    "Let her go you, you MONSTER!"


    The disciple turned it''s head to look at Saviour and a sick smile grew. It dropped Runna and started walking towards him, with a crazed glint in its eyes.


    It wasn''t like he was seeing Saviour but was looking in him. He ran on all fours and used his black claws to slash at Saviour.


    When Runna was let go she was panting and getting blood back to her brain. That was until she saw from the corner of her eyes the monster running at Saviour!


    She activated her ability and moved. She dashed forward like lightning and Saviour saw his vision instantly change. At one point he saw a human faced monster coming at him, the next he saw Runna''s teary eyes face, he red hair shining.


    Saviour was so happy to see Runna well that he almost forgot about the monster. The monster however didn''t forget about them...


    As Saviour was looking at Runna smile it exploded... Her entire head was exploded and all that remains were flesh and red hair in the shard claws of the monster.


    It moved it''s hand and all Saviour saw was the monster''s creepy smile with it''s face covered in Runna''s blood.

 Chapter 19 (Dream pt.3)

    The monster then grabbed Saviour and before he could escape it gripped tighter and exploded his head.


    Saviour had died.


    Saviour opened his eyes in his bed once more with Arm shouting for him.


    "Saviour wake up, time for your speech about the evacuation"


    He rubbed his eyes and looked down, he was perfectly fine, no injuries.


    "What''s taking you so long?" Arm started to open the door with a complicated expression. On the surface he was frustrated but he was also a little worried.


    Before Arm could ask what wrong, Saviour instantly used a gateway to the treehouse and saw Runna with her red hair dragging her finger on the wooden floor boards.


    "Phew" Saviour let out a breath and collapsed onto the floor. He put his hands over his face and relaxed.


    "It was all a dream..." Saviour murmured soemthing but too quiet for Runna to hear fully.


    "A dream? You had a nightmare, how about you delay the evacuation for tomorrow?"


    "NO!" Saviour was still stuck in that dream and didn''t want that what happened there to happen again.


    "I''ll do it now, come with me and we''ll start the evacuation today"


    Saviour opened a gateway and gestured for Runna to go through, she obliged and walked through into town.


    "Right stay here I''ll get all the soldiers first and announce what''s happening"


    Saviour opened another gateway and went to the barracks. From there he did the same as that dream and started gathering everyone for the evacuation of civilians.


    Just then from underground the human-monster burrowed out of the ground. It started to run into the group of civilians ready to slaughter.


    Instantly it''s claws went through all the people there like butter, no amount of struggle could escape it''s pure brutality. Everyone started running and Saviour decided to use a gateway to move it away.


    Saviour though of a far away location and tried to mobilise his sunlight. But there was a problem...


    No matter how much saviour tried the sunlight wouldn''t move and he couldn''t activate his ability. He didn''t notice it last time since he was struck with fear but the monster seemed to stop his abilities from activating.


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    Saviour ran to Runna and grabbed her hand.


    "We can''t defeat this by ourselves, come run! We can''t activate our abilities!"


    Runna was flustered and scared frozen from seeing the slaughter of her neighbours, her friends, her family.


    She shed tears and in the blur she saw the monster was getting close to her father. She let out a wail and her feet started to glow.


    She burst forth, letting go of Saviour''s grip and appearing like a flash of lighting she push her father out of the monster''s path. But in doing so she used her ability to it''s maximum and could dodge it.


    She got slashed into two by the monster, then it got the prey that escaped and got her father.


    In just a few short minutes all the civilians there were gone, the streets covered in blood and gore. The monster then looked towards Saviour.


    It almost let out what could be interpreted as a cackle. Like a wild beast but still recognisable as ''human''. It seemed to enjoy the torture it was giving to Saviour.


    It was definitely targeting him, it looked with it''s human eyes with a crazed obsession. It then launched itself towards him, Saviour knew this attack pattern from last time and at the crucial moment he jumped left.


    The beast missed and took a second to find him again, this time it used it claws and took a slash at Saviour''s back as he was running.


    Saviour could feel his blood running low and he fainted.


    Saviour opened his eyes in his bed once more with Arm shouting for him.


    "Saviour wake up, time for your speech about the evacuation"


    He jolted up and looked down, he was perfectly fine, no injuries once more.


    "What''s taking you so long?" Arm stood outside the door with a complicated expression. On the surface he was frustrated but he was also a little worried.


    Instead of using a gateway, he instead sat up and started thinking.


    ''for some reason I keep going through the same scenario and dying. But I don''t die... I wake up again...hmm... Maybe this is why I was feeling weird that first ''loop''!?''


    As he was in deep thought he was shook back to reality as Arm opened the door to see him sat up thinking with a deep expression on his face.


    "Are you stressed, you.." Arm was cut off.


    Saviour raised his palm and said,


    "Don''t go thinking I''m crazy but let''s not evacuate just yet"


    Saviour was thinking that if all the soldier could be protecting the civilians perhaps the monster will fall. It seemed to only be able to stop one power at a time, maybe with everyone''s help they can defeat it...


    "Why don''t we have everyone here to defeat the scouts first then while safe we evacuated?"


    Saviour had a weak smile as he suggested his plan.


    "Nope. No can do, who knows how close the main tide is to the scouts, if they''re too close we''ll get flooded and all die" Arm rejected his plan plainly not giving any room.


    ''what else? How can I get everyone evacuated without getting killed by that monster? It only came when I started to evacuate civilians... And it didn''t matter whether that was today or tomorrow, so it must be lurking underground even now''


    Saviour shivered at the thought of that monster being here right now, Arm saw this and asked,


    "Is there a reason you wanna change the plans?"


