Unlimited Writing Works

3:25 – Karma – V

The nameless man clutched his head. “Tch. I’ll need to work on that soon.”

He managed to hide the traces of that One Tin guy stepping into another realm and using a conceptual attack beyond the world’s limit, but the backlash of it gave him a headache. Even at that moment, it felt like a dagger was piercing his eye, digging into his frontal lobe.

The nameless man sighed and glanced at his surroundings.

Although he had arrived late at night, he managed to find a room in an inn within Heavenspan. While it was in a seedy location, a few alleyways deep into the slums, a show of force was more than enough to stave off trouble.

The room he found himself in was cramped. Rickety wooden paneling, a cracked window, and a moldy mattress. Completely unsanitary for mortals and only barely hospitable for cultivators. Of course, he didn’t have any intentions to sleep, so the quality of the room didn’t bother him too much.

The nameless man shifted his black robe and then walked over to the broken window to peer outside. A brick wall and dark alleyway greeted him. The room he had was on the second floor, so there was a bit of a drop before the ground. Perfect for people with dubious intentions, or those trying to be discreet.

It was still dark, so the alleyway was hidden in shadows. However, the first rays of light weren’t too far away. If he acted now, it would be a mess.

“…Well, let’s try it anyway.”

If his suspicions about what he learned from that One Tin guy was right, as well as the true nature of the girl he took in as a disciple, then a plan C had just popped up, one better than trying to fight his way through the world’s most powerful beings just to open a door.

Still…

“I might as well get everything I can out of this run.”

The nameless man opened his window and jumped out onto the ground below. He controlled his descent with black qi, making him look every bit a villain. Paired with his pale skin and cold eyes, any onlooker would have screamed in terror.

But even if they looked his way, that scene would have never occurred, all traces of his being hidden away from the world itself.

The nameless man focused on the powerful auras emanating in the air. To the citizens of Heavenspan, it was a reassurance. To visitors, it was a warning. But to him, it served as a clear road map to his destination.

“That way.” Muttering those words to himself, the nameless man began walking while going over his objectives. “Kill a few Saints, send those guards on a rampage to disrupt city order, then do a speedrun on the beasts. If I mess up then it’s time for plan C.”

The nameless man tilted his head, cracking his neck, and said, “Might as well go all out then.” A pitch black sword formed in his right hand, laced with pulsing crimson lines. In the next instant, a dark blur shot through the air towards the central palace.

---

Night was slowly turning into day as the sun’s bright disk began sneaking over the horizon and shining its warm rays. But in spite of that comfortable light, Xinxin put on frosty expression and pointedly ignored Mu Tian as she walked towards Heavenspan’s checkpoint.

“Lady Xian. You must believe me! It was not my intent to do anything untoward!” Mu Tian called out from behind Xinxin. “You are in great danger, and I was acting to protect you!”

Xinxin scoffed, but didn’t react in any other way.

Great danger? Protect? Sure. That could be true. She would place it at about… 70%. However, despite the fact that Mu Tian was acting half-decent now and even went so far as to forsake his name, Xinxin still didn’t like him.

…It was irrational and petty, but that was what she felt.

Xinxin slightly turned her head and gave a sidelong glance towards Mu Tian. Perhaps because he had suppressed his cultivation base again, and because Xinxin had reflexively slapped him with all her might, Mu Tian’s face had a bright red hand print on his cheek.

Despite keeping her glance subtle, Mu Tian noticed. He sped up and tried to walk alongside Xinxin. “You have to listen to me, Lady Xian-“

Xinxin didn’t want to hear him so she picked up her pace. Since they were near the gate, she didn’t do anything unladylike as run, but she took wide enough strides to make her point known.

Mu Tian sighed. “Very well, Lady Xian. But at least slow down your pace so that we can enter together. Even a petulant lady like yourself knows better than to rush off without her guard, right?”

“Well, I would have thought a ‘guard’ would have known better than to act so intimate with his charge, but heaven has given us both plenty of surprises today, hasn’t it?”

Mu Tian sighed again and muttered, “You have no idea.”

“What?” Xinxin rounded on the former Wang scion. “Keeping more secrets from me?”

“But I just- haah. It is nothing, Lady Xian.”

“…It better be.”

The rest of the journey towards Heavenspan’s checkpoint went on in an uncomfortable silence. Xinxin refused to say anything else since she was still irritated at Mu Tian. What was wrong with him anyway? It was two steps forward and three steps back with the guy. Maybe she should just leave him behind after all?

…No. Even if she didn’t like Mu Tian, he was still useful and seemed… somewhat sincere. Not only that, but he was a powerful expert who placed her interests above his own to an irritating degree.

Even if her Sifu could be heartless and leave her behind, she couldn’t quite find it in herself to do the same to Mu Tian.

“Tch.” What was the benefit of having her karma stolen if she couldn’t even sever ties with the one she had disdained for years now?

The pair finally arrived at the doors to Heavenspan’s checkpoint. A single guard stood at the ready. Bamboo armor covered his body while he held a spear at his side.

Was it because he had been out for too long? The guard simply stared at Xinxin and Mu Tian with blank eyes as they approached.

Xinxin smiled and waved her hand. “Hello there! You wouldn’t mind letting us into the city, would you?”

Mu Tian nudged Xinxin’s back and whispered, “Haughty lady, remember?”

Xinxin was startled, but managed to turn that into an impatient glare. “What? Do you dare stand in my, Lady Xian’s way?”

Maybe it was her current appearance, crimson hair and sharp phoenix eyes, or maybe it was her natural disposition, buried beneath the years of being meek and obedient. Either way, Xinxin’s words came out exactly like a haughty lady would speak.

Even so, the guard didn’t react. No, he did react. It was slight, but his gaze focused a bit and he turned to look at Xinxin.

“…Identities?”

“Er-“

At that time, Mu Tian stepped forward and held out a pair of jade slips. “Here you go.”

The guard took the jade slips and observed them for a bit before handing them back. “Very well. Lady Xian and Mu Tian, envoys from the Eastern Plains.” With those lines said, the guard stepped aside. The moment he did, the doors behind him swung open to reveal a place that looked like a barrack.

Cots lined the walls and various guards stood around on standby. However, the moment the doors opened, all the eyes were trained on Xinxin and Mu Tian.

Despite being used to attention, the intense gaze of those guards made Xinxin take a step back.

The sound of a sword being partially drawn caused the guards to look away.

Xinxin glanced back to see Mu Tian with his hand placed over his sword.

The former Wang scion caught Xinxin’s gaze and smiled. Probably to reassure her.

Xinxin scoffed and turned her head away. Still, she appreciated the effort. Not that she would let him have the satisfaction of knowing that.

The guard who let the pair in didn’t react to the exchange. However, he did wait. When the rest of the guards went back to what they were doing and Mu Tian sheathed his sword, the guard said, “Follow me. I will lead the way.”

Without any other warning, not caring whether the two followed him or not, the guard began walking through the room, as well as his peers that were mostly just standing around.

Xinxin quickly walked after the guard. Mu Tian did as well, although he remained behind Xinxin as a man of his assumed station usually would.

The rest of the affair went smoothly. The guard led Xinxin and Mu Tian into the city while the other guards gave them no more attention.

It made Xinxin wonder what was on the jade slips Mu Tian presented, but she decided to let that bit of curiosity be since it wasn’t too important. More likely than not, Mu Tian probably just prepared it with his deep connections in the past. Probably for philandering…

The guard eventually led the pair to another set of doors. After opening it, the guard said, “Enjoy your stay in Heavenspan.” With that said, the guard walked past Xinxin and Mu Tian, returning to his post.

Xinxin frowned at the callous treatment. “Do guards always act like this, Mu Tian?”

“Would they dare to act any other way in front of a noble when they are mere guardsmen?”

“True…” Thinking back to her own clan, the guards usually acted like that when any young master or lady showed up with their entourage. “But didn’t they seem a bit strange to you?”

“Strange?”

Xinxin frowned, trying to figure out what was wrong. After a moment though, she decided it didn’t matter. “Never mind that. First of all, let’s find a proper place to stay for the night… or what’s left of it.”

She stepped forward to cross the doorway onto the main street.

“Ah, wait Lady Xian-“

Xinxin’s foot touched down onto the white marble stone used to pave Heavenspan’s streets. The moment it did, a dozen Saint-level auras pressed down on her.

She gasped and fell to her knees. However, the auras vanished as soon as they came, but not without leaving a faint trace in the air behind as a warning.

Xinxin spun around to glare at Mu Tian.

The currently average-looking swordsman shrugged. “I tried to warn you. The Bai Clan is a bit… domineering.”

“You don’t say?”

Mu Tian walked forward and held out a hand towards Xinxin.

She stared at it for a moment before sighing and grabbing it.

And then a thunderous tiger roar erupted in the air, along with a flash of pure white light.

< – Previous         TOC         Next – >

3:24 – Karma – IV

“Claimed?” Xinxin blinked. “What are you talking about?”

Mu Tian let out a wry smile. “It seems that you are not the only one who disdains the thought of being with me.”

Xinxin glared at Mu Tian. “Stop speaking like some old master and tell me, Wang Tian! What do you mean I’ve been claimed?”

“…It is complicated.” Mu Tian sighed. “In this world, karma governs the fates of men, women, and beasts alike. Even the fabled immortals are bound by it.”

“And? You still haven’t answered me.”

Mu Tian gestured towards Xinxin’s wrist. “Normally, living beings are connected to each other through karma, threads born through interaction. These threads, minuscule as they might be, reflect the relations of all living creatures. It is an invisible web that not only ensnares, but guides. A means to lead one to their destiny.”

Xinxin felt a surge of anger. “I don’t need the theory, Wang Tian! Tell me what you mean!”

Mu Tian stared at Xinxin. “Very well. To say it briefly… your karma has been stolen. Sealed away. Taken. The relations that you should have, the interactions you were fated, your future, your past, your present… all of it has been torn away. The supportive web that should bind you has been severed. In its place, an unbreakable bond has been forged, connecting you to another. And that is why I ask, Xinxin. Who is the last person to grab your wrist?”

Xinxin froze. Mu Tian’s words echoed in her mind.

Her karma… stolen? Her relations, her past, present, and future torn away?

“…Y-You must be mistaken.”

She recalled who it was. The only person who had grabbed her wrist was Sifu. Her Sifu. But he wouldn’t do that to her… would he? No, he would. He said as much. But then… but then…?

Xinxin grabbed her wrist and took a step back. “That can’t be. A-and what makes you so certain, anyway?”

Mu Tian stared at Xinxin with a steady gaze. “…It is a complicated answer, but I possess the ability to sense karma.”

“S-So? Shouldn’t you have realized it before now then? How do you know you’re not seeing things?”

“…That is because your karma had not changed until this point. No.” Mu Tian shook his head. “It had changed, but remained essentially intact. Yet now…” Mu Tian stared at Xinxin. “…Was it your Sifu? Is this the price to pay for your strength, Xinxin?”

