2 56-62

Book 2: Chapter 56: Zhang vs Zhou Fang

Zhang watched Yan Yun's awakening, giving her a smile. She had come a long way to reach where she had.

"Will Yan Yun be withdrawing?" Elder Sheng asked. "It will be counted as a loss."

"I can keep going," Yan Yun said, turning around.

"No, you should rest," Lu Jie said. "I know you want to, but you're not in any condition to keep going. We'll be fine."

"Indeed, sister Yan Yun. I will go next. Leave the task to me," Zhang said.

Brother Jie patted him on the shoulder, smiling brightly. "Go show them what you're made of, Zhang!"

Zhang gripped his spear tightly, stepping forth. The time had come to prove himself. He had failed to protect Lu Jie from the assassin, and the failure had hung heavily on his shoulders. He could not allow that to happen again. He was not going to be a disappointment twice. Yan Yun had given her best, now it was his turn.

"And that's the next participant!" Elder Sheng announced.

Zhang looked at Elder Yan, keeping his gaze firm. An anger he had buried from when he had been first crippled returned. No, today was not going to be just for Brother Jie. Today was also for him. He needed to win.

"Zhou Fang," Elder Yan replied.

Zhang looked at Lord Zhou, who kept his expression neutral as he turned back to face Zhou Fang. He could understand why the lord had allowed Zhou Fang to fight, most likely Elder Yan had intentionally brought only two participants, to do something of this nature and when Lord Zhou refused, he would've said he was defending Lu Jie, making it a political matter. He had likely not anticipated that Lord Zhou would agree.

"I had never expected to spar with you in these circumstances," Zhou Fang said.

"Neither had I," Zhang replied, as Elder Sheng snapped his finger, and the spear in his hand was replaced with a wooden one. He swung the weapon once, getting a feel for it. It would do.

"May it be a productive spar then," Zhou Fang said, taking his stance.

Zhang followed suit, raising his spear as well, as he prepared himself. He felt the world slowing around him as he let out a long breath. His focus sharpened, as he waited.

"Then, let the second round begin," Elder Sheng said.

Zhou Fang shot towards him, a brilliant light covering his fist as he struck. Zhang dodged the strike, gravity chi flowing through him as his steps lightened and he glid across the arena with rapid dexterity.

Empowering his spear with gravity Chi, he felt the wood turn as heavy as rock. He struck at Zhou Fang's gaps with his heavier weapon.

Zhou Fang turned, his fist glowing with Qi as he deflected the strike, but was pushed back by the momentum of it. Zhang took the opportunity from that sliver of a moment, to thrust another strike at Zhou Fang. Moving swiftly, Zhou Fang dodged the strike, but the spear struck at his side.

Pulling his spear back, Zhang let his Chi fill the weapon, as it began to vibrate at a rapid rate, gathering power. Zhou Fang took the moment to move in closer, Qi flared around him, a brilliant radiance to it, as a blinding strike made the world turn white around Zhang. He felt the strike coming and moved to block with his spear, yet the strike was surprisingly fast, as it struck him in the chest. Zhang took the blow, rolling, before he used gravity Chi to reduce his weight to let himself be flung back to the walls. Kicking off the wall, he rushed towards Zhou Fang, as he threw his spear at the boy. The weapon moved like a descending meteor, striking rapidly. Zhou Fang jumped back but stumbled as a shockwave traveled from the spear, having pierced the ground with its increased weight.

Zhang pulled the weapon out, spinning it, as he looked at Zhou fang, who stood with his fists up, looking back at Zhang.

"You've grown much stronger," Zhou Fang said.

"Still not enough. I must be stronger still," Zhang said, taking his stance himself.

"Ah… now I regret being so hesitant in accepting a new path upon myself. But still, I shall not be regretting my choices," Zhou Fang said, as light began to gather around him. "Let me show you my newer abilities."

A moment later, a flash erupted, and five Zhou Fangs stood within the arena. Zhang squinted, trying to find the real one, yet each felt the same as the other. Zhang raised his spear, and then slammed it on the ground.

A wave of Gravity Chi washed over the area, affecting each of the copies, as they all winced at the same time.

"That's… strong," five Zhou Fangs said together.

A moment later, both participants moved towards each other in a rapid rush. Zhang thrust his weapon out as multiple strikes came towards him from all directions. Gravity Chi continued to flow through him as he used his spear to hold back the attacks. Brilliant flashes of Qi blinded him from moment to moment, as fists began to hit. Some at his chest, others at his feet.