    Saviour shaked his head "nothing but let''s delay until tomorrow morning to give people more time to pack"


    "...okay... We can do that, come and get breakfast" Arm was suspicious but Saviour didn''t seem to want to tell him why the change so he moved on.


    "No me and Runna were gonna have something together I''ll leave now"


    "Ahh that''s why, you and Runna have plans..." Arm had a smirk and said it slowly as if he now understands.


    "WE''RE NOT LIKE THAT, GO LET ME CHANGE" Saviour pushed Arm out of his room and he leant and against his door with a complex expression.


    "Sigh what do I do"

 Chapter 20 (Dream pt.4)

    ''how do I deal with an enemy that appears when it wants and can stop my power. I should take this day to find where the monster appears from. There must be something underground where he came in from...''


    Saviour decided what he needed to and he was ready to do whatever it took, no matter how many times he might die.


    He reached out his hand and opened a gateway outside the walls. He then looked around the back, where he first found Runna being attacked. It looked completely normal, Saviour ran all around the back and didn''t spot any entrances.


    Saviour looked around and stealthily opened another gateway. This wasn''t a normal gateway though it was looking in the past.


    The past has already happened, it is definite and close by. When Saviour used a gateway to the past he felt little usage of sunlight. He did this in order to look if he could see where the monster came from.


    Saviour started to pull back time and could see nothing change, perhaps the occasional guard walking past. But then he stopped it, two months ago.


    It''s been hiding underneath the town for two whole months! It had been lurking for an opportunity which it took when it sensed Saviour''s sunlight and the guards leaving.


    All those with miasma are drawn to and repelled paradoxically from sunlight. Sunlight could repel miasma but eventually be conquered.


    The monster, while once human, did not have the mental ability for thought and once it saw it''s prey leaving it attacked. It could also sense Runna with her sunlight.


    Saviour stood there taking it in, but quickly took action. He closed the gateway knowing the past cannot be changed by his gateways, then opened up a new one to grab a shovel.


    Saviour took the day to dig out where the monster had entered. There was a boulder covering the hole, which was why he could see it originally.


    Instead Saviour dug around it, being careful to leave the boulder alone since if he removed the earth below it, it might be the end of this life.


    As Saviour was running out of hope his shovel felt no resistance, he had broken through to the tunnel!


    It resembled an animal''s burrow but larger, much larger. With the light of day being so dim from miasma and the fact it was almost mid-afternoon meant that the tunnel received little light.


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    It felt like an endless deep dark abyss, the longer Saviour looked into it the more he felt it was looking back.


    If not for him recalling Runna and the villager''s gruesome deaths he would''ve stopped there hoping it was a dream, but no he had to do this to save everyone.


    He took a candle from his home and took it inwards of the burrow.


    Almost instantly it split, the tunnel was splitting into endless parts and once he chose one yet another splitting would occur. Some paths led nowhere while some led into previous paths, it was a complete maze.


    Saviour kept on walking in slowly growing uneasy that while he had his gateways to leave if the monster spotted him first this might be his end...


    Saviour opened his eyes in his bed once more with Arm shouting for him.


    "Saviour wake up, time for your speech about the evacuation"


    He didn''t jolt up but laid there confused.


    "What''s taking you so long?" Arm started to open the door with a complicated expression. On the surface he was frustrated but he was also a little worried.


    "Yeah I''m fine, I''ll come to get breakfast soon" Saviour put on a smile and Arm closed his door again.


    His smile dropped,


    ''what happened?! I didn''t even see the monster, did it kill me instantly without me even hearing it!?''


    Saviour had guessed what happened but while he didn''t like the thought, he came back! Nope he can use a gateway straight back, and bring soldiers to ambush the monster.


    Saviour thought of how he would explain how he knew to Arm while he dressed himself.


    He opened his door with a white suit and red shoulder cape.


    "Before we have breakfast I have something to admit... I''ve been lying to you, I found something I can do and I want to show you something"


    Arm was shocked and stopped prepping breakfast,


    "O...Kay.. show me"


    Saviour opened a gateway in this very room, connecting the space with itself!


    Saviour showed Arm the past with themselves sitting there. Arm sat there confused,


    "...How is there two of us!"


    "I''m showing you what has happened already this is the past, but this is just a prelude to what I found very recently" Saviour had a serious expression and he switched the scene.


    This time it was outside. There was the dark purple-ish miasma in the air and the black dead grass. It seemed like just any land, nothing special.


    That was until something appeared. A huge. Burling. Monstrous. ''Thing'' not human yet not beast. A large hard black exoskeleton like an insect with sharp claws and a human face.


    It clawed at the ground at started burrowing,then it reached out with it''s massive arms and pulled a boulder over it''s entrance.


    "This.... Is this in the beast tide, if so we need to go NOW!" Arm shouted asking Saviour but he only responded with a shake of the head


    "Phew if we had to defend that even for a second we could not, the boulder it could move with ease, it''s SIZE. So why are you showing me this?"


    "It''s worse... It''s here. Right now. Below our feet it''s burrowing in tunnels and with it there the beast tides is of lowest priority, we can defeat the scouts and have some time to spare"


    "Are you suggesting we fight that monster?"


    Saviour responded with a nod, his face however had a serious expression.


    One of conviction and readiness to fight.


    Now he would be the one bunting the monster down...

 Chapter 21 (Dream pt.5)

    Saviour then gathered the soldiers and told them the plan. They would kill all the scouts first then something else after.


    Before they fought the monster they needed to defeat the scouts from the beast tide. As everyone stood ready, from beyond a hill a few dozen wolves charged forth, and in the back a large bigger than five men tortoise.