Xinxin couldn’t answer. However, those words… ‘price’. A cost. The strength she possessed now, the words her Sifu had given her… was this what he warned about?

Severed from all of her karma and bound only to him. That was-

“A karmic anomaly.” The words echoed fell unbidden from her lips.

Mu Tian nodded. “Yes. The one who could do this to you… that person could only be called as such. Interfering with the order of nature could not be done by anyone else.”

A headache. Xinxin felt something in her mind crack at that realization. At the same time, she felt… odd. Her cultivation base became unsettled, the black core in her dantian sending out waves of frantic energy. With that, her knees became weak, and Xinxin staggered back.

“Xinxin!” Mu Tian reached out to grab her. “Let me-“

“Don’t touch me!”

Mu Tian froze in his tracks. “Xinxin-“

She shook her head and took a deep breath. “I… I’m fine. It’s… probably just a side-effect from finding out what happened in this village.”

“Hm? You know what happened?”

Xinxin nodded. It was a forced change of topic, but she felt that dwelling on her Sifu and her karma would lead her down a path of no return, so she chose to avoid it for the moment. “Yes,” Xinxin said. “The negative energy and resentful memories had been hidden within the natural surroundings. If you absorb some, you should be able to figure it out as well.”

Mu Tian frowned but did as Xinxin suggested. Whether because he was more adept as a Saint, or because he possessed a stronger will than Xinxin, Mu Tian was unscathed by the flood of resentful memories.

He remained silent for a moment before saying, “What did you learn, Xinxin?”

The heaven-defying beauty frowned and tried to piece together the fragmented memories. “…There was a black-robed man. He… failed at something. Trying to reach someone… a woman? And I think there was something about an… Immortal Door?”

Mu Tian’s expression darkened. “So it is the same, then.”

“Do you know something?”

“…Possibly. But if that is true…”

Xinxin frowned. “Wang Tian. Tell me.”

“It is Mu Tian, Lady Xian. And in any case… if your Sifu is pursuing the one that I am thinking of, the entire Xia Dynasty will soon be overturned.”

“What? How?”

Mu Tian shook his head. “There are only two ways to reach ‘that person’. One is through the Immortal Door and obtaining a ‘path’. The other is slaying the four divine beasts to forcibly engrave a path onto the world.”

“Four divine beasts…” Xinxin muttered. “Do you mean the four guardians?”

Mu Tian nodded. “Yes. And if that is true…” The former Wang Scion turned to look in the distance. “There is no doubt to his location.”

Xinxin followed Mu Tian’s gaze. While far in the distance, she could still make out the city’s towering outer walls. “Heavenspan?”

“Indeed.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Xinxin turned around, flicking her sleeve as she did, and said, “Let’s go.”

Mu Tian smiled. “And what happened to resting in a proper bed?”

“Hmph. Rest can come when we reach the capital. The longer we’re away from it, the higher the chances are of arriving in the middle of a massacre.”

Mu Tian’s smile faded. Staring at Xinxin’s departing back, he muttered, “You know that to be true and still pursue your Sifu?”

Xinxin glanced back. “Did you say something, Mu Tian?”

“It is nothing, Lady Xian.”

“Then hurry up!”

“…Remember to suppress your cultivation, Lady Xian. The Bai Clan will not take kindly to foreign Saints suddenly appearing in the middle of their city.”

“Whatever you say, Mu Tian…”

---

Staring at Xinxin’s energetic march, Mu Tian couldn’t help but frown. Despite the long night and vast distance they had walked, she remained unfazed. That fatigue she had shown earlier was gone, as if just an illusion. Did the thought of reuniting with her Sifu motivate her that much? No, was the bond that Sifu forged so strong?

Mu Tian gazed at Xinxin’s wrist.

It was invisible to her. Even if she possessed the combat prowess of a Saint and enough energy to be considered one, she was still naïve and lacked comprehension. Although, in fairness, most other Saints would not be able to see it as well, only feel it.

Mu Tian… as Wang Tian in the past who had forced his way beyond that Immortal Door as well as slain the four beasts, was the exception. In confronting that ‘Goddess’ in the higher realm, he gained a deeper understanding of the world’s truth, of the ‘Order’ she established.

With that understanding, he gained the ability to perceive karma and sever it. However, for Mu Tian, breaking even a single thread would result in a year of recuperation to restore his cultivation. To sever every single thread connected to Xinxin… Wang Tian couldn’t even begin to imagine the comprehension, strength, and energy needed to do so.

And then there was that remaining thread to consider, wrapped around Xinxin’s right wrist.

Karma came in various colors. Gold for good fortune. Red for affection. Yellow for friendship… there were as many colors and shades as there were the types of interactions between living beings. Yet, in all of Wang Tian’s studies and travels, he had never seen a clear thread.

The one around Xinxin’s wrist was nearly invisible if not for the chaotic fluctuations emanating from the thread and revealing its silhouette. Not only that, but unlike a tidy loop, that thread was knotted in a haphazard way, making it impossible to tell where the end and the beginning started or stopped.

Was this ‘her’ involvement? The one responsible for Wang Tian’s death in his first life, the one that enticed his comrades with the promise of ‘ascension’…

“That Goddess… did she do something?” He muttered.

He recalled that person who greeted him upon carving his path, his Dao onto the world.

An indescribable beauty with cold apathy in her eyes. A Goddess who saw him as a curiosity rather than a person, who observed with the eyes a child might have for an insect before crushing it out of boredom.

Mu Tian glanced at Xinxin’s back, the one who had changed so much from his memories, and recalled the words of that Goddess.

Ooh! I didn’t think anyone could reach me without my help! Congrats for being the first, but your story is kind of boring so… try again.

He muttered those last words to himself.

Try again. That was what the Goddess told him before she turned his comrades against him and caused his death.

Was this situation his second Heavenly Tribulation? Or was everything an illusion, a heart devil that kept him trapped while he remained kneeling before the Goddess?

…No. With how his Dao had been accepted by the starry skies as well as the Goddess, that couldn’t be the case.

Initially, Mu Tian believed it to be the result of his accumulated karma from returning to the start, but now he saw that it was something else entirely. No, some one else.

Xinxin was still walking in front of him. At the same time, she was unaware of the heavy chains upon her wrist, of the insidious coil that tightly bound her being to another. Unaware of how that bond was slowly corrupting her mind, her body, her spirit.

Mu Tian let out a slow breath and made a decision.

If he failed, not only would Xinxin’s Sifu realize it, but the attention of the Goddess would be drawn to him as well. Mu Tian’s ‘Path’ had yet to be accepted in this time. It would be like using the pathway of nobles while being a commoner. Possible, but with dire consequences when caught.

However… Mu Tian couldn’t accept the fact that Xinxin would become an accessory. That her entire existence would only be to serve someone else.

At that thought, a wry smile crossed Mu Tian’s face.

Indeed, hindsight truly was divine… but enough of that.

Mu Tian reached out to grab the hilt of a sword that did not exist. When he did, time and space seemed to freeze. However, he knew that was an illusion. It was not that they froze, but that he had stepped into a different realm.

The faint threads of karma that Mu Tian saw turned into searing lines of light. Glancing at himself, he saw his own karma, wrapped around him like a vestament. However, that was not his target. Shifting his focus, those threads vanished. Instead, the wavering invisible cord around Xinxin’s wrist grew opaque. If before it was the illusory wisps from heat, now it appeared like a cord of woven glass emitting intense heat eroding any other thread attempting to draw near Xinxin.

Mu Tian clenched his right hand. With it, a sword emerged. Plain, unadorned. It was a blade (sword) in the purest form, one that could sever anything beneath the heavens.

The former Wang Scion stepped forward. He stopped when he reached Xinxin’s side.

She was frozen in mid-stride, unaware and unmoving while Mu Tian was operating in that sovereign domain.

Mu Tian narrowed his eyes and glared at the cord binding Xinxin’s wrist. At the same time, he raised his sword.

One chance. That was all he had, unlike his second attempt at life. If he failed this… no. He couldn’t fail. He wouldn’t fail.

Mu Tian steeled his heart and focused his entire being into one strike-

“Hoh?”

-And then a cold voice echoed in the realm where no one should exist.

Mu Tian turned to look at the speaker… or he tried. However, he couldn’t move. Despite that, he could speak.

“Realm… suppression…?”

It was impossible. He had reached the limits of the world. He was also the first person to do so, the only person to do so. The only one who would be able to bind him like that had to be the Goddess. Yet, the voice that spoke was undoubtedly male.

Footsteps echoed even though they shouldn’t have been able to and a figure appeared from the void, standing in front of Xinxin.

A man. However, it was no normal man. Black hair, cold and dark eyes. His skin was pale and transluscent, almost like he was a ghost. Paired with the black robes that billowed around him like wisps of dark smoke, he appeared like a preta who had emerged from the underworld. A hungry ghost that desired only to consume everything around him.

That man looked around for a bit before glancing at his right hand. There, he clutched what looked like a pitch-black stick. Seeing it, a flicker of emotion crossed his face, but it quickly vanished as he turned to look at Mu Tian.

“How interesting, One Tin. I never knew something like this was possible.” The black-robed man smiled, revealing gleaming white teeth. “I knew that sticking around for a bit longer would be worthwhile. I’ll have to remember to thank you if there’s a next time… not that you’ll remember it even if I did.”

-Move. Mu Tian had to move. That man- no, that preta was someone that wouldn’t be satisfied with a small amount of power.

“And to think that you were with my dear disciple. Did she change her mind about the arranged marriage after all?” The man stepped in front of Xinxin and stared into her eyes. “…No. She still hates you quite a bit. Then why- hm?”

He noticed it.

Before, he must not have realized the control he had over Xinxin. However, when Mu Tian saw how that man’s eyes lit up seeing the karma binding Xinxin, Mu Tian knew that he did now. And since that man knew, it would only take a thought for Xinxin to become nothing more than an object to him. A tool.

“This is-“

“HEAVEN CLEAVING!” Mu Tian roared and put everything he had into a single slash. The path, the sword that he forged with his very being cut through the void.

He knew it instinctively. The man standing before him would destroy the world, would become the source of Xinxin’s suffering in the future.

Thus, before all of that occurred, before the man’s boundless growth could continue any further, Mu Tian had to put a stop to it.

But-

“A conceptual attack? Unfortunately for you, One Tin, I’ve dealt with that before.”

-The sword that should have cut apart everything beneath the heavens failed to pierce even the man’s robes.

Despite all of that, despite Mu Tian’s killing intent, the man didn’t show a hint of malice. Instead, he seemed amused by it all. No, more than that… he seemed somewhat approving?

“Well… she should be fine with you around. At least that Goddess should think twice before acting… though you were a bit reckless this time. I’ll hide that for you, so do your best to distract my disciple until I finish my business, alright One Tin?”

“What-“

The man smiled and waved his hand. With that act, Mu Tian’s sword vanished, time and space returned to normal, and the man disappeared.

