(The Test)

Having read the book thoroughly, committing it to memory over a few weeks, I felt relieved. My father had been pressuring me to start cultivating for quite a while, and I had kept holding it off due to my ignorance of the levels.

The day I finally memorized the levels of cultivating, I started to work out. The forest outside my house was perfect for doing so; on the trees, there were tons of things I could do. There were many vines growing about too.

Of course, none of this affected my studies on other subjects, such as alchemy, blacksmithing, mathematics, etc. My mother believed that the more you know, the better off you will be when you leave. My father believed in 'might makes right' but my mother wouldn't ever let my father teach me martial arts.

There was a reason for her madness, and that was because I was going to an academy, where they only taught how to fight... So in short, it was well founded. My father was only permitted to teach me the basics of fighting, but even then, her philosophy was put into play. I wasn't allowed to learn the specifics of anything, just the basics, but the basics of every single weapon or fighting style known to my parents...

I felt like I was miserable for a fortnight, but in reality, I had a blast, and I very quickly broke through to the blood stage. At this point, cultivation was second, and studies first. Day in and day out I learned and trained; and in no time at all, five years had gone by.

5 Years later

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"Whew, finally done with the blood stage! Now the easy part, circulate the blood... and..." 'Pop!' I finally broke through to the spiritual stage. I waved my arms around excitedly, testing out my newfound power. 'Crackle snap crinkle' The air around my body made sounds like paper, my eyes gleaming in joy.

I jumped up from my bed, and sprinted to get a tub of water, the impurities in my blood were cleansed, but the sticky stuff was still stuck to my skin, thus I smelt like a pig sty. After having a refreshing bath, I threw on some clothes, racing through the house. I arrived at my father's study, ready to learn something new.

Leaning in excitedly, I got ready to knock, but stopped short. A small sheet of paper stuck out from the crack in the door. I shrugged, and carefully slipped the paper out. There wasn't anything on it other than a small patch of fur... I opened the door slowly, stepping carefully. I looked at the floor, not daring to look up...

The floor was slick with a clear substance. I wondered what my father was up to before looking up. Pure terror flew through me, with pure willpower I kept from running. There was absolutely no reason for me to not run, but I still stood there.

Blood everywhere, covering the leather chair, all over the wooden walls, and a figure stood there, garbed in a black cloak covered in blood. The figure laughed, suddenly alighting on fire. The dark garb covered in blood seemed to melt away, turning white, red fringed the 'cloak' the hood had a strange teardrop-like symbol on it.

My parents were strung up on the walls, their guts spilled out from a hole in their stomachs, in their eyes, a look of terror like no other. My eyes bulged out, my hands covered my mouth, keeping in the puke. I swallowed, despair in my eyes. This time, I thought 'Is it that lady??'

"Yet another one down... But, he's maybe redeemable... I'll have to rewrite..." Sighed the man, "You young lad, have been through a lot, that lady, everything, but I should have you know I'm not unreasonable..." I looked at him, confused at what he was saying 'rewrite'? What I didn't know was why he killed my parents, but him being that powerful, I knew there wasn't any way to fight back.

"You were born without a purpose, and I'll give you two choices. Whatever you choose, I will not interfere...." Thinking up to a point, I realized that he was giving me a chance.

"Your two choices are Death or Power... Ahhh... I'm feeling generous, the third option is that I can allow you to try to seek revenge. Although should you choose death, you will die. Completely. Think carefully young one, and choose within a week." the stranger said. Sitting down on my father's bloody chair, he looked like the world's king.

"Think carefully, young one..."