    On Saviour''s side there was a line of men all with varying symbiotes. Maybe two dozen, all with strengthened body parts. Then in the back we''re a few who had different abilities. They could create spikes far away or make people trip or confuse enemies. Those few were the long range ones with symbiotes that did more than enhancement.


    "CHARGE!" Arm and Saviour shouted out and all those with enhacments moved in unison. Some were faster, those with leg enhancements. Some were slow but could slice through enemies with ease, those with arm enhacments. They all used different weapons but they all were strong enough to fight together and defeat wolves.


    The wolves also had abilities but all the small ones were simple enhancements, they were stronger and smarter than the average wolf but humans were not to be underestimated.


    But in the back was a problem. There was a large tortoise and it seemed to have a special power. Other than being massive, every once in a while it would shake and illusory tortoise shells would protect the wolves.


    It would take a group of soldier a few rounds to break in which time the wolves could still attack. Luckily on the soldier''s side was Saviour.


    Saviour stayed back and from afar he used gateway to teleport wolves and people out of combat. Nobody here would be killed if Saviour could get everyone away in time.


    However Saviour was careful as he knew the monster in the burrows below could still be here, that''s why just in case he had half the soldiers stay inside and guard.


    If the monster appeared soldiers will be able to convene and fend it off, at least that was the hope.


    After a rough few hours the frontline soldiers were exhausted but almost all wolves had either retreated or been killed. All that was left was the massive tortoise.


    It slowly walked forth, at this speed it might reach the town by tommorow but Saviour was weary if it could attack or speed up when they least expected it.


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    "Saviour we have a plan, you''ll be part of it. We''ve been practicing combining our special abilities and creating a trump card we could use to be stronger than any of us individually. Here''s the plan. We use your gateway to target the head in a weak spot, like the eyes or mouth. Then we use complementary powers like those that make someone stronger and create one piercing move and defeat the tortoise with all that we have."


    "Sound good, I''m in for it just do as you need and I''ll do my part"


    Arm went and gathered all those with abilities more than simple enhacments. Then he created an attack they could use. Firstly they would use an ability to weaken the defenses of the tortoise, then someone will make spike son the floor which Saviour will use gateways to place together, somebody will then embiggen the spikes, finally all buffs will be placed on Arm and he will push the spike straight through the roof of the tortoise''s mouth.


    "Okay that sounds, good if this doesn''t work then there''s nothing we could''ve done better, let''s begin"


    The team then waited for the tortoise to open its mouth and everyone acted. In an instant spikes formed on the floor, Saviour created small gates and compressed them into one space near in the tortoise''s mouth. Arm seemed to grow stronger and he jumped in the mouth, the spikes grew and Arm pushed it.


    Blood sprayed over Arm''s head as the tortoise released a roar. The spike slowly pierced the tortoise''s mouth and Arm gathered his strength. Pushing off the bottom of the tortoise''s mouth he pushed the spike in further and pierced the brain.


    Instantly the tortoise stopped it''s movements, it started to tilt and fall, Arm jumped through Saviour''s gateway and came back to safety.


    "We did it! We actually one against that massive tortoise!" Arm lazily shouted as he rested from using all his strength.


    Ahhhhhhh


    Screams expelled from the town. Instantly Saviour used his gateway and even though he was tired went through.


    In the middle of town the monster had caused bloodshed, the floor was covered in corpses and viscera.


    In the middle was it, a huge bulking monster. It''s stone like skin painted red with the blood of the innocent, claws sharped from the pain of others. Below it was a large hole from where it emerged.


    The monster rushed forth and with everyone''s exhaustion or fear nobody could stop it. Arm rushed in front of Saviour but even then the monster''s claws did not mind. It pierced through Arm and into Saviour''s heart.


    He had died again.


    Saviour opened his eyes in his bed once more with Arm shouting for him. His body was sweating. He had won against the beast but the monster killed him again. It seemed the soldiers couldn''t even stall it, it was too strong!


    "Saviour wake up, time for your speech about the evacuation"


    "What''s taking you so long?" Arm started to open the door with a complicated expression. On the surface he was frustrated but he was also a little worried.


    Saviour sat up and sat confused. He could do nothing.


    The monster is too strong no matter what he couldn''t fight it. Would he have to sacrifice some people and run away. Was he gonna be a coward and leave without protecting everyone, he knew he had the ability to, if only he could come up with he plan. There is always a way, no matter what, he will win!

 Chapter 22 (Dream pt.6)

    Saviour decided to try multiple routes and perhaps he could somehow win against the monsters while protecting everyone.


    In this life he decided to get everyone to fight the monster first rather than the beast tide scouts. After once again showing Arm the evidence and convincing Arm he finally got permission.


    As Saviour went to the barracks with Arm he asked for an the soldiers with the powers they previously used to defeat the tortoise beast, obviously not saying this to Arm.


    That was when Saviour was told something that caused him to be confused,


    "Huh, who do you mean, we don''t anyone that can embiggen things? Or someone who can create spikes on the floor? Who do you mean?"


    Saviour became light headed and his vision paused for a second until it morphed. Everything was similar but now there were everyone from the previous life in front of him...


    Suddenly it felt like a migraine, memories started to flood Saviour''s mind.


    ''Sacrarium. Parasite in my chest... A cave, MASTER!''


    All the memories from reality flooded Hou''s mind. He had remembered. He''s in a dream, this isn''t real, but it is. To be more exact this was something that happened in reality but the outcome was different.