At the same time, it meant that Xinxin was moving again. She immediately noticed Mu Tian’s close presence and instinctively lashed out. “You creep!”

“W-Wait, Lady Xian-“

Before he could protest, Xinxin had already lashed out and a loud smack resounded.

< – Previous         TOC         Next – >

3:23 – Karma – III

The moon remained shining beneath the starry sky. Yet, it had moved quite a ways since the time Xinxin and Mu Tian emerged on the Western Plains.

Since the pair were doing their best to avoid attention, they had walked the entire time.

Xinxin was annoyed at that fact. If Wang Tian… or Mu Tian, if she went by his new name, hadn’t decided to go along with her, she would have already arrived at the Bai Clan’s territory.

Then again, if she was alone, she would never have known about the strange occurrences in the Western Territory and would probably have been searching blindly still in the Northern Territories by the Wang Clan…

Xinxin sighed and looked up. When she did, she saw something else besides the almost endless stretch of hilly plains. “A village!” Finally, she could get some rest instead of the endless walking!

“A village?” Mu Tian called out from beside her and looked towards the village. “…It appears so. But Lady Xian-“

Before Mu Tian could say anything else, Xinxin broke out in a sprint.

“Lady Xian!”

“Hmph! We’ve been walking all night and I want a bed! You’re not stopping me, Mu Tian!”

Mu Tian ran after her. Despite Xinxin getting a head start and their cultivation bases being suppressed to the same levels, Mu Tian still managed to catch up. “Could you not be so hasty, Lady Xian?” Mu Tian jogged alongside Xinxin and said, “As your guard, it will be troublesome if someone attacks you where I cannot reach.”

“Yes… but isn’t it more convincing like this?”

“Convincing… ah.”

Xinxin sighed. Even as skilled as that guy was, it seemed that he was lacking a bit in the acting department. Were all men like that, or was it just inherent to Mu Tian? Her Sifu hadn’t been like that, had he?

The village drew near, and Xinxin could make out finer details about it. A wooden fence encircled the entire village, and a large gate served as the entrance. From the looks of it, that was used as a deterrent to robbers and stray beasts. However, the gate was open, its doors slightly ajar, despite it being night time.

Seeing that, Xinxin slowed her pace. Beside her, Mu Tian did the same.

“…I’m unfamiliar with the customs of the Western Plains, Mu Tian. But do villages usually leave their gates open at night?”

Mu Tian unsheathed his sword and said, “No. They do not.”

“Could this be another of those ‘strange occurrences’ you were talking about?”

“Perhaps.” Mu Tian stepped in front of Xinxin and said, “Follow close behind, Lady Xian. Keep your cultivation suppressed, but do not hesitate to release it if danger appears.”

“You don’t need to tell me.”

“True. But I remind you regardless.” That said, Mu Tian walked towards the village gate.

Xinxin followed him.

Reaching the gate, Mu Tian pushed the doors. Despite not putting much force into it, both fell over, crashing against the ground with a thud.

Xinxin flinched and examined the surroundings, both with her eyes and her spiritual sense. When she did, she muttered, “There’s nothing?”

Mu Tian frowned and slowly advanced.

Xinxin did the same. As she did, she hid her hands in her sleeves and formed a small blade from her qi to use at a moment’s notice.

The village was eerily quiet. Despite being deep into night, there should have been some signs of life. The crackling of fire, the soft rustles of breath. And yet, it was absolutely silent, like a land of the dead.

Xinxin and Mu Tian made their way through the village, scanning everywhere they went. Yet, no signs of life emerged. Eventually, they stepped into the village plaza, a wide open expanse that the villages must have used for gatherings and daily activities.

There, Xinxin felt the first hint of something off.

She frowned and looked around with her eyes and spiritual sense.

Empty buildings, dusty roads, abandoned stalls… it was more of the same that they had seen along the way. Yet, Xinxin felt something else as well. The flow of natural energy was normal and abundant, so it wasn’t that. At the same time, there wasn’t a bloody aura or air of resentment that should have been present from a slaughter or fight.

“Strange,” Mu Tian muttered.

Xinxin nodded. “Did you notice it as well?”

“Yes.” Mu Tian was quiet for a moment and then sheathed his sword.

“Mu Tian?”

He shook his head. “There is nothing and no one here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, despite how odd it is.”

Xinxin was still uncertain and kept searching for another few minutes. After that, she was forced to agree. Even so, she kept her blade ready in her sleeves. “So,” she said. “What do you think happened then, Mister Heavenly Revelation?”

Mu Tian’s mouth twitched after hearing Xinxin’s words, but he smoothed his expression and said, “I am unsure.” He turned his head to look at the plaza. “I believed it to be similar to what happened at the Zhan Clan, but…”

“But?”

“There are no corpses.” Mu Tian knelt to the ground and scraped a bit of the dirt. “…At the same time, there is no blood. No resentment. No negative karma.” Mu Tian stood up and brushed his hand against his blue robes. “The natural order remains undisturbed, along with the natural energy in the surroundings. If an expert had appeared here, that would not be the case.”

Hearing Mu Tian’s words affirmed Xinxin’s suspicions. But that only made the strange scenario stranger.

This was a village. Even if abandoned, there should have been some signs of it. Yet, everything was untouched, almost as if everyone had vanished in an instant. Furthermore, the flow of natural energy was completely undisturbed. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary-

Wait. Nothing?

Xinxin partially unsealed her cultivation and began absorbing the natural energy.

“Hm?” Mu Tian turned to Xinxin and said, “Do you have an idea?”

Xinxin nodded. “I think so. If this is my Sifu’s doing… it might be a test for me.” She remembered the manual her Sifu gave her. From nothing came all of creation, and all of creation returned to nothing.

Then, if there was nothing out of the ordinary… what was extraordinary must be hidden within that.

Xinxin closed her eyes and cycled the surrounding energy through her body and into her dantian.

At first, nothing out of the ordinary occurred. It followed the proper route into the black core within her dantian and was torn apart, ruthlessly assimilated to her growing pool of energy. But after a few minutes, that changed.

Hostility. Anger. Despair.

A flood of negative emotions and fragments of memories filled her mind.

“Kuh.” Xinxin coughed and bent over. Glancing at the ground, she saw a few specks of bright crimson on the dirt before her. At the same time, her vision began fading, replaced by different scenes.

A woman beautiful beyond words. A tree that towered into the heavens. A forest filled with endless white mist.

And then darkness. Solitude.

In a place that no one could reach, in an area no one remembered. There a hand reached out to her.

A flood of warmth erased the darkness.

Xinxin gasped and opened her eyes that she didn’t realize had closed.

Mu Tian was standing in front of her, his hand holding her right arm and sending qi through her meridians. His average appearance had been dispelled, and the handsome heavenly prince admired by all reappeared before her. However, the usual calm in his eyes was gone, replaced by a frigid wrath. His cultivation base was unsealed, revealing all the majesty of a Saint, and his eyes had turned a glacial blue along with it staring intently at Xinxin’s wrist.

Seeing him so serious, Xinxin couldn’t help but smile. “What happened to being a humble swordsman, Mu Tian?”

Mu Tian shifted his gaze towards Xinxin.

Was it because of the physical contact, or because Mu Tian was sending his energy into her body? Either way, for a brief moment she felt a glimmer of regret and concern in her heart. At the same time, she caught a glimpse of a woman who looked similar to herself, yet different. A heaven-defying beauty, yet one that had not been trained. A mortal.

Before Xinxin could make sense of what she experienced, Mu Tian let go of her arm.

“Xinxin.” Mu Tian’s voice was somber. He also hadn’t suppressed his cultivation. “Who was the last person who grabbed your wrist?”

Xinxin scoffed and turned her head, causing her currently crimson hair to shift like wisps of flame. “What, jealous?” She stared at Mu Tian from the corner of her eyes and frowned. “You don’t own me or get to decide who or what I do, Mister One Tin.”

“You do not understand. That-“

“ You don’t understand!” Xinxin crossed her arms and turned to face Mu Tian. “I was beginning to think that you might be a half-decent person, but it looks like you just can’t let our betrothal drop, can you?”

Mu Tian shook his head. “It is not that.”

“Then what is it?!”

Mu Tian was quiet.

As the silence drew on, Xinxin’s patience grew thin. Just when she was about to burst and yell at Mu Tian, he let out a long sigh.

“Xinxin.”

“What?”

“…Someone has claimed you.”

< – Previous         TOC         Next – >

3:22 – Karma – II

A guard in bamboo armor took a step back, his eyes wide with fear. He brandished a spear, waving it in front of him with trembling hands. “S-Stay back, you monster!”

Someone stepped forward. Another man, one with average features, black hair, and a black robe. In contrast to the guard’s frantic actions, the man was calm, composed. Almost eerily so.

That composure must have got to the guard. With a scream, the guard tossed his spear. Qi gathered in the spear, wrapping it with white light. As the spear flew, that light flickered and crackled, accelerating it. Before long, the tossed spear had become a bolt of white lightning aimed at the black-robed man’s heart.

An explosion erupted as the spear collided with its target. White lightning bolts scattered in every direction, and dust from the impact obscured the air.

The guard smiled at the sight and let out a sigh of relief. However, as the dust settled, the smile froze on the guard’s face.

The nameless ghost of a man let out a sigh. “Impressive technique, but you were far too lacking to utilize it properly.”

The guard paled upon hearing the man’s words, but it was too late.

The man stepped forward once more, his black robe billowing with his movement. However, unlike the first that had only covered a short distance, the second step closed the gap between him and the guard at once.

The guard let out a gargled gasp. A hand grasped his throat, slowly crushing it as the owner raised the guard into the air.

The black-robed man ignored the guard’s struggles. Instead, he focused on the essence flowing into his body, the steady stream of qi, spiritual energy, and accumulated memories coming from the guard.

Time passed. With every second, the guard’s struggles grew more frantic as his gasps decreased. He clawed at the arm holding him in the air, but was unable to even leave a single scratch. But that was inevitable. Trying to pierce the skin of the arm holding him up was like trying to tear apart steel with a feather.

Eventually, the guard stopped struggling and his arms fell limp at his side.

On seeing that, and on feeling that the flow had ceased, the nameless ghost of a man tossed the guard aside.

When the guard’s body crashed against the ground, it exploded into a pile of ash. However, even that ash didn’t persist and slowly dissolved into nothingness.

The black-robed man took a deep breath and then took a moment to evaluate his surroundings.

It was the dead of night, a few hours after midnight and before the sun’s first rays of light. Even so, the wide and bright disk of the moon was clear in the starry sky, giving off plenty of radiance to see.

After leaving the village, the nameless ghost of a man had arrived at the outer wall of the Bai Clan’s capital, Heavenspan. A powerful formation prevented anyone from attempting to climb over the walls or flying inside, meaning that the only way inside was through one of the four checkpoints and past a squadron of stationed guards.

