Chapter 52 - The New Elder
Coincidence would have it against Tian Longmeng's favor this day as well.
"Hey you. Yes I am talking to you." A voice nagged from behind as Tian Longmeng continued on, choosing to ignore it. Sadly, the voice also had a hand which held onto his shoulder.
Tian Longmeng met this person's face while resisting the urge to throw the hand off. His face lightened for a second after seeing the image of a woman, but he remained unamused at her gesture.
Her spit came flying in his face as she spoke. "Your ears aren't working or what? You want me to rip them off since they are so useless? Anyways, I heard that you angered someone you shouldn't have."
Tian Longmeng's fist vibrated silently as he was struck between pure shock and rage. Despite being a child, he had seen a fair share of different female personalities. Ones that are meek, some adventurous, and even the scary types like his mother. However, it seemed that he had to create a new category for this specimen.
The babble continued. "You are gonna be pummeled if you don't have any support, so if you crawled to my Slaughter Faction like a good little boy, then I guess our leader could cover you."
Tian Longmeng's face slackened. It was actually the Slaughter Faction.
After the altercation with that core disciple he never cared to know, he decided that it was best to at least know the basic knowledge that has to do with factions. Not that he was going to join one of them, but he would prefer to know who he needs to avoid.
It turned out that she was just recruiting him. Tian Longmeng wondered if she did this on her own, otherwise it would be very poor of the leader to send someone like her. Unless they did so purposely - something Tian Longmeng would rather denounce until proven.
After all that, Tian Longmeng flashed her hand from his shoulder and proceeded to leave without saying anything to her.
She stared at her hand with unbelief before drawing her saber. "You little brat. Nevermind Zhongwang Shi, I will personally teach you some manners." She screamed as she lashed at him from above.
Tian Longmeng's breathing slowed and for a moment it felt like everything was coming to a still. This was the pure speed that accumulated from his fighting experience and his cultivation.
Her eyes bulged. She hacked with all her strength excluding the use of a cultivation skill, but the boy was able to directly grab the blade without having a single injury. Plus, the speed he displayed was totally inhuman. It was like watching a desolate beast.
Tian Longmeng released the blade, letting it motionlessly fall with her arm. He said nothing and once again left, leaving the woman absentmindedly staring at him.
Finally reaching home, Tian Longmeng quickly sorted his items and entered the Ark Space. He resumed training the Overbearing Fist under the tutelage of Elder Canglong.
Elder Canglong was fairly impressed with Tian Longmeng's improvement. Other than a few areas that needed adjustments, it was as if he made the skill a part of him. Tian Longmeng was seamlessly integrating the skill throughout his punches and movements as if it was second nature. Only with sharp senses would one even notice that he was charging the skill.
"Hmm, interesting. You gave him the White Tiger Pagoda's foundation technique to train with. Even if it is just the bare skeleton of the skill, he should not have been able to reach this step for at least 5 more months." The loud elder stepped into the palace hall nodding his head in admiration.
"Well of course," Elder Canglong turned to meet the other elder. "If I gave the boy any less then I would have nothing to say for myself to him. This child actually deserves much more but if we teach him the true techniques, even if he survives, this small planet wouldn't. Plus, he would need to learn the sweep and claw to complete the starting set."
Luckily, Tian Longmeng was too engrossed in his training to notice the second elder or hear their conversation or else he would have the slackest of jaws. To him, the Overbearing Fist was already so destructive, way above any cultivation skill he had seen from the library or from people. If he was to know that there were more that he had not yet learned, he would tremble with excitement.
A combo of those would be terrifying for Tian Longmeng, yet these elders were claiming that these skills were only the base of a foundation technique? If so, then the full technique would be able to easily level mountains and drag the sky down.
Elder Canglong motioned to Tian Longmeng. "Hey child, stop for a moment. I would like to introduce you to another elder."
Tian Longmeng finally noticed the stout man who was a head or two shorter than Elder Canglong. He took a quick glance at the elder's colossal hands and roaring muscles before taking a quick gulp of saliva and addressing the elder with a bow.
"Greetings, my name is Tian Longmeng. I am currently the owner of the Ark of the Majesty but I hope that I may receive guidance from you-"
"Denied."
Tian Longmeng made his humble introduction but was caught with his mouth wide open by the sudden refusal. Even Elder Canglong spun around to face the elder in complete shock and confusion.