    In reality, almost everyone was killed by the disciple, it was his first encounter with one. Unlike this dream it appeared with the beast tide scouts and after murdering the front lines, it almost got Hou. But Runna had sacrificed herself and Hou escaped like a childish coward. Only him, Arm and a small portion of civilians survived.


    He had remembered it vividly, if not for this experience he wouldn''t be the man he was today.


    But what does he need to do now!


    ''Master didn''t give me any hints, he said I would need to figure it out myself...''


    "SAVIOUR! Ahh you''re back so we have everyone, should we go down now?" Arm shook Hou back to what was happening in front of him.


    Hou calmed himself and said,


    "No you all should practice fighting together I''ll be...busy... BYE!" Hou couldn''t think of anything excuse and quickly opened a gateway and went away.


    He needed space to think, what are the rules of this dream and what is his purpose?


    ''hmmm, this isn''t reality it''s different. But clearly it''d based on my memories but everything is slightly off. Now that I''m aware, the thirteen year old me wasn''t so authoritative. I wouldn''t be so steadfast in protecting everyone. And Arm wasn''t so strategic, at least not yet. It seems this ''me'' is a mixture of my current mindset and the old memories. And just then! What happened, what made my memories return?''


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    Hou set up the blood formation he learnt in reality and sat in the wilderness to think.


    ''this dream realm does follow some sort of rules, when I realised the people changed from my previous life I found an anomaly. It seems the world ''reset'' and everything switched to as it should be. However, it seems when the world was shifted, it gave my consciousness the chance to return. Now I just need to figure out what I need to do. I can''t just experience it as it seems when I die I return. So perhaps I need to accomplish some sort of goal?... Maybe I need to do what I regretted, yet did not have the power to do?''


    Hou stepped out the formation and used a gateway. Hou created a path to the underground burrows,


    ''In reality these burrows didn''t exist so everything in this dream realm has to make sense... It created burrows to explain the monsters arrival since I never saw the monster arrived in reality? When this really happened I was slacking not helping with the fight so I never saw the monster arrived.''


    Hou stepped through the burrows and started thinking, perhaps with his powers and current fighting attainment he could defeat the monster If he somehow tricked it to use it''s nullification power on someone else...''


    As Hou was thinking of a plan his vision faded.


    Hou woke up at the start of the scenario again. With his more experienced memories, he had thought of a couple of options and with the realisation of this reality not being real he did not care for his or others lives with emotions.


    Hou didn''t care for Arm''s worry and he opened a gateway to a far away place. Hou stepped through and his surrounding became a dark forest with tall black trees.


    The first plan was to survive, he would teleport away from the action and hide. Hou cut his palm and created the formation again, he was totally obscure from any interruptions.


    Hou took the next two days to think about the other option if this failed.


    Two days later and Hou''s vision faded, he was back at the start.


    ''Okay, plan two. This time I''ll do as the ''me'' in the dream thought. I''ll kill the monster then evacuate, but that''s easier said than done. The monster was much much stronger than all of us combined, if I had to save everyone at the same time it''s going to be hard. I''m going to go through it without thinking to much and just continue going through the loops until I find a route that will work''


    Hou went through the loop and persuaded Arm and his soldiers to fight. First, they got rid of all the civilians and put them in the barracks. This way all of them could be protected easily. Then it''s time to lure the disciple out.


    Hou opened a gateway in town and pretended to start the evacuation. Nothing happened.


    ''It seems the disciple does have some intelligence it senses the enemies and won''t attack, then I should get rid off soldiers until it is lured out.''


    Hou ordered some soldiers to go through the gateway, then at that moment, it closed!


    The disciple jumped out of the ground and it''s eyes pierced straight to Hou.


    ''WHAT!? This didn''t happen before, the previous gateway closed? Or did it... Before I only noticed the gateway above that floods the town with sunlight started open... Maybe this ability doesn''t do what I thought. I assumed it simply stopped me activating the ability, but now... It can''t effect the gateway of sunlight qi, does it refine the qi at a super fast speed. It checks out, now that I have the knowledge I have now, my gateways are sustained by sunlight surrounding them, the reason I never felt like I needed to stop the gateway above the city is that it was powering itself. So my ability does still occur but the power source is instantly snuffed, how can I get around this, if I can use gateways the battle can be as simple as breathing?

 Chapter 23 (Dream pt.7)

    Hou died...


    This time he gained something big, the disciple''s power might be possible to fight against!


    Saviour opened his eyes in his bed once more with Arm shouting for him.


    "Saviour wake up, time for your speech about the evacuation"


    He didn''t jolt up but laid there and thought for a while.


    "What''s taking you so long?" Arm started to open the door with a complicated expression. On the surface he was frustrated but he was also a little worried.


    ''Back to the loops, now I just need to think how to use this ''loophole'' in the disciples power against it...''


    "Yeah I''ll be up soon, let me rest another few minutes" Hou mumbled to Arm as if he was still waking up, of course it was an act though.


    As soon as Arm left again, Hou used a piece of paper and drew out the layout of this battle.


    It had two layers, above and underground, Hou roughly drew out the burrows and then drew out town and the beast tide.


    ''In the next day the beast tide will arrive, and if I start to evacuate from here, then Runna will be captured here. This is where the disciples entered...'' Hou looked at the map and pointed out locations, thinking of the order of things he needed to do to save everyone.


    ''hmm, the burrows have no exit, the disciple has to break through the floor, that means its an enclosed space... perhaps this can be used for my benefit, even monsters needed to breath, I can light a fire in the burrows, therefore causing the disciple to leave early to breathe. But how can we defeat it afterwards, and with minimal to no deaths, if I hide, he cant drain my power! no... that''s not right, it targets the gateway not me...''