To any normal infiltrator, it would be impossible to slip in undetected. With the sheer number of guards on rotation, over a dozen by the black-robed man’s last count, an infiltrator would either have to use a heaven-defying concealment technique to slip past the guards or somehow eliminate them all at once without alerting a single one of the many, many Saints keeping watch from the center of the capital.

A high order for most experts, but a trivial task for him.

The checkpoint that was filled with guards had become empty. The tables and seats where men had just been talking to pass the long night, the counter that the new recruits used to sort the paperwork and passes of travelers, even the cots strewn about where some guards had been napping. They were all empty, leaving not even a single trace that someone had been there just a few minutes prior.

The nameless ghost of a man walked over to a table and sat down, his black robe shifting in a non-existent breeze like dark wisps of smoke. Once settled in his seat, he closed his eyes for a moment. The act brought forth a stream of memories.

Fear. Pain. Regret. Remorse. Despair.

Countless negative emotions swirled as the accumulated experience of each guard he had slain was brought to the forefront.

It was enough to drive a man mad… or at least an ordinary one. However, at a time like that, Absolute Memory and its broad application revealed its strength. Before the nameless ghost of a man lost himself beneath the deluge, the memories were filtered away, stripped of both emotion and useless experiences until only the pertinent and desired knowledge remained.

After a few moments, he opened his eyes and muttered, “So that’s how it is.”

The White Tiger rested in the palace deep in the center of Heavenspan and was hailed as the Bai Clan’s divine guardian, taking a position even above the Bai Clan’s ancestor. Within that palace, the strongest of the Bai Clan, twenty one Saints that had reached the level centuries ago, maintained a constant vigil. Among those Saints, one was rumored to be making preparations to break through the Immortal Door and attain immortality.

From the conglomerated memories of the guards, the Saints were to allow quick execution of any order or desire the White Tiger may express. Yet… if that was the case, why so many?

The White Tiger was one of the four guardian beasts serving as the linchpins of the Xia Dynasty. It didn’t need protection… at least, it shouldn’t.

No answer emerged from the memories of the guards, but he could make a guess why that might be the case. And if his guess was true, the black-robed man’s time in Heavenspan wouldn’t be very long.

“It looks like this attempt is going to be quite… interesting.” The black-robed man smiled and stood up. He turned towards the path leading into the city and started walking. However, after taking a few steps, he paused.

“That’s right. It’ll be a hassle if those Saints catch wind of my actions so…”

He turned back around and stared at the empty checkpoint. As his cold dark eyes swept over the space, he recalled the position and mannerisms of every guard that had been there prior to his arrival. He recalled their forms, their appearances, their equipment… even the memories that he had obtained from them.

Wherever the black-robed man’s gaze paused, a shadowy figure emerged. Soon, the entire checkpoint was filled with those shadowy figures. The moment that happened, the black-robed man closed his eyes and remembered .

Someone observing the checkpoint would have noticed a distortion. For a brief moment, not only space and time, but existence itself seemed to flicker and skip. However, even if someone noticed, that observation would have been erased as the distortion resolved itself.

The quiet and empty checkpoint became noisy and lively in an instant as the guards were restored to normal, never realizing that they had all been slain just minutes prior.

Standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by the guards on all sides, the black-robed man was strangely unconcerned. And, despite the addition of an unfamiliar person in the center of their checkpoint, none of the guards spared him any glance.

“Tch.” The black-robed man shook his head. “It’s still incomplete.”

It was convincing enough. If any of those guards were to be prompted and ordered about, they would act accordingly. Left to their own devices, they would also act like their memories and personalities dictated. In other words, like an ordinary person.

However, the spark of humanity, the ‘soul’ that created life was missing from them all. A fact that would easily be found out on close scrutiny by a Saint.

“Well… there’s not much else I can do about it. Something to work on in the next attempt.”

The nameless ghost of a man sighed and then walked off, leaving the hollow shells of the guards behind him.

< – Previous         TOC         Next – >

3:21 – Karma – I

A young lady in a violet dress sighed and fidgeted with her long, crimson hair. After a few moments, she stopped and shifted her blue eyes to the side, staring at a person standing there. “This is a stupid idea.”

The person was a young man in a dark blue martial attire. Long black hair trailed behind him, scraggly and uncouth. The young man possessed a valiant demeanor, but his appearance was average at best.

Contrasted with the beautiful young lady speaking to him, that average appearance seemed even worse. Yet, although that was average, the taut and lithe muscles revealed beneath the man’s attire were not. His body was one forged through combat and dedicated training. Coupled with the sword he kept sheathed at his side, it was clear that he was not one to be taken lightly.

He met the young lady’s gaze and said, “That may be true, Lady Xian. However, it is necessary to avoid trouble while we travel the land.”

‘Lady Xian’ grimaced at the young man’s words. “Can’t you talk more… arrogantly? Aloof? You know, like you used to.” She shook her head and said, “Where’s that pride of yours?”

The young man immediately replied. “I threw it away with my name, Lady Xian.”

“And that!” ‘Lady Xian’ pointed at the young man and said, “Just what were you thinking, Wa- um, Mu Tian? Is something wrong with your head?”

The young man, Mu Tian, said, “Nothing is wrong with me. I simply now have the eyes to see Mt. Tai.”

“Eyes to see Mt. Tai?” Lady Xian stared at Mu Tian, carefully scrutinizing him.

The appearance was different from the one she remembered, but there was no mistaking the fact that the person standing before her was that heavenly prince hailed by the Wang Clan in the past. Even with his cultivation suppressed to the level of a Core Formation expert, there was no mistaking his sharp aura. And yet…

“…You’re weird.”

“I prefer calling it ‘enlightened’, Lady Xian.”

Xinxin shook her head and then looked away. “Whatever, weirdo.”

The glassy white moon cast its radiance from the night sky, surrounded by countless stars. After the abrupt end to their fight and sudden departure, Xinxin and Wang Tian had emerged somewhere in the Western Plains of the Xia Dynasty. Due to the hastily created spatial rift they used to escape, night had already fallen when they reached the other side of the rift.

However, that wasn’t enough to ensure they could avoid the Wang Elders, especially Wang Tian’s grandfather. That led to the current situation of both Xinxin and Wang Tian, now Mu Tian after throwing away his clan name, disguising themselves with the Myriad Heavens technique.

Xinxin was playing the part of a willful ‘Lady Xian’, the daughter of some mortal king in the Eastern Plains.

Mu Tian was her body guard, a plain swordsman that had reached the Core Formation stage. He was also fiercely loyal and quick to strike anyone who besmirched her honor… or so Mu Tian declared.

Personally, Xinxin thought that Mu Tian was secretly relishing the chance to put unsuspecting young masters in their place. After all, it would have been just as simple for them to be a pair of traveling brother and sister loose practitioners…

“So, Mu Tian.”

“Yes, Lady Xian?”

Xinxin stared off in the distance and frowned. “Why are we heading to the Bai Clan’s territory again? Wouldn’t it be better to gather information in the Imperial City?”

“That may be the case. However, in recent years I learned of certain strange occurrences on the Western Plains.”

“Strange occurrences?” Xinxin turned her head back to look at Mu Tian.

The swordsman nodded. “Renowned experts going missing, entire villages becoming empty without a trace of conflict… the general consensus seems to be that a loose cultivator following an unorthodox path is on the rise. However…”

“It’s just like what happened at home,” Xinxin said.

“Yes, Lady Xian.”

Xinxin frowned. Sifu… just what was he doing? No, was it her Sifu in the first place? Surely someone as powerful as him didn’t need to resort to such lowly means? After all, he had bestowed Xinxin a heaven-defying cultivation base as well as the technique to match it. Following a path of slaughter just wasn’t like him… was it?

“Whether a loose cultivator or not,” Mu Tian said, “It remains the best lead we have for your Sifu.”

Xinxin sighed. “I guess so.” She turned back in the direction of the Bai Clan and then frowned. “…Are you sure we have to walk all the way there?”

“If you find it unpleasant, Lady Xian, I can always carry you.”

“Pft. As if I would allow that.”

“It would increase the veracity of our disguise.”

“Sure it would, but I’d rather fight it out with people who discover us than let you carry me.”

“…As you will, Lady Xian.”

Hearing Mu Tian’s response gave Xinxin mixed emotions. Since she couldn’t sort them out, she scoffed and started walking.

For a while, there were only the sounds of padded footsteps and a soft night breeze. Xinxin walked with a resolute marching pace and Mu Tian quietly matched her from behind.

At first, she could ignore it. However, as they kept walking in silence, Xinxin couldn’t help but speak up. “Mu Tian,” she said.

“Yes, Lady Xian?”

Xinxin walked for a bit, mulling over her words, and then she said, “Why did you change?”

“I do not understand?”

“This…” Xinxin thought about how to phrase her words and said, “Everything about you. It’s different. You used to be so haughty, hogging the limelight at every chance you could. At the same time, you took everything for granted and treated me like an object. The betrothal was just an accessory to your great ‘dao’. But now you’re so… weird. Humble. It isn’t like you.”

Mu Tian sighed. “Does it matter?”

“Yes. It does.” Xinxin came to a stop and turned around.

Seeing Xinxin stop, Mu Tian came to a halt as well.

Staring at Mu Tian, Xinxin recalled what she remembered of the former scion. Lofty and aloof. Condescending. Annoyingly talented. Always seeking the best resources and techniques while taking everything for granted.

But with how Mu Tian had acted, forsaking his clan name, chasing after her, showing up to defend her for no reason after she was heading back to the Zhan Clan… and then there was his hands-off approach in the recent years as well.

The accumulation of experiences was enough to rouse Xinxin’s suspicion. It was good that she didn’t to deal with that arrogant young master she remembered, but she didn’t know what to think of the person that took his place.

Mu Tian broke the silence first. He gave a long sigh and said, “Let us say that I had a heavenly revelation while I was training.”

“…A heavenly revelation.”

Xinxin didn’t believe it. Convenient things like that didn’t happen in life. And even if they did, they were never in her favor.

However, Mu Tian was sincere. The former heavenly prince nodded and said, “The path of cultivation is long and arduous, granting immortality at its end. It is a path of attainment… but it is also a path of severing. To gain immortality is to leave the mortal realm behind to reach eternity, along with any lingering sentiments. That…” Mu Tian stared at Xinxin and then looked away before muttering, “I did not wish to live like that.”

Faced with the vulnerable confession, Xinxin didn’t know what to say or feel. She thought that it might have been better to not have asked at all, especially since Mu Tian’s sincere words made her feel weird.

In the end, Xinxin turned around and said, “…I still think you’re weird.”

Mu Tian laughed. “If you did not, I would be concerned.”

With Mu Tian’s laughter, the strange mood between them seemed to have lightened and the pair began walking again. However, as they did, Xinxin mulled over Mu Tian’s last words.

Cultivation as a path of severing… didn’t seem to line up with her Sifu’s words.

