Chapter 12

As something that happen in daily occurrence there would come a time where you would feel indifference towards it, you could just go away or close your eyes and cover your ears until done.

"Sister Mira, where did you go?" asked Lily.

"Then would you rather let me stay here and hear you argue?"

"Well–"

"If you're done then let's go."

Mira chimed in.

…

After he dusted off the dirt on his clothes, Ares walk towards his destination.

He could still feel the three following him.

They must be worried that he might not survive confronting the beast of the Wild Vine Nectar– its guardian.

The Wild Vine Nectar as its name implies gives out nectar once the vine matures.

This nectar is very crucial for spirit beast since used for their breakthrough or rising their order by one. It could also help lower beast to purify their bloodline, therefore increasing their chances to advance.

However, for the Red Lion Tiger, it was not simple as it is.

Once the plant matures, a flower would bloom providing three drops of the precious nectar, the spiritual energy would cause turbulent weather causing heavy rain and lightning accompanied by thunder to appear.

A drop of nectar is full of spiritual energy and if the beast attracted the lightning while near the plant, that spiritual energy would have lightning attribute that once taken it could help any thunder type spirit beast to raise their order by two.

That is how valuable the Wild Vine Nectar is.

Ares, in particular knew about this information, but the maturation of the Wild Vine Nectar takes five thousand years and another five, if it wanted to have what they call as the Blessed Nectar.

The Wild Vine Nectar's Blessed Nectar is a rare commodity but it takes too much time, therefore only once when it reaches the second maturation would make people to scramble over it.

The first maturation doesn't help Martials so they can't care much about it.

Then, why can they just take it and wait for it to mature?

It's simple.

This kind of plant grows in various conditions, however those people who tried to know this conditions have certain contradictions, so it was decided to leave it as it is.

It was there sleeping, it has a golden fur and streams of red fur on both sides. Going closer, Ares could see it was pretty much the same as a normal lion but it was larger and there was an aura of grandeur around it. It opened its eyes and the pupils dilated.

"Human, why are you here?"

It talked to Ares sending its message in his mind.

'Divine Sense?'

Spirit beasts could start to converse with human once they reached the Fifth Order but it was fragmented. For example, if the Red Lion Tiger were Fifth Order it would talk like–

"Human, why here?"

–this.

Meaning the beast that was in front of him was a Ninth Order or above.

"I have some business with the plant behind you."

"Oh?"

"But, I would like to solve it without bloodshed if possible."

"Are you telling me that you can kill me?"

And, a wave of mini lightning bolt grazed Ares' cheek.

"Perhaps or perhaps not."

"Humans have come in here and they all ended in the same way. Either they went into my stomach or they rotted away in my home."

The cold, intimidating tone caused the spiritual energy around them to fluctuate.

This beast was territorial, and the reason it did not explicitly attack Ares is that he didn't step on its 50 meter radius territory.

Ares took a step, provoking the spirit beast.

He was now a step to its range as it stands three meters tall, its claws glittering in red and fangs slowly protruding downwards.

"Human, you have guts insulting me."

Heh…*

Ares smiled and lifted his right foot. The beast eyes set upon it, growling as it saw his foot slowly land upon its sacred range.

Thump*

A low, but audible sound came.

–––Roarrrrrrr!!

The ground got kicked, a storm of dust behind–

–––Swoooosh!!

–propelling itself towards him, its claws forward and body raging with thunderbolts, then–

Swoosh! Swoosh!

–––––––BAM!!!

–something incomprehensible happened.

"You sure are fast…"

"…Human… how did you…?"

The Red Lion Tiger attacked three times; left, right then finally from above.

However, in that tremendous speed shattering the trees, from the first two attacks, and creating a five-meter radius crater from the last, he survived.

The wind pressure made the birds flee in terror and dust raging in the air.

Few trees were uprooted alerting several lower spirit beasts to run and those that were sentient to be curious and looked towards the home of the beast.

In a cave about 50 kilometers away, a beast with its vertical pupils opened its eyes and raised its head…

––Hiss…

'Young Red…'

It thought.

"… Kekekekeke…"

"That arrogant tiger must have met a formidable opponent…"

"… I wonder. He always overdoes things…" His companion interjected. 'And as always, causing spiritual fluctuation over and over again… Damn him, I can't sleep…'

"… Hmm, maybe so."

And, the two great beast closed their eyes trying to take a nap on the underground.

…

"…Human… are you really a… human?"

"… I wonder."

"All of humans that wanted to take my treasure died within those three strikes… even if isn't my full strength I believe someone on your level cannot evade of all it."

"… Certainly. But, I did."

"…"

The beast's pupils moved, trying to weigh his worth, it was doubtful of what happened but it cannot refute that despite that, this human in front of him was alive.