    As Hou was planning he could make progress but the power of the disciple was too strong, he couldn''t come up with a plan to defeat it.


    ''THATS IT! I figured it out, I need to stop thinking that it should be allowed to run free, sunlight and miasma repel each other! I should be able to create gateways that expel sunlight and it should have enough volume to complete stop the disciple''s power, from there the soldiers simply needed to whittle it down.''


    Hou went through the motions and did as he did last loop, he convinced Arm with his past vision and got everyone ready to fight.


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    This time however, he didn''t send any soldiers away. Hou ordered them with the killer move they created last time and got them to stand ready, at the same time Hou opened a gateway.


    Large amounts of wood was thrown into the burrows and Hou threw a flaming torch in, closing the gateway. Now all he needed to do was to wait...


    Hou opened another gateway and watched the town from above, looking where the disciple would emerge. Hou looked above and waited.


    Only an hour later, a rumbling was heard, the disciple had moved. From the north of town, the ground burst open, rocks flying high in the sky, Hou instantly activated his abilities, teleporting the soldier nearby.


    Hou teleported in front of the disciple and activated a spherical gateway all around the disciple. It was a gateway to the inner world, divine kingdom as he would call it in this period of time, of the sun cultivators. The gateway was being drained by the disciple but the fact that it was linked with the inner world even in a dream it was too much.


    The disciple was flooded by Sunlight and it weakened, anytime it tried to leave, Hou would moved the gateway with it.


    The disciple turned into what looked like a miniature sun while the soldiers arrived and used the killer move on it, Arm carried a large spike and stabbed at the small sun. As soon as his ''sword'' came close the sun vanished and the weakened disciple was left unprotected.


    Arm''s muscles grew, like a flower budding they became bulbous, he pushed the spike through the monster. The disciple''s black blood flew out from the other side and it corroded the stone below it. While the disciple was still dumbstruck Arm dropped the spike, it stuck itself straight out the disciple''s hard body.


    Arm reached out his hand, glowing with sunlight he stepped forward and grasped the disciples head, using all his strength and other''s buffs he smashed it to bits.


    Arm was covered in the disciples corrosive blood but he did not mind and even though his hand was burning he put his hand up, raiding it to show the deformed monster''s face.


    They had won.


    Time seemed to freeze, even Hou''s own mind seemed to stop.


    The world morphed into a flurry of colours and darkness covered Hou''s vision.


    An undetermined amount of time passed and Hou found himself floating in space. Or not space but some kind of void with vague swirling colours moving but you could not see them, only feel it.


    Hou floated in the void and tried moving, he could not move, and he realised he had no body. He was a floating consciousness, and as he was understanding his condition something appeared...


    A glowing form appeared in front of Hou, it seemed to morph from wolf to fox to other forms.


    A spirit!


    This was a spirit like what Master Yue talked about, it seemed unstable though, as it wobbled a sound exploded out.


    The spirit''s form shattered and a light tainted Hou''s consciousness, or perhaps soul.


    His soul seemed to change and become stronger, there was some kind of special authority that was passed onto Hou''s soul when the spirit shattered.


    Before Hou could think, he woke up.


    Hou sat up looking at the fire he made beforehand and sensed that no time had passed at all,


    "Master, what was that, I was in the past or an alternate past, and I saw a spirit?!"


    "Calm down, I will explain it all, first focus on yourself, do you notice anything different?"

 Chapter 24

    Hou closed his eyes and like he did when controlling his will he looked inwards.


    As Hou looked at his soul it seemed like it had become different. He couldn''t quite understand it but it didn''t feel like he was seeing his soul but a whole other world.


    Inside the world Hou could not see everything, like it was obscured but he could feel things. Inside the inner world were his wills, everytime he thought of something or did something wills were produced to let him do so.


    Flying with his normal wills was something else. It felt like a will but it was stronger and not his own but he could control it all the same.


    It was the spirits will!


    "What you are sensing is your inner world, you should also see a spirit will, yes?"


    "Yes it''s feels much stronger than my other wills"


    "To explain, every person has a soul, and all throughout the world in a separate dimension are spirits. Without special techniques they will not do anything. However when I put you in that dream, you entered into a spirit''s world. Then once you completed the objectives in the dream realm, the spirit was weakened. To survive it had attached onto your soul. Now by feeding that will qi you can gain abilities, there are even ways to make the spirit will regain their power as a spirit. However once they are attached to a soul it is permanent, so the spirit will become your power."


    "But what about the inner world, why did it come into existence?"


    "When the spirit had attached onto you, you absorbed their inner world and your soul and the world merged becoming one. Now you are a real cultivator, you have an inner world and your innate spirit, the one you first took in. Now we should show you how to use the spirit will!"


    Hou nodded and prepared to do whatever he needed to do.


    "First around your inner world you should notice some sort of barrier? This is something I created when I reconstructed your body, I used the spirit wills I had left and used them to form a formation. This is what will truly cement you as my disciple. Before we merely controlled others qi, now we need to refine it since only your own qi can be used in your inner world. But this formation will instantly refine any foreign qi into your own once it enters your inner world!"


    "Amazing master! How can I now use the spirit will?"


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    "Without externally projecting your inner world, the spirit will can only be used on yourself. First try to activate the spirit will and if the power is compatible it will work regardless of external projection, that would be best case scenario"


    Hou focused inwards and sent a few orbs of compressed sunlight into his inner world. Instantly his blood glowed and the qi turned from sunlight into blood like qi. Hou fed the spirit will his qi and waited for something to happen...