Instead of severing, cultivation was a path of accumulation and binding. At least, that was what her Sifu wrote in the manual he left her. In addition, Xinxin’s experiences seemed to reflect that. Gathering all of the energy from around her and converting it into her own unique form…

The normal path of cultivation led one to Sainthood and then the mastery of Laws to open the Immortal Door and attain eternity. Like Mu Tian said, it was a path of severing, of transcending the mortal coil.

But if that was the case…

“Just what is this technique Sifu left me?”

If the true path of cultivation severed a path to the heavens, where did her path, one that devoured anything and everything around her, lead?

< – Previous         TOC         Next – >

3:20 – Ghost Man

How much time had passed? He blinked and realized that he didn’t know anymore. Not only that, but he didn’t know where he was.

There was a sword in his right hand. A blade, forged from pure darkness and pulsing with crimson veins. From it, energy flowed into his body, something not quite mana and yet similar.

He blinked again and realized that he was standing in the midst of a village beneath the light of the moon. A sharp scent of blood filled the air, born from the corpses strewn all around him. Fresh corpses.

An old man with balding hair laid on his back, facing the sky with unseeing glassy eyes. A deep gouge cut through his shirt to reveal bone and viscera.

A young girl lay face down on the ground, her black twin-tails matted with dirt and blood while her arms clutched a broken doll. Beside her, a woman that could only have been the girl’s mother reached out only to have her hand fall short.

Those and other people, slain in tragic ways, filled the village with their corpses.

He blinked again and the memories came flooding back.

A path of slaughter to memorize the qi and spiritual energy of countless people. That was what he chose, an experiment to obtain a power uniquely his own by analyzing the fundamental makeup of the strange power in the land untainted by the Goddess’s divinity.

A young and impossibly beautiful girl that conveniently appeared before him, one he used as a guinea pig to understand the intricacies of spiritual meridians.

Him, adopting the persona of a teacher towards the young girl to have her try out various techniques and restarting whenever they killed her.

He blinked again and remembered where he was as well as what he was doing.

The nameless ghost of a man muttered to himself. “That’s right. I failed this time too.”

It was a peaceful village within the Western Plains of the Xia Dynasty, thousands of miles away from the Zhan Clan as well as that disciple of his. One far enough from the Bai Clan to where it would be a while before news spread of its inhabitants vanishing without a trace.

That village was his last ‘memory’, the checkpoint he set in place before attempting to reach that Goddess. The final place before he attempted to break through the so called Door of Immortality to step into her domain and confront her face to face.

But.

“It’s still not enough.” The nameless ghost of a man muttered and held up his left hand. Within it, dark tendrils of energy flickered before splitting into five colors, representing the Eastern primordial elements. Those colors flickered again before turning into four, representing the Western primordial elements.

From chaos and darkness emerged order and light. All of creation, born from a seed of chaos. That was the accumulation of his experiments and trials, the fruit of reverse engineering all of his abilities with his new energy.

Yet, despite gathering the qi and spiritual energy of millions and reaching the peak of what the locals called Sainthood, he still wasn’t powerful enough to breach the Immortal Door and reach the higher realm where that damned Goddess was waiting.

There was something missing. A flaw in his understanding preventing him from taking that final step through the Immortal Door. Something that he couldn’t attain through pure power like he had planned.

The nameless ghost of a man clenched his left hand, sending the tendrils of energy scattering. “Well, there’s more than one way to reach her.”

The Immortal Door was the primary path to the higher realms. Through it, one would undergo heavenly tribulation and attain immortality, as well as the right to step upon the “Divine One’s” domain.

It also reeked of that Goddess’s divinity.

He had prepared to break through it and then confront the Goddess, but considering that he had failed yet again, he decided to change tactics.

“If I can’t go to her, I’ll just force her to come down here.”

The key to that was the four guardians. Profound Beasts of great power ruling over the cardinal directions to maintain the realm’s order.

It was just a conjecture at the moment, but one that had a high possibility of truth. When all four were killed and the Emperor’s connection to the heavens severed with his death, the one ruling over everything would be forced to descend… or at least another path would open.

He had hoped that his disciple would have become powerful enough to be used as a vanguard in that back-up plan, but he might as well make an exploratory effort to gain information.

The nameless ghost of a man nodded. “Plan B it is. But first…” He adjusted his grip on the sword in his right hand and then took a look around. “I’d better clean up this mess.”

With his words, thin black lines spread out from his sword like threads of dark silk. A countless number of them scattered throughout the village like a spiderweb before falling. Yet, instead of reaching the ground, each thread landed on a corpse.

“Hm… it won’t be much of an improvement, but waste not want not.”

After muttering those words, the nameless ghost of a man clenched his right hand. With the act, his sword dissolved into a mass of darkness, pulsing with crimson lines like a rotting heart. From that mass, the countless thin black threads throbbed, as if veins sending blood back to the heart.

A single instant. That was all it took. The black mass expanded once and contracted once. And then, it vanished, sinking into his right hand along with all the threads. When it had, the village was completely empty and devoid of any corpse or pool of blood.

“That should be good enough. But just in case…”

A pulse of invisible energy swept throughout the village. Wherever the pulse touched, any signs of struggles, conflict, or death vanished.

“…Information Concealment should take care of it.”

The barest amount of concealment. Someone extremely sensitive to the world or resentment might notice, but by the time anyone like that came along he’d be long gone.

With a final glance to ensure that he had obtained everything useful from the village, the nameless ghost of a man started walking out into the grassy plains.

His objective was clear, even if his identity and memories were not.

Serena. The Goddess responsible for pulling himself into this mess. The one who told him of his dubious death. The one who acted behind his back to brand her divinity on his soul to guide him to a certain role.

She would get her reckoning soon enough. Now that he realized the ‘truth’ of what power was, of what ‘mana’ was and how it was created…

But first things first.

The White Tiger of the West.

The Azure Dragon of the East.

The Vermilion Bird of the South.

The Black Turtle of the North.

Four beasts, four targets. Only after eliminating each of them would he be able to continue on with his primary objective. Of those, the closest was the White Tiger, watched over by the Bai Clan not too far from his current location.

With cold eyes settled on the horizon, the nameless ghost of a man started walking, leaving no traces behind.

< – Previous         TOC         Next – >

3:19 – Heaven-Seizer

Wang Tian leaped into the air and swung his sword. The slash was slow, but fast. Simple but profound. A powerful blade honed by countless years and contemplation drew an arc through space towards his opponent.

A black sword appeared to block it, but the counter-attack lacked the depth of laws. Because of that, the force of the blow sent Wang Tian’s opponent flying upwards into the sky. They weren’t wounded, but it was enough to stagger them and send them away from Xian Ni.

A clash between Saint-level experts could send shock-waves that would destroy their surroundings. That was even more true when the power of laws were involved. While Wang Tian’s grandfather was nearby to mitigate it, the best option would be to go to a place that didn’t have anything or anyone that could be harmed by the battle. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like his opponent was willing to do that, so Wang Tian chose the next best option of an aerial battle.

Floating in mid-air with his hair and azure robes billowing around him, Wang Tian stared at his opponent, thoroughly examining them.

A dark miasma covered every inch of their body, emanating a domineering chaotic aura that could oppress a Saint. Not only that, but overwhelming spiritual pressure radiated from that person. It was to the level that Wang Tian had only felt from the Xia Emperor, a seemingly boundless strength that drew everything inside of them, as if all of heaven and earth would bow to their will.

Except, unlike the Xia Emperor who carried the strength of the Yellow Dragon and rightfully belonged, Wang Tian’s opponent felt at odds with the world itself. If the Xia Emperor’s command came through birthright, that person’s command came through usurption, a power seized rather than given.

An opponent that was Saint-level but exuded imperial might. One that should never have existed in this world, but was born through an accumulation of karma and past mistakes.

A blade that drew in all the light of the world was raised against Wang Tian and a harsh voice spoke out. “I know that’s not your best. Stop holding back!”

Wang Tian hesitated for a brief moment.

His opponent took that moment and attacked. The blade that drew in all light traced an invisible arc through the air, aiming at Wang Tian’s neck.

It was fast, taking the amount of time it took to blink.

But that was still plenty of time.

Wang Tian idly raised his sword. The simple movement carried the blessing of the world itself and miraculously appeared before his opponent’s blade despite being slower.

Invisible ripples of pure energy echoed through the sky. With the last attack, Wang Tian locked blades with his opponent.

Despite the force of the blow, neither party moved an inch, frozen in the air as if a painting rather than living beings.

After a moment, Wang Tian sighed. “You are still too weak, Xinxin. Even with this heaven-defying path and cultivation, it will not be enough.”

“Hmph.” Having been revealed, Xinxin flew back through the air and erased the dark miasma surrounding her. “Just because you blocked that attack doesn’t mean that I’m weaker than you, Wang Tian.”

The heavenly prince glanced around. Spectators had sensed the clash of energy and were arriving to watch. Those of the elder generation that could fly under their own power did so while others, like the scions of countless clans and sects, were hovering on flying swords and other artifacts.

It seemed like it was too late to hide the encounter.

Wang Tian sighed and said, “Was this your plan, Xinxin? Do you hate the thought of being with me so much to throw your face away?”

Xinxin laughed. “Face? What face do I have left? My clan is gone and everyone knows me just as your betrothed. Not my own person, but as your accessory.” She tightened her grip on her sword and said, “I’m not! I am my own person, not someone else’s belonging!”

Hearing her voice caused another to echo in Wang Tian’s heart. An older one, but just as melodious… no, more so.

“Xinxin-“

“Shut up and fight me! Show me just how powerful the ‘Prince of Heaven’ is! Show me just how weak I am in comparison if you can!”

Xinxin thrust out her left hand. An invisible energy crackled before condensing into white lightning.

Wang Tian frowned. “That aura… Tribulation Lightning?”

He didn’t have anymore time to react beyond saying those words. In a flash, a thunderous roar echoed and a pure white streak shot towards Wang Tian’s body.

A powerful attack, but-

“You lack comprehension!”

Wang Tian’s sword swept through the air and the lightning dispersed.

But Xinxin’s attack wasn’t over. She clenched her hand, causing the remaining sparks of lightning to change. The pure white lightning was dyed with color and formed five lights: green, red, yellow, gray, and blue.

“Five elements converge!”

Wang Tian’s eyes widened. “That is-“

He didn’t have the time to finish his words.

In an instant, the lights took on a tangible form. The purest Wood qi, Fire qi, Earth qi, Metal qi, and Water qi erupted in the air, sending out fragments of the elementary elemental laws. Incomplete and fractured, they began twisting time and space, making the sky appear as if it was falling apart.

Wang Tian focused and raised his sword. Unlike before, where he casually held it, he shifted into a proper stance. At once, everything froze. The incomplete law fragments paused, and all of life grew still.

An invisible tension filled the air, preventing anything from moving, even time itself. A domain, one belonging solely to Wang Tian.

With a flick of his sword, that tension shattered. But when it did, so too did the law fragments.

That flick didn’t just erase the fragments, however. With the movement of Wang Tian’s sword, an invisible slash cut towards Xinxin.