"I am here to make a deal with you, and offer something better than that?"

Pointing towards the Wild Vine Nectar, he said.

"… Something better?"

Ares grinned.

"Something that you would even exchange it for me without a second thought."

"That's impossible. This plant was my family's treasure for nine generations and it was already near to its second blooming. With it, I would become a Beast Emperor," it said dismissively shaking its head.

The Red Lion Tiger had a lifespan of 500 years, if everything goes well and after becoming a Beast King, they would have another 500 years to live.

"That's true, but what I offer can make you reach it, within a year. How about it?"

Ares final words become softer that only the beast in front of him was able to hear.

It squinted it eyes, flashed with doubt…

"That would be interesting, but–"

"Beast Emperor," Ares blurted out.

"…"

"Or a Mythic… I can help you, but it is your choice," he continued in cold tone.

…

The beast was silent, even though it could not believe on what happened earlier. However, he must accept the reality that someone was able to dodge his attacks.

His bestial instinct was ringing alarms but he chooses to suppress it.

'A beast king afraid of mere human, laughable.'

Ares on the other hand knew that this beast, even though having unfathomable strength lacks experience and that's understandable, for it has been overseeing the plant this whole time.

When can it find time to gain combat experience when it was holed up in this place?

Eating, sleeping, pooping and occasionally when it has visitors it would work a little then that's that.

The hierarchy in the forest wasn't well established since higher spirit beasts would go in the deepest part of the mountain range once they reached Beast King and try to become a Beast Emperor.

Then only few higher orders remain but they were not interested in ruling fellow spirit beasts, and always try to maintain the status quo.

They were conservatives.

Even though several Martial had visited it. It was not enough to gain experience and it probably overwhelmed them but its speed and raw strength.

An experienced beast should not only rely on its speed and pure strength but also on skill and experience. And, this beast in front of him cannot best him in those aspects that it only has raw power.

…

Then, if that's so, why did the elders of the sects that wanted the plant did not kill it despite killing hundreds or possibly thousands of their disciples?

Well, the answer is lies on the plant itself. The Wild Vine Nectar is one of the unique spirit plant out there, as it was capable on birthing a world spirit. More specifically a spiritual spirit which in any case different from magical spirit. As they have investigated, this particular Wild Vine Nectar was actually approaching its second blooming and had gained a little bit of sentience. As a result it made a spirit bond to the current beast guardian. If its guardian will die it too will die, regardless of anything. This is the very reason why no one acted too strongly to the death of their disciples. But, in exchange for knowing this, multiple sects had placed their strict surveillance on it.

…

The human in front on him looked behind him, then…

'A chance!'

Indeed… this time he needed to accept what happened but his pride would not yield that easily.

For many years, the so-called geniuses that visited him suffered on his claws and while some managed to escape. Their cultivation base was even higher than him, who made them taste their first defeat.

Tul was his name, a proud member of the Red Lion Tiger Clan. And, as someone who was entrusted the clan's long standing wish he needed to reach strength to defeat their clan's arch nemesis.

They needed strength… power is all they longed for when they saw hope.

Tul's family was just among the servant class and not of the ruling class of their clan.

But, still their wishes remained the same.

His ancestors accidentally found the Wild Vine Nectar and even though they knew what they needed was its Blessed Nectar they persisted and passed their will one after the other.

He was the only member left in that forest caring for the plant that his family entrusted to him.

The burden he carry… their family's hope… their clan's wish… its weight was incomparable.

Even now, he knew that their enemy was still there persecuting their members, slowly expanding strength.

But, to have someone to say that they can give the strength he longed for… their family longed for... just for a year?

Then what is he doing these whole years… his family members entire lives waiting for that hope to bloom.

It was an insult.

An insult not only to him, but also to his family, and to trample upon it was not something he could easily forgive.

Then–

Schk!*

–its claws went directly inside the human who stepped upon all of it.

Blood gushed out…

Gah!

And, then pulled his claws back with streak of blood that followed. The ground was stained, so with the plant trickling from its end. The ground of red, soil sipping…

Ares eyes went wide, and his blood spurting like a fountain…

Or that's what supposed to happen.

"–––––?!"

Tul the Red Lion, gave a fearless face and stared his prey, but the turmoil in his mind began to spun. Twice… that's twice for a human to deceive death, to evade from it and he couldn't help but fully acknowledge his instinct that something was wrong with this person.

He can't exactly pinpoint on what's wrong but he was sure it should not be touch at all cost.

"… An sneak attack, huh," Ares called out few meters away, looking sternly to Tul.

'Illusion…?'

As Tul was contemplating what had just happened, punch landed on his jaw sending him up sky. What was even more terrifying was that he only felt it after it landed.