    "First around your inner world you should notice some sort of barrier? This is..." Yue lectured Hou.


    Hou was confused, had Yue not already said this?!


    "Master! You already said this, remember?"


    "I think I would remember if I said this already, just because I''m dead doesn''t mean I''m senile!"


    Hou was even more confused, it really seemed like Yue had no idea he had already said that... Maybe he erased his memory... No that doesn''t make sense, it should only work on himself not others...


    "HOU! Listen what sort of dream did you have, no need for specifics just tell me the general idea?"


    "Well it was a fight I ran away as a child but instead I fought... And I failed and died but came back everytime I died."


    "..."


    "Hou, this is... This is AMAZING! you actually got a time based spirit as your innate spirit! Maybe I did already say this, you must''ve activated the ability and returned back. Like when you died you returned, you can regress time. Or should I say you can travel your soul back in time!"


    Hou stood silent, he had not seen Yue so excited and amazed. He steadied himself and asked,


    "Master but is this not useless for fighting, I can''t defeat anyone with this other than learning their moves. It can''t help me fight an incomparably strong enemy like the cultivator behind the miasma..."


    "No but this is better, I''ve got a chance for you. You can return into the past with your inner world, this is something you''ll have to choose but... If you return all the way back to your past before you met me, you will still have the gateway blessing. The blessing is a unrestricted spirit will, you can use it and see into the inner world of the sun cultivators. This is much more amazing than you understand. The sun cultivators had died, the inner world had no master, you can absorb it into your own and gain their strength, which while weakened will be much stronger than now. But... You will abandon this current timeline and I can''t guarantee everything will be fine"


    "Even you master, you cannot say whether it will work?!"


    "Time spirits are so rare that I have not even seen more than a dozen in a millennium, and none as strong as this. But like I said I cannot guarantee what will happen, you''re body is completely different and I will exist twice at the same time... You might become a lone soul without a body and I might duplicate or change into one, either way it cannot be predicted..."


    "Master.... I want to do it. I know that it''s risky but if I don''t do this then I don''t think I can become strong enough."


    "Okay then we can''t do it now, even with this powerful spirit will, it has just attached and is weak. We should nurture it and become stronger, I don''t think the spirit will should be able to go that far back but I''m sure we can figure out a way to sacrifice it and create a single use strong effect like I did to create your body but to a greater effect!"


    "So either way, I need to become stronger, much stronger. But not only stronger, I will become smarter, I''ll trust on master to teach this foolish disciple your ways and together we can create a miracle and change the distant past!"

 Chapter 25

    "To get stronger and heal the spirit, you need to learn how cultivating works. You draw in qi and feed your soul and spirits. The spirits all have mysterious powers and the soul is but the spirit of man. Humanity has capability to use their soul and expand it, domineering others. This is the basis of cultivating, absorb qi and grow the soul. But there are alternate paths such as body cultivation and my blood path is a path that brings soul and body together as one. But that is not all, now that you have expanded your soul to an inner world, you are going against the natural laws of the world. This means that spirits will fight you, randomly spirits will cause a tribulation, you will fall back into sleep. Conquer that dream realm and you gain a new spirit and your inner world grows. So now rather than focusing solely on the material world around you, focus on cultivation the inner world and growing your strength"


    "Is there no way to take the spirit wills in the parasites?"


    "Not that I know spirit wills die once they leave the owner''s inner world so theres little chance to be able to take the parasites without first taking in the inner world of it''s owner."


    "Then should I stop collecting parasites and solely focus on collecting qi? Or can I keep the parasites and bring them back to the past to help me fight ?"


    "Exactly as you say, you can extract the spirits and while they won''t be yours their abilities can still be used. So when you go the the past if all goes well then you can use their abilities for yourself, and if not you should be able to isolate them from the enemy so they can''t use them against you!"


    Hou felt better, now that he was a real cultivator he had real strength.


    Even though right now he only has one spirit will, it can help him save anyone of he goes back in time after they die!


    Hou sat at the campsite and meditated activating his symbiote to recollect more qi he expanded when he flew here.


    A few days later, Armen and his family came charging at the campsite on Da.


    The large grey wolf with one red eye had locked it''s eyes on Hou and shook Armen off. It released its power and shrunk, jumping into Hou''s arm. While Da needed to stop and reabsorb qi slowly, Hou flew over with near infinite qi so they took days longer.


    Armen slowly walked over making sure to stay near his family just incase there were any enemies.


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    "So this is where we''re camping for a while? On the way I saw a small group of people heading over, are they joining us?" Armen casually asked Hou while pulling the tent of his back and unraveling it.


    "Yes, I presume so. Let me help you set up your tent, we should also make some more. How bout I set up that camouflage dome and we go hunting for leather?"


    "Sound like a plan Hou, you set up that dome, I''m fine doing the tent myself "


    Hou smiled and nodded, he turned his head and cut his palm. Blood started to flow out but Hou stopped,


    "No need anymore, now insert blood into your inner world, make sure not to pass out, and it should be filled with will. Now like how you extended your will outwards, do so with your inner world. You should be able to move the blood back and forth between the intangible inner world and the physical realm. Now you won''t need to continue rebuilding the dome everytime"


    Hou did as instructed and under Armen''s confused looks he sat down and looked inwards. He rushed all the blood he could into his inner world and started to build the blood formation as he did before, this time much easier with no physical action needed


    Hou sat up half an hour later as Armen was nearly finished and stood still.


    Hou felt his inner world and tried to move it outward, he felt something shift but it was in a different realm and now that it left his body he felt a lessened connection.