Whether she was shocked at her attack being stopped, fatigued from using too much qi, or just arrogant, she stood there and tried to block it with her left hand.

Blood scattered across the sky like tiny rubies.

Xinxin let out a hiss of pain and pulled her hand back, glaring at Wang Tian.

He sighed. “Xinxin. Please, hear me out. This wedding-“

“Be quiet!” The heaven-defying beauty narrowed her eyes and said, “I won’t marry you!” With those words, Xinxin raised her sword again, flaring her spiritual energy. It was overwhelming… but it was also unstable. Even if it had the quantity to rival a Saint and pressure to oppress, it lacked depth. Substance.

Wang Tian noticed and said, “The path you tread is not the correct one, Xinxin. At the end of this road lies nothing but ruin.”

Xinxin was quiet. Did she realize it as well? She lowered her head, hiding her violet eyes beneath strands of her silky black hair. But then she raised her head again, a determined glint shimmering in those violet eyes. “So what if this path leads to ruin? So what if this path is incorrect?”

Xinxin’s spiritual energy grew even higher, fluctuating wildly out of control. “It’s the only one I can choose! The only path that lets me become my own person!”

“That is not true.”

“Isn’t it?” Xinxin narrowed her eyes. “You’ve already become a Saint and I’m a girl who has nothing but her beauty. You could have called off this wedding at any time, and yet you allowed it to reach this point!” Xinxin’s spiritual energy condensed, collapsing down into her sword. “It’s about time to end this. If you want to keep clinging to me and prevent me from leaving by tying me down with that marriage, I’ll just have to cut those strings away with my own two hands!”

A powerful attack. Because she had condensed everything into her sword, all of the ambient energy in the surroundings gravitated towards her. It created a spiral of attraction, drawing in power from heaven and earth in a never-ending stream.

Where did she learn such an attack? Even though it lacked the profound depths of law, the sheer energy contained in it was enough to place it at the same level.

Wang Tian stared at Xinxin and sighed. Just like how she was once the shadow on his heart, it seemed that he had become the shadow upon her heart.

Xinxin raised her sword. With that act, cracks in space emerged, as if the threads of the world itself were unraveling. While they were slight, simple black lines floating in the air, the fact that they were present meant that the attack was nothing to scoff at. Unless Wang Tian went all out, even he would be cut down. Not only that, but the entire city beneath them could be wiped out as well.

Yet, in the face of that attack, Wang Tian couldn’t muster any will to fight. Instead, he stared at Xinxin and said, “I surrender.”

Xinxin froze. “…What?”

Wang Tian stared at Xinxin- no, at the one he once abandoned in pursuit of the true path.

She was different.

That same heaven-defying beauty was there, but it was different.

The Xinxin he knew had always followed him around with pure devotion, even when he treated her poorly. The Xinxin he remembered had given him her gentle heart and allowed him to break it time and time again, only quietly picking up the pieces each time.

The Xinxin he loved and lost… was not here.

“…The heavens are truly merciless.”

In the past, he sought the Dao and ignored the meek beauty following him, instead giving his heart to others that could walk beside him. The cost of that was her dying alone and disgraced at the hands of the ones he called companion before offering up her soul to the foreign invaders.

Was that the reason?

Since he had returned to this time, Xinxin had ignored him- no, hated him. It was with a vehemency that made him wonder if she remembered like he did… but that was impossible.

Xinxin glared at him and said, “What are you doing? Fight me!”

“I will not.”

“You…!” Xinxin scowled and then glanced at the city below. “If you don’t, I’ll destroy them! This attack isn’t something you can brush off!”

“So be it.”

Xinxin gnashed her teeth and then said, “I’ll do it! I’ll really do it!”

Wang Tian dismissed his sword and then let his hands fall. “If that is your wish, I will not stop you.”

Time passed. Whether short or long, that depended on the observer. But eventually, Xinxin dismissed her sword as well.

Xinxin stared at Wang Tian and then said a single word. “Why?”

“Because I made an oath to protect you.”

Xinxin’s expression soured and she crossed her arms. “Again with the protecting! I don’t need it, especially from you! Even if I look like this, I’m not a dainty girl who needs a hero to save her!”

“…Even so, I will protect you.”

Staring at Xinxin’s beautiful face, the image of a similar girl’s overlapped.

Xinxin… while she might not remember, Wang Tian did. And like how she followed him quietly in the past, allowing every sin he inflicted upon her, in this life he would do the same.

“You-!” Xinxin cut off her words and then scoffed. “Fine. Say that I believe you.” She shifted her vision to the city below as well as the countless spectators surrounding them. “What are you going to do about them? People from all over Xia have come to see your wedding. Don’t tell me you’re going to let them leave empty handed.”

Wang Tian was quiet for a moment, but then he looked up at Xinxin. “I told you already. To stop this marriage, you need the strength to defy the Xia Dynasty. Having come this far, breaking off the marriage will make you a target of every clan out there seeking the True Wood physique hidden in your bloodline.”

Xinxin froze. Had she not anticipated that?

“S-So what? I’m plenty strong!”

Hearing that brought a smile to Wang Tian’s face. Even as some things changed, others remained the same. Xinxin was still childish, even if it was hidden behind her distaste towards him.

“Stop smiling, you creep!”

Wang Tian shook his head. “It can’t be helped.”

“Your personality can’t be helped! Creep! Pervert!”

Wang Tian smiled, but then replaced it with a stern expression. “Xinxin.”

Hearing the serious tone in his voice, Xinxin stopped with the names and listened. “What?”

“Do you… truly want to meet with your Sifu again?”

Wang Tian stared at Xinxin’s eyes, waiting to see her response.

It was immediate. Those violet eyes lit up and a hint of red appeared on her jade cheeks. At the same time, she flew towards him and grabbed Wang Tian’s robe. “You know where he is? Tell me! What’s he doing? How is he? Did he say anything about me? Did he leave me a message?”

Wang Tian’s heart ached at such sincerity. In another life, he was blessed with such a thing but he cast it aside.

What a fool.

Still, as much as his heart ached, Wang Tian was someone who once reached the heights of the world and commanded the entire land in another life with his sword alone.

In the next breath, his heart stilled, becoming as tranquil as steel, and he gently pushed Xinxin away.

Perhaps realizing her actions, Xinxin blushed. She crossed her arms and glared at him. “D-Don’t think that this changes anything! I still don’t like you, even if you have news about my Sifu!”

Wang Tian let out a wry smile.

There were countless eyes upon them both. Those of the Wang Clan, the elder generation of the major sects and clans… each of them were likely waiting with baited breath.

Although he didn’t know how many had realized that it was Xinxin he was fighting, the more astute like his grandfather would have already found out. Within the day, news would spread about how the heavenly prince clashed with his fiance, and especially about how his fiance was so powerful.

In short, they had a giant target painted on them.

The clans and sects interested in Xinxin before would double their efforts, even digging out the old monsters to pull her in. Of that, Wang Tian had no doubt.

But Xinxin didn’t know. Even if she was different from what he remembered, even if that ‘Sifu’ of hers had trained her, he doubted that nameless man had given her more than combat knowledge and an unorthodox technique.

She didn’t know how truly vicious and cruel cultivators could be in order to traverse the path to immortality. And someone like her, whose bloodline contained the True Wood physique… someone who was a direct descendant and a female at that…

“Wang Tian! If you don’t tell me right now-“

“You have yet to give me an answer, Xinxin. Do you want to meet your Sifu again?”

“Yes! Why else have I been training these past two years if not to meet him?”

Wang Tian stared at Xinxin. There wasn’t a shred of hesitation or doubt in her eyes. If anything, there was only a fervent anticipation, one bordering on obsession.

“…Very well. If that is your decision then I…”

Wang Tian closed his eyes for a brief moment. The memories of the past, the Xinxin existing now… even if he no longer had a place in her heart, it would be fine if he could keep her safe.

Opening his eyes, he looked at Xinxin and then spoke, imbuing his voice with spiritual energy to be heard by everyone around. “With the heavens as my witness, I, Wang Tian, renounce my clan name.”

A booming voice echoed through the skies. “BOY! What are you doing!?” At the same time, the aura of a Saint filled the air and someone rapidly approached.

Wang Tian didn’t need to look to know that it was his grandfather, Wang Zuo.

Xinxin’s eyes grew wide. “Wang Tian, what are you-?”

“Xinxin.” Wang Tian… no, it was just Tian now. He materialized his sword once more, that crystal blade that seemed to contain the infinite skies. “You have mastered that technique I gave you, correct?”

“Myriad Heavens? I have. But what does that-“

“Good. Then… Word without a sound. Blade by another name…”

The words echoed into the air, resonating with something intangible. The power of laws that only Saints could touch upon were written into the space around them… but then a power beyond that emerged, something that didn’t exist in the current time.

A thunderous voice roared. “WANG TIAN!”

Tian swung his sword and said a single word. “Dao.”

It was the sword, it was the beginning, and it was the end. The ‘truth’ that the one known as Wang Tian acknowledged at the end of his life and the ‘path’ he would trod upon in order to protect one he had cut off.

Space tore apart. When it healed, both Xinxin and Tian had vanished.

< – Previous         TOC         Next – >

3:18 – Myriad Heavens – II

Zhan Yue and Xiong Jie had recently arrived at Xian Ni as the first of those from the Sword Mountain Sect. Unlike the ordinary disciples that would arrive later, as the strongest in the sect among the current generation, Zhan Yue as a Late Core Formation expert and Xiong Jie as a Middle Nascent Soul expert, they were sent first to gauge the situation.

After hearing yet another Wang Clan member praised Xinxin’s beauty, Zhan Yue turned towards Xiong Jie and said, “Let’s just hurry up and find the place we’re supposed to stay.”

Xiong Jie nodded.

It was noon. The sun was high in the sky and the clouds were nowhere in sight. Overall, a pleasant day and far too nice to be spending indoors. Despite that fact, taverns all over Xian Ni were filled to the brim with customers ordering alcohol and wasting the day away. This was especially true for the pavilions used to host foreign guests, and that fact didn’t change for the Purple Cloud Pavilion where Zhan Yue and Xiong Jie were arranged to stay.

Stepping through the doors of the Purple Cloud Pavilion with Xiong Jie by her side, Zhan Yue wrinkled her nose in disgust.

The Purple Cloud Pavilion was well known amongst the upper echelon for its elegance and created to match the Emerald Pavilion in the Zhan Clan. However, where the Emerald Pavilion exemplified nature’s beauty, the Purple Cloud Pavilion showed the majesty of humanity. Sleek architecture made with precious metals like crimson gold and mithril created a towering building that looked like something descended from the heavens. Inside, furs from high-ranked profound beasts lined the floor and walls while beautiful courtesans and valiant waiters walked from table to table to serve ancient wine and other luxuries.