Zhang grunted, moving as fast as he could, yet it was not enough to manage five opponents at once. Moving ahead, Zhang used his gravity Chi to focus on a single target weighing it down till it was on its knees. Taking the strikes from the others, he thrust his spear towards the one, thrusting his spear through its body. The copy broke apart into light as his strike broke through the art.

The other copies moved back, standing at a distance as Zhang turned, ready to pick them down one by one. Rushing ahead, Zhang threw his spear with all his strength. The strike flew with a crackle, as it pierced another copy, breaking it apart. Rushing ahead as he abandoned his spear, Zhang struck with his fist, grabbing another copy as he let gravity crush it into the ground, using his own body weight to break apart the clone.

One of the clones grabbed Zhang's neck in a chokehold, pulling him back. Zhang let his gravity Chi flow as he lifted up in the air, alongside the clone. Grabbing it by the arm, he lifted the copy, before punching through its chest as the clone broke apart.

Flying in the arena, Zhang looked at the last copy of Zhou Fang standing in the distance, with Qi dancing around his fist. Rushing forward Zhang launched himself towards Zhou Fang, plummeting into the ground, using Gravity Chi to increase his weight over ten folds as he held Zhou Fang down onto the place, holding him by his throat.

"Forfeit," Zhang said.

Zhou Fang looked at him, a pained expression on his face as Zhang held his throat in his grip, then gave a quiet smile. "Not… yet."

The boy in Zhang's hand collapsed into little particles of light, as Zhang's eyes widened in surprise. A strike stuck at his back, launching him forward, into the wall of the arena.

"I was worried you'd catch on," Zhou Fang said, turning visible once more, as his real body appeared.

Zhang picked himself up, looking at Zhou Fang, as the boy gave him a grin.

"I underestimated you," Zhang said. Gravity Chi flared around him, as purple energy began to collect into a ball. "I will not make the same mistake again."

"Wait, hold on—" Zhou Fang tried, but Zhang moved with purpose as he rushed ahead.

Gravity Chi continued to grow in his fist, the purple now a blinding bright flash that burned everything around it. With a single motion of absolute strength, Zhang let his strike launch itself as he struck Zhou Fang.

Light covered the arena breaking the ground from the burst of gravity. Elder Sheng announced the end.

"The victor is Zhang!"

Zhang watched Zhou Fang, now on the ground and unconscious from the strike. He heard Elder Yan curse, and felt a flood of pride fill him. He'd done it.

"Well, that was something," Elder Sheng said, lifting Zhou Fang before carefully putting him outside the arena. "Will you be changing participants?"

"No," Zhang replied.

"Very well," Elder Sheng said, turning towards Elder Yan. "I suppose there's no need to ask since there's only one participant left now."

Li stepped forward, a scar marring one side of his hair, as he glared in Zhang's direction.

"Strange abilities, but I understand them now. You control weight," Li said, looking at Zhang with an intense gaze. "I'll enjoy breaking you."

Zhang looked at the boy, feeling his resolve strengthen. This was it then. This was the battle he needed to win, for Brother Jie. And for himself.

Elder Sheng looked at the two participants, before raising his hand.

"Then, let the third round begin!"

Book 2: Chapter 57: The Final Duel

Zhang moved first. Riding on the momentum from his previous battle, he rushed forward, Gravity Chi flaring all around him. But Li was prepared, as lightning erupted from him in all directions, meeting Zhang's fist with his own. A blast of energy flared all around the area, as Zhang was blasted backwards, feeling numb from the lightning coursing through him. Reaching out with his gravity Chi, he pulled his spear back into his hand, as he watched Yan Li smiling with a scowl.

Zhang frowned, channeling his own Chi, as he let gravity be altered around him. At the same time, he pushed against Li with his Chi, increasing the boy's weight, slowing him down.

"Tricks upon tricks. That's all you have," Li said, stepping forward from under the increased weight as Lightning coiled around him. "Let me show you what true strength looks like."

Lightning crackled, as Li rushed ahead in a blur. A loud crackle sounded out, as a bolt of lightning pierced the arena with a boom. Zhang held back the attack with his spear, but the weapon burned, bursting into pieces from the energy as Zhang felt himself being pushed back. Li rushed ahead, not giving an inch, as he struck, hands coated in lightning. Zhang moved, twisting as he pushed on Li with his increased weight to strike back.

Li intercepted the attack, lightning madly swirling around him. "Do you know how long I have waited for this?" Li said, his eyes bloodshot as