    "Master is it normal that I feel weaker and cannot control the inner world now that it has left me?"


    "Yes that is normal, you are just awakened, your inner world has a weak connection and the more you stretch it out the more it will weaken. But this is good, only slightly but with sustained extending the inner world will become stronger just slightly."


    Hou nodded and continued, it felt like a deep stretch becoming more painful as he started shaking.


    Hou covered the whole camp with his inner world and tried shifting the blood around. Like magic the blood appeared but only for a second. Hou focused on sustaining it and spoke the chants that Yue instructed.


    Now the dome worked and Hou collapsed. He quickly regained consciousness as Armen ran over to heal him but the dome stopped.


    "How is this possible, I can''t sustain it for more than a second, it''s useless!"


    "No, be patient disciple, you should be able to grasp this easily and do it without second thought. I''ll give you a hint, your inner world is you"


    "My inner world is me?! What do you mean, master?master!"


    Just as Hou questioned Yue, they hibernated again and Hou contemplated his hint.


    ''Me, inner world, I am my inner world...''


    ''That''s it! I''ve figured it out!''


    Hou stood up again and ignoring Armen''s concern he activated the blood dome. This time however it was stable and did not lose control.


    What Hou realised was that he was thinking of expelling the inner world out of his body, the whole time he was unconsciously trying to put the inner world back in! He was fighting against himself to keep the inner world out. Instead he now simply... Left the body, now with the intangible connection he felt with his body Hou thought.


    Hou was stood still like a deer hearing the hunter when suddenly he raised his arm. Not like a human but like a puppet, Hou had to control his own body manually!

 Chapter 26

    Both thoughts and actions are created via wills generated in the soul, Hou''s soul had moved out of his body and now needed to control his body by sending wills manually.


    "I ...think..we...should..leave.the...hun...hunting..for later" Hou stammered out some words as he tried moving his body, needing to generate the will in the soul and using the connection with his body, send the will over.


    "O..Kay are you okay Hou, you don''t seem to be movin'' right?" Armen asked in worry.


    Hou didn''t want to waste time answering and flashed a strained thumbs up to him. While he could now control the blood in the inner world easily, he had to relearn how to use his own body.


    Armen and his wife ate food from some animals they hunted while on the way. To make sure it didn''t spoil, he used his healing fog to slow the meat''s deterioration.


    Armen had to help his wife and child but he looked back every once in a while to look at Hou. While he had not known Hou for long, they really hit it off with eachother. Hou was doing some strange motions, it was like a child taking their first steps.


    Armen was worried but knew Hou was strong enough that he shouldn''t be in danger.


    Hou practiced for a few hours until he decided this skill was too advanced right now, he would practice it daily and figure it out.


    He moved his inner world back into his body and everything snapped into place, he moved fluidly again.


    "Phew I''m back, Armen you free to hunt?"


    Armen was in his tent playing with his child when he heard Hou''s call and handed his child back to its mother.


    "Yep I''m ready, let''s bring Ren¨¦ and Junior on Da, maybe then I can keep up with your pace!" Armen shouted back and considering he had not yet mastered the improved blood doom, Hou agreed and the group set off.


    "How many people were there coming towards us?"


    "Well I didn''t see too well because I didn''t want to scare them if with Da, but I used my eye parasites and saw maybe a dozen?"


    "Hmm, okay let''s hunt enough for at least six tents? If needed people can share with another person? Or should be focus on one large communal tent?" Hou had some experience but his previous towns had much more resources and his gateway ability.


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    "I think we should just focus on a large public tent, others can use their own for sleeping but incase if rain a public tent is necessary. If there''s any skilled artisans in the group we can get better tents made." Armen offered his advice then stopped and pointed.


    In front of the group was a small pack of wolves. About half the size and an average human, no monsters.


    "Okay Ren¨¦ stay on Da and us two circle them?" Hou whispered to Armen, which he then responded with a nod.


    The two simultaneously activated their leg parasites and charged out of the forest, ambushing the wolves. The two used the combined power of their enhanced legs and arms respectively to knock back the wolves.


    The wolves quickly reacted and formed a circle defending against the two, snarling and barking. Two wolves ran towards Hou and Armen with their mouths wide open.


    The two fighters stepped sideways at inhuman speeds and punched the side of the wolve''s heads, the power generated by their legs causing a dust cloud to form of their feet.


    The wolves couldn''t survive against their power and each wolve''s necks snapped and then fell to the ground, limp.


    The remaining wolves in the pack became aware of their weakness and turned heel. They rushed back and started to run away, Hou wouldn''t let this happen though, he activated his petal and spike parasites. Both lased with he condensed blood fog.


    As soon as the projected missiles grazed the wolves skin, they all froze like statues and fell, skidding on the ground from their sudden stop.


    Hou walked up and using the parasites in his arms, he snapped all their necks to give them peace, he did not feel bad for killing wolves but unnecessary suffering to others was not his style.


    All in all there were ten wolves, with fully intact pelts except a few scratches.


    "Do you think this is enough? Once stretched they should be good?" Hou knew a bit about everything but was no expert.


    "Maybe, let''s bring them back and if there''s any experts in the group coming to us, they can tell us if it''s enough" Armen gave his opinion but Ren¨¦ jumped off Da holding Junior, landing in front of the boys.


    "Neither of you know anything, this ain''t nearly enough! Maybe for a small tent but not for a dozen, we would need another dozen wolves or more!" Ren¨¦ scolded the two and they quieted and nodded.


    Ren¨¦ huffed and shook her head at the men, then turning around the stroke Da.