"Why? But you know that he is-"
"Yes I know who he is, that is exactly why I am denying him." Elder Canglong tried to persuade the elder amid confusion but the elder remained resolute.
The elder approached Tian Longmeng and lifted his head by grabbing his hair. While their eyes came so close to each other that they could almost touch, the elder spoke.
"Listen here boy. Somehow you got your hands on a nice toy but do not think for a second that you will now get a free journey in life because of this. As long as you do not know how to operate this thing I can always bar you from its abilities. So, do not think that you are entitled to everything in here just because it landed on your lap. Got it."
The elder smiled at the end but Tian Longmeng was too shaken by the message to utter words. He quickly nodded his head, prompting the elder to release his hair.
Tian Longmeng took some time to soak in the message. He did not know the features or abilities of the Ark of the Majesty but it brought him great opportunities already. Was it that he was getting over-reliant and complacent on the Ark and the elder quickly noticed it? He trembled inwardly at the thought. Beasts truly die for food and men for money*.
"Anyways," the elder changed his tone. "You can call me Elder Chang, and while I may not help you with cultivation, like a certain soft-hearted person, I can assist in some forging."
Elder Canglong glared menacingly at Elder Chang who just shrugged his shoulders. On the other side, Tian Longmeng's eyes were dazzling.
He quickly jumped closer to Elder Chang and barraged him with excitement. "You can really help me make a weapon. I do not have one right now but I have some items. Can these make a weapon?"
He quickly brought the Hou Tiger bones and the 1000 Year Spirit Vine into the Ark Space. Elder Chang was about to speak but then he gazed in admiration at these items.
He turned to Elder Canglong a bit frustrated. "You were planning for me to help him with forging even if I did not say anything, did you? You made him collect some pretty decent items for a small world like this in hopes that I would put together something."
He sighed then analyzed the items once more while thinking. "Okay, I did promise so let me see... for a world like this... it would do good if you could find some Dark Parasol Wood, about 3000 jins."
Tian Longmeng's mouth became slack once more. 3000 jins is way more than he can manage. Was Elder Chang suggesting that he should get to more than 3000 jins of strength by the time the weapon is finished?
Elder Chang clapped his hand and raised his voice once more. "Anyways, I am but a spirit so I cannot do anything, and neither would I touch such low-class materials. Go out boy and find the Dark Parasol Wood. The sooner the better."
With that, he sent the enthusiastic Tian Longmeng away. He directed his attention to the smiling Elder Canglong and cracked his knuckles.
The palace bellowed as the entire left side was blown off by a volcanic explosion. The entire place began distorting under the scathing heat of the flood of magma. In the center of all of this was Elder Chang who was lunged over in a posture that indicated that he made a powerful punching swing.
He lifted his eyes to see a line of flattened mountains in the far distance, and Elder Canglong at the end. He was unscathed by the fiery punch thanks to a golden sheet of light that protected him. Under closer look, one would notice that it was not light, but rather lightning.
Elder Canglong spoke calmly; however, Elder Chang who was miles away could still hear him. "Why did you punch me so suddenly? I feel grieved that my brother whom I cherished could be so malicious to me. Where is the love?"
"What love." Elder Canglong felt the urge to punch his face once more. "If I had love like yours I might as well given the boy half of my cultivation. I was wondering how the Ark was propagating so much essence. Who the hell told you to break the chain?"
Elder Canglong dropped the chivalry act and became serious. "It had to be done or there would be irreversible actions." Just as he said that, he pointed the shield to the sky to deflect a meteor.
"Irreversible, my ass." Elder Chang was getting more and more furious as he listened to the excuses. "You clearly know that the Ark would not do anything, not now or ever. That is exactly why the emperor left it here in this wasteland. Even if those humans found it, they would not know what to do with it."
"Now you had to go and break taboo. Do you know how much damage that would cause to this child now?" Elder Chang raised his voice higher and louder as he continued, almost to the point of screaming.
Elder Canglong hung his head. "I- I did not want for his enthusiasm to die."
He faced the quaking force of Elder Chang's fist which crossed miles in less than a moment. Elder Chang stared at the bloodied face of Elder Canglong and was finally able to calm down ever so slightly.
"Even so, certain things happen under heaven for a reason." Elder Chang said his last words and darted back to the palace which rebuilt itself as if the explosion did not happen. Elder Canglong on the other hand, stayed on the floor while staring at the upheaved dirt and swaying grass. Thinking.
*An old adage referring to greed.