It was meant for high class individuals to gather and socialize, but at the moment it was filled with a chaotic din. Young masters clung off the courtesans, calling out to them with abandon. Young ladies coquettishly hid their faces with fans as they called over the handsome waiters. And then, in the center of the room, the arena for gambling and exhibition matches were crowded with arrogant young men trying to woo the ladies.

“How distasteful,” Zhan Yue said. “These are supposed to be the upper echelon of the dynasty’s clans?”

Xiong Jie didn’t respond. Instead, he was staring at the arena, his hand twitching towards the sword at his side.

Zhan Yue rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm. “Let’s go, big bro. You can go fight after we get our room and I spend some time polishing your sword.”

At that, Xiong Jie stopped and then turned towards Zhan Yue, giving her a loose smile. “I’ll be looking forward to it then, junior sister.”

The pair of Sword Mountain Sect disciples headed towards the counter that managed the reservations. A young man in black robes served as the teller, patiently dealing with the customers. There was a long line, as they weren’t the first to arrive, not to mention the fact that the other patrons had business as well.

Zhan Yue furrowed her brow at that but kept quiet. Even she knew better than to run her mouth in a place like that with so many nearby to hear her.

Eventually, it was their turn to check-in. However, before they could, a cloaked figure cut in line before them.

The teller frowned and said, “Dear customer. I’m afraid you have to-“

The cloaked figure tossed a jade slip on the counter.

Seeing that, the teller’s eyes widened and he shut his mouth.

While Zhan Yue didn’t know the identity of the figure or that jade slip, that was the last straw for her. The former member of the Zhan Clan reached out and grabbed the figure’s shoulder. “You! Know your place! Even if you’re from some mighty clan, there are rules to follow here!”

Beside her, Xiong Jie stepped forward, his hand grasping his sword’s hilt. The large and muscular man loosed a bit of his killing intent to intimidate the cloaked figure.

At once, the boisterous atmosphere chilled. Countless eyes were drawn to the pair of Sword Mountain Sect disciples.

Zhan Yue noticed, but refused to back down. “Well?” She pulled the figure’s shoulder and said, “Are you going to answer me or not?”

The teller turned towards Zhan Yue and said, “Dear customer, I believe that it would be best if you-“

Zhan Yue glared at him and said, “I wasn’t talking to you, idiot!” After that, she turned her attention back to the cloaked figure.

There was no response.

Seeing that, Zhan Yue scowled. “Daring to ignore me? Fine!” She pushed the cloaked figure away and said, “Don’t think we Sword Mountain Sect disciples are easy to push around! Senior brother!”

Xiong Jie drew his sword and stepped forward. Killing intent soared and crimson light gathered around the blade. With that light, the muscular man’s face twisted in malice and he roared. “Die!”

Zhan Yue watched with cold glee. Having her senior brother punish those who annoyed her was a favorite pasttime for the former Zhan Clan member. And seeing his powerful killing intent soar, it was worth those years dual cultivating with him, even if it meant giving up everything she once held precious.

Seeing the exchange happen, the teller sighed. “I warned you.”

Hearing those words only made Zhan Yue more excited. Mistakenly, she thought he was talking about the cloaked figure.

The teller saw the look in Zhan Yue’s eyes and shook his head.

A powerful slash bearing the killing intent and power of a Mid-stage Nascent Soul expert cut through the air towards the cloaked figure that still had yet to turn around.

And then-

“Heaven’s Grasp.”

A melodious voice echoed through the air and the sword came to a halt, along with the energy behind the attack.

---

Xinxin stared at crimson sword in her left hand, and then shifted her gaze to its wielder. Although he was more hideous than ever with those disgustingly large muscles, she could recognize the man as the person her Sifu put down two years ago. And then the woman standing next to him and the one who spoke so rudely to her… right. That was Zhan Yue, wasn’t it?

Xiong Jie’s muscles bulged as he tried to pull back his sword.

Zhan Yue narrowed her eyes and sent Xinxin a venomous scowl before turning to Xiong Jie. “Senior brother! Stop playing around!”

“I-“

“Are you going to let your junior sister lose face like this? In front of all the clan scions?”

Xiong Jie roared and then strained even harder. The crimson energy wrapping his sword crept up his arms into his veins and then dyed his skin black.

Xinxin didn’t know what secret technique it was, demonic or otherwise, but she knew that it wasn’t enough.

Energy surged from her dantian and Xinxin took a step forward.

Since his sword was in Xinxin’s immovable grasp, Xiong Jie was forced to take a step back to match her advance.

Zhan Yue’s eyes widened. “Big bro-“

“Still leeching off another with that venomous beauty, I see. Should I congratulate you for reaching the end of the Core Formation stage, or ridicule you for having to receive a man’s yang energy to take you there?”

Zhan Yue shifted her attention to Xinxin and then narrowed her eyes. Zhan Yue swept her hand through the air and then pulled out an emerald sword. “I don’t know who you are, but no one ridicules Zhan Yue!”

Xinxin sighed. “And you still lack common sense. Attacking me out in public with all these witnesses… you might not represent the Zhan Clan anymore, but the Sword Mountain Sect won’t take kindly to their reputation being tarnished, will they?”

“Shut up!”

Zhan Yue charged, swinging her sword at Xinxin. Her qi flared and gathered around her sword, no doubt some sort of high level sword technique.

Xinxin didn’t move, simply watching Zhan Yue approach.

The former Zhan Clan member swung her sword and shouted, “Howling Wind Slash!”

Invisible blades cut through the air at Xinxin’s head.

Zhan Yue grinned, and then the smile on her face froze.

While the force from the attack wasn’t enough to scathe Xinxin, it was enough to blow off the hood of her cloak.

Xinxin stared at Zhan Yue’s shocked expression and then muttered, “I was planning to reveal it later, but I guess this is as good a place as any.”

She stared around at the various clan and sect scions seated around the pavilion. Though a few gazes were filled with desire, most were filled with appreciation and curiosity.

Xinxin turned her gaze back to the pair of fools in front of her and then released her suppressed cultivation base.

---

Within Xian Ni, there was a palace dedicated specifically for the upper echelon of the Wang Clan. There, the elders of the Wang Clan, Wang Tian’s father, and Wang Tian himself were gathered.

It was a small room meant for such gatherings. A round table and chairs were setup, as well as enough alcohol and appetizers to wile the day away. There, Wang Tian’s father, Wang Yu, his grandfather and a few uncles were gathered to celebrate.

Wang Yu let out a raucous laugh as he downed a cup of wine. He clapped the shoulder of his son and said, “I still can’t believe it! My son, a Saint within twenty years! Not only that, but you’re going to be a man soon with a heaven-defying beauty for a wife!” He laughed again and then poured himself another cup of wine. “I must have saved an entire world in my past life for such good fortune!”

Wang Tian’s grandfather, Wang Zuo, chuckled. “You, son? If it weren’t for me risking my life to gain the emperor’s favor, would we even be talking about this right now?”

“Ah.” Wang Yu scratched his nose. “You’re right, father. But can’t I be proud for my son for once? You got your chance already when I reached the Late Nascent Soul stage, didn’t I?”

“Hmph. Say that to me again when you undergo your tribulation to become a Saint.”

“Er…”

Watching all the festivities around him, Wang Tian frowned and stared into his cup.

Him, marrying Xinxin… everyone saw it as a foregone conclusion. And, in all honesty, Wang Tian wished for it as well. But knowing her and how quiet she had been these past years, it wasn’t going to happen. There was too much bad karma between them now, carried over from the past until the present. Not only that, but with the firm presence of that ‘Sifu’ in Xinxin’s heart, it was impossible for him to have a place.

She might not have realized it yet, but that obsession of hers… something like that wouldn’t be born from simple longing.

If anything-

A wave of domineering power swept throughout the city.

Wang Zuo immediately stood up. The elderly man, while old, was far from frail and immediately sent out his own power to suppress that wave. With it, the air of a Saint descended upon Xian Ni.

Wang Yu reacted next. His gleeful expression vanished, replaced with one of complete seriousness. “A Saint? Acting up in our city?” He tossed aside his cup and scowled. “It seems that some guests have mistaken our hospitality for weakness.”

“Hmph.” Wang Zuo let out a cold snort and then began walking out of the room. “We shall see.”

Wang Yu immediately followed, along with Wang Tian’s uncles.

Wang Tian stared at his cup for another moment before downing the alcohol within it. After that, he followed his elders.

The Wang Clan patriarchs walked out of the gathering room and then stepped out into the palace courtyard. There, Wang Zuo flew into the air while the others pulled out flying swords, raring to fly towards the source of the trouble.

But before they left, Wang Tian spoke out. “Everyone, wait a moment.”

“Hm?” Wang Zuo turned around and frowned. “What are you waiting for, boy? Come. It’s time I showed you how we treat upstarts.”

Wang Tian shook his head and then turned towards the source of the domineering power. “This is my problem… but more than that, they’re already here.”

“What are you-“

The wind howled as intense spiritual pressure filled the air. Wang Zuo was sent crashing to the ground, and the same was true of the other Wang patriarchs.

“This… power…!” The elderly Wang Zuo grit his teeth and tried to resist. Yet, even the strength of a Saint wasn’t enough to resist it.

Even so, Wang Tian stood tall, unaffected.

He stared at the intruder and then let out a soft sigh. “So it seems that you finally decided to show your face again after all these years. But.” Wang Tian narrowed his eyes and then clenched the air.

The power of laws spread out and coalesced into a sword. A pure crystal blade that reflected the infinite blue sky appeared in Wang Tian’s right hand. Grabbing its hilt, Wang Tian raised it at his opponent. “Do you possess the strength to defy the Xia dynasty and stop this marriage?”

< – Previous         TOC         Next – >

3:17 – Myriad Heavens – I

Wang Tian sighed. “Even now I can’t erase the karma of the past.” The heavenly prince watched Xinxin from a distant mountain peak.

The young girl that had become a heaven-defying beauty stood in the pagoda balcony and focused on the jade slip Wang Tian had given her. Her delicate face scrunched up in concentration, those soft brows furrowed in thought.

A familiar sight, although she wouldn’t remember it.

Wang Tian sighed again. He held his hands behind his back, standing there as a breeze blew through the mountain top, billowing his azure robes and long black hair like a lonely hero.

He stared up into the blue sky and muttered, “The heavens gave me a second chance, but everything is different. Is this my punishment? To never have her favor again?”

There was no response, but then again, he wasn’t expecting one.

Wang Tian stared at Xinxin again, regret filling his heart. After a few more moments, he turned away from the heaven-defying beauty and shifted his gaze elsewhere. More specifically, he turned his gaze to the ruined Zhan Clan Grounds.

Even so far away, it was possible to see the destruction wrought upon the once peaceful town. The towering Emerald Pavilion had fallen, the Jade Mountain had lost its color… and countless homes were collapsed.

But that shouldn’t have been the case.

“The invaders attacked much more ferociously this time, and not even a bird was spared. Could this be the ripple effect?”

He started training earlier and sped up his advance as early as he could. Now… everything was different. But that didn’t mean he had to just watch.