    "You heard the lady, but let''s bring this back first and set up the stretching and butchering. Maybe we get the new members to help butcher and tan and stretch? Then while they do that we should go hunt more" Armen gave his suggestion and Hou nodded, it was a good plan, it also gave some order to the new members.


    The group all went back on Da to run back to base, Hou decided to join Armen and Ren¨¦ this time, instead of flying. Hou retracted his leaf wings and hopped on Da, offering to hold Junior for a bit.


    In the wilderness, the dark miasma covered the small caravan''s vision, they had seen someone with extraordinary powers fly into town and offer to join him. They were the lowest rung of their town.


    Not skilled enough to be professional craftsmen, and not strong enough to fight for a position. They were abused with long hours as payment for protection.


    They all convened and decided enough is enough, they would risk it all to venture into the wilderness to join the extraordinary man!

 Chapter 27

    At the end of day one, the group set camp, they didn''t know how far the camp is and decided to pace themselves.


    "NEVER GO OUT ALONE! We don''t have anyone strong, we''ll have three of us stay on guard and swap halfway through the night, is that fine?" A fairly strong man spoke, unlike the rest he was not a weak crafter but used to be the strongest in their town.


    However, he had lost his right arm fighting a monster, a testament to how strong he was even against a monster he only lost an arm, not his life. He was tall and muscular but older maybe fifty or so.


    He naturally became the leader since while he couldn''t fight too much he was still better and had more experience than the artisans.


    "I.. I''ll volunteer to stay up first, if that''s alright sir Hamar" one of the artisans meekly raised his hand, and with his courage emboldened, volunteered to stay up.


    If any monster was spotted then he would need to warn everyone and possibly fight it off.


    "Perfect, courageous man aren''t ya, anyone else? Since there''s fifteen of us, let''s say three people should stay up." Hamar praised the artisan who willingly volunteered but scowled at the rest. Not that he blamed them though, they were not fighters.


    The group was silent so Hamar pointed at two randomly and told them they would stay up, then he pointed at another three and said halfway through the night they''d switch.


    After all the administrative problems were solved, the group got into working on their crafts, drinking, and chatting. They had a little while before the sunset and they would go to sleep.


    Halfway through the night, in the near pitch darkness, the three selected for the latter half guard duty were whispering when suddenly a swooshing was heard!


    The group looked up and saw something flying in the dark, their hearts started racing and they quietly woke Hamar up and reported what they heard and saw.


    "Probably a bat, but to be safe I''ll stick with you for the rest of the night, good thing not waking everyone up" Hamar approved of their actions and grabbed his sword walking out of his tent.


    Above the skies, Hou flew out in the middle of the night. In addition to training his flight, he was also testing controlling his body. He had set up the blood dome and left his body to move away from his inner world.


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    He had decided to check how far the group coming to join were now and he would bring them back himself to start working.


    Hou activated his eye parasites and saw through the pitch darkness, seeing a group of fifteen or so, he could see some outside but most were in tents.


    ''At this pace it''ll take another two days, I''ll bring them back tommorow, maybe I can make a rough saddle for Da so they can all ride on top, no I don''t think I have the crafting skill for that. Tommorow I''ll see them myself with flight and ask if they could make a saddle''


    Hou thought for a while, making up a plan for tommorow.


    The night passed in the group of artisans and nothing occurred it seems whatever they saw was nothing.


    "We''ll go a little further today, everyone start packing, by midday I want us moving!" Hamar shouted, making noise to wake everyone up.


    Just as midday was approaching and everyone was starting to move a figure was seen in the sky.


    Bright red hair reflecting the sun, the miasma around him seemed to disappear letting the sun illuminated his beautiful red hair and green leaf wings.


    It was Hou, flying towards them with Da in his hands just about pushing the wings to their maximum. Even when Da was shrunk he was still heavy, Hou used his symbiote as the same time to make sure he wouldn''t run out of miasma qi, the effect this have was miasma disappearing around him while sunlight glowed from his torso.


    Hou stopped flying and started to glide downwards towards the group, they all had awed faces with their mouths gaped.


    Even Hamar was dumbstruck, he had seen those with symbiotes but they were rare and the vast majority could only make you stronger. This was a completely different experience he had never seen before.


    Hou landed softly greeting the group of shocked travellers,


    "Hi nice to meet you all properly, any of you artisans? More specifically carpenters and blacksmiths? And don''t worry I''ll make sure you''re taken care of" Hou quicky added on his last point, reasoning that if any artisans left it would be because of bad conditions. He shook his hands showing he had no I''ll intentions.


    Hamar shocked his head and reached his hand out towards Hou.


    "Well I''ll be, you don''t seem like a bad guy, hopefully we all made the right choice to come to you!" Hamar greeted Hou with a bright smile and a rough handshake.


    Hou took his hand and gave a firm squeeze.


    "Yes there are some crafty fellows here, to what ends you askin'' the question?"


    "I saw you guys were making slow progress, last night I actually flew nearby, hopefully I didn''t scare any of you. I wondered if you could make a large saddle with area for you all to sit on, for this guy" Hou gestures towards the dog he had in his hands.


    He let him drop and then it let out a mist and grew massively tall, taller than the trees around.


    "Well I''m sure we could do that, but what about compensation?" A carpenter stood up, the one who volunteered initially.


    "To clarify I know you will protect us and we should help you but we''ll have to rush if you want to do it fast, not to mention procuring the materials" The young artisan quickly clarified to not potentially anger Hou.


    "Well there''s no need to worry about materials, I''ll help with that but otherwise I''m sure you will be pleased, I''ll give you sect contributions points!"


    "...Sect contribution points?"