“Sifu Guilao, was it?” Wang Tian muttered.

A person that shouldn’t have existed, that didn’t exist in his memories.

Bearing that thought in mind, Wang Tian left the mountain peak, vanishing into the air.

---

Time passed by at a rate both leisurely and frantic. For the members of the Wang Clan, word had spread of their heavenly prince valiantly charging in to save his betrothed after the Zhan Clan’s downfall and offering her a home within his personal mountain peak and villa.

While no one had been there to confirm it, there were rumors of her beauty spreading about by the few members of the clan who managed to catch a glimpse of her within the morning light. In those rumors, she was described as a heaven-defying beauty, like a fairy descended from the immortal realm.

On hearing that, while there were many jealous women, overall the clan was excited that their beloved prince would have someone like that at his side. A match made in heaven, they were called. With Wang Tian’s heaven-defying talent, only a beauty as heaven-defying would be fitting.

The elders made thorough preparations for the date of the wedding. Invitations were spread throughout the Xia dynasty, even to the old legends quietly cultivating in their caves. The finest tailors were hired and put to work crafting wedding dress that wouldn’t disappoint Wang Tian’s betrothed.

It was a huge affair. Since news had also spread of the Zhan Clan’s downfall, the fact that the Wang Clan’s latest prodigy would be taking the daughter of the Zhan Clan’s leader as his wife made countless old patriarchs gnash their teeth in regret. Many were hoping that the Wang elders would have broken the engagement off, or that Wang Tian himself would have refused it. A powerless beauty with the ancient bloodline of the True Wood physique… even if it had been centuries since another had emerged after the Zhan Clan’s founder, if there was a chance that it could resurface in a clan, that would have been worth accepting a young girl who had nothing else to her name.

In that way, with the entire Xia dynasty anticipating the wedding, two years passed and it was a week before the date of the wedding.

The Wang Clan’s central city, Xian Ni, bustled with activity as travelers, young masters, and elders arrived to make living arrangements for the coming days. The Bai Clan, the Meng Clan, the Qin Clan… various renowned individuals arrived to see the match up of the century. At the same time, experts from famous sects like the Sword Mountain Sect arrived as well.

Merchant stalls hawked their wares at every street corner, trying to garner the bit of profit from the loose pursestrings of the young masters. Skilled refiners and alchemists set up shop soon after hearing that, determined to make their own profit as well.

The ordinary people living in the city, mortals who hadn’t stepped on the path of cultivation, shamelessly followed the sect members around, begging to be taken in as outer disciples.

It was chaos, but a festive one.

And within that chaos, a young woman with skin reminiscent of the moon and long, silky black hair with a hint of green walked through the streets. Staring at the lively atmosphere, she gnashed her teeth.

Beside the young woman was a muscular man in a gray robe. A vicious scar spread from his face down across his body. With a sword sheathed at his side, he carried a murderous aura that kept people at bay.

They were Zhan Yue, who had fled to the Sword Mountain Sect, and Xiong Jie, the senior brother who took her in.

“Damn that Xinxin!” Zhan Yue said. “Why couldn’t she have died along with the others?!”

Xiong Jie grunted and then said, “Watch your words, Yue. Members of the Wang Clan won’t take such disrespect lying down.”

“Hmph.” Zhan Yue crossed her arms. “If they have a problem with it, they can say it to my face.” After that, her face softened and she smiled at Xiong Jie. “Big bro won’t let me get hurt, will he?”

Seeing that, Xiong Jie’s murderous aura intensified and he coldly smiled. “Let them try. It’s been too long since I’ve been able to hone Slaughter.” Saying that, he caressed the sword at his side.

< – Previous         TOC         Next – >

3:16 – Wang Clan – III

The Wang Clan was unlike the Zhan Clan. Where the Zhan Clan held their grounds from ancient times due to their ancestor’s prowess, the Wang Clan built up their grounds in the past few centuries, stemming from a feif bequeathed by the Emperor.

After being granted a mountain range to the north and assigned the duty to watch over the Black Turtle, the Wang Clan rose to prominence and slowly but surely began developing a reputation and foundation to rival the ancient clans.

As the most prominent in the clan, as well as ascending to the level of a Saint, Wang Tian’s home was on the highest mountain peak, overlooking all of the area. As if to reinforce the fact that he was above them all, Wang Tian had a villa on a towering mountain peak that allowed him to view the entire surroundings.

And as Wang Tian’s guest, that was where Xinxin stayed while her ‘fiance’ went about doing his clan duties.

It was a place fitting for a celestial or immortal. A pagoda was carved into the mountain itself, lined with jade and emerald bamboo tiles. In the morning, it was shrouded by mist, hidden from mortal eyes. At noon, it caught the sun’s rays and shone like a divine palace. And at night, it reflected the moon’s radiance, giving it a somber and solemn appearance.

Surrounding that pagoda were various buildings and attachments. Were it not for the fact that the imperial palace was even more impressive, it would have been possible to mistake that villa for the residence of the Yellow Dragon Emperor himself.

At the current time, it was early morning, with white mist covering the pagoda.

Since leaving Xinxin behind, Wang Tian hadn’t returned at all.

A week had passed and Xinxin made rapid progress in her cultivation. But whether because of her concerns or otherwise, she had reached a roadblock in her cultivation.

Xinxin strode out to the pagoda’s balcony and stared out at the distance.

From the current height and with her cultivation, she had a clear sight of everything within the Xia Dynasty. Like a lofty immortal descended from the heavens, it gave the illusion that everything was within her reach.

If she was in a different sort of mood, she would have been amused at how haughty Wang Tian was to have such a view for his home. But at that time, she was contemplative and the thought never came to mind. Instead, she just stared into the distance.

“Sifu, and father…”

Was it her fate to always be walking in the darkness? To operate under someone else’s command?

Xinxin didn’t know, but it felt like it. The curse of beauty. That was what it must have been.

The Xia Dynasty was vast and grand, but she couldn’t explore a single bit of it due to her beauty. No matter where she went, she would be accosted by men and women alike. Mortal, immortal… perhaps even demons and celestials would cross her path.

The only way out was to become stronger. To gain the strength to seize her fortune from the heavens themselves, like her Sifu said. But…

“It’s difficult, Sifu.”

She was alone, in a clan that didn’t truly care for her, with a fiance that was just enchanted by her beauty, and in a land that she could not explore.

Xinxin sighed and then shook her head. That was enough self-pity. Man proposed and heaven disposed. If she wanted to overturn that order, then she had to comprehend everything her Sifu left her.

Xinxin turned around and walked back inside the pagoda, heading to the room that Wang Tian left her.

Nobody greeted her along the way. Wang Tian, heavenly prince and haughty saint that he was, refused to admit any servants inside.

The room was elegant and serene. Intricate and valuable furnishings. If anything inside, be it the tapestries, the bed, or even the candles used to light the room, were taken down the mountain to sell, it would yield a fortune.

Even so, Xinxin ignored all of it and just sat down on her bed. From her dress, she pulled out the manual her Sifu left behind and studied it again, trying to comprehend the principles inside.

It seemed simple. Her Sifu described a law of the world inside the book of how nothing wrought chaos and then all of creation. When Xinxin read it, she felt something inside of herself resonate with it, yet something felt missing.

Xinxin kept reading the manual, but that feeling didn’t change. At the same time, her cultivation didn’t increase.

With a sigh, Xinxin put the manual away in her shirt and then closed her eyes, focusing her attention on her dantian.

Her consciousness entered an empty void. Within that void, there was a dark core, one absorbing all energy and light. According to what Xinxin knew, her cultivation was different. Most Core Formation stage cultivators had a colored core, reflecting their qi’s element, that would eventually evolve into a nascent soul, and then transcending heavenly tribulation would lead to Sainthood.

Yet, Xinxin’s core was different. The Core should be generating energy, but hers absorbed energy. A Core should create a repulsive force, yet hers created an attractive force. It was almost diametrically opposed to the normal cultivation path.

…Diametrically opposed? Opposed… opposite? That-

“So you are still here, Xinxin.”

A calm voice called out to her.

Xinxin opened her eyes and focused her attention back to the room.

A young man with flowing azure robes and a heroic visage leaned against the doorway to Xinxin’s room.

Xinxin narrowed her eyes. “Wang Tian. So you finally remember me?”

“I never forgot.” He stepped into the room, his eyes locked onto her form. “…You’ve grown stronger.”

“Hmph.” Xinxin crossed her arms. “What’s it to you?”

“It is important.” Wang Tian closed the door behind him and then spread out his qi and spiritual sense, shielding the room.

Xinxin froze and then immediately formed a sword from her qi. “Wang Tian. If you dare to try and force yourself on me, I swear by the heavens that I will-“

“I have news about your Sifu.”

Xinxin paused and then dissipated her sword, although she kept her guard up. “…This better not be a lie.”

“I would never-“

“Just get on with it already.”

Wang Tian stared at Xinxin and then sighed. “This past week, I have been discussing with my father and the elders of the clan. Because of what happened and our ties to the Zhan Clan, we took it upon ourselves to look further into what had occurred at the Zhan Clan.”

“And? What did you find?”

“There was more than one party at play. While there were traces of a powerful expert, there were also traces of foreign energies. Not qi or spiritual energy, but something else.”

Xinxin paused. “Foreign energies…?” She remembered the people that attacked her and then frowned. She thought it might be the case, but hearing it from Wang Tian confirmed it.

Wang Tian nodded. “It was similar to the ones who attacked you. Xinxin… do you know anything about it?”

Xinxin huffed. “Even if I did, why should I tell you?”

Wang Tian frowned. “If you know anything, it will help us avenge your clan.”

“And? That won’t bring anyone back.”

The Zhan Clan was gone and vengeance wouldn’t bring anyone back. But even if it could, if that meant going back to being a porcelain doll locked up in the manor, if that meant being just a piece of jade to be bartered, she would never accept it.

“Xinxin-“

“Hmph. Why are you acting so familiar anyway? I’m grateful for you allowing me to stay here, but that doesn’t mean I’ve changed how I feel about you.”

Wang Tian sighed and then pulled out a piece of jade from his sleeve. He glanced at it for a bit, hesitating, and then tossed it towards Xinxin.

She grabbed it and stared at it. “What’s this?”

“A disguise technique so that you may explore the world and my personal talisman to avoid trouble. Seeing you stranded here is too pitiful.”

Xinxin scowled. “I don’t-“

A gust of wind swept through the room, and then Wang Tian was gone.

“Hmph. Don’t think I’ll like you any better with this.” Xinxin muttered and stared at the piece of jade.

Two characters were inscribed on it, the same as that guy’s name.

She didn’t want his help. She didn’t want to sow karma between them. But if that talisman would let her explore…

Xinxin grit her teeth and then sent out her spiritual sense into the piece of jade. After reading it, her irritation died down a bit. Even so, she muttered, “I still don’t like you, Wang Tian.”

< – Previous         TOC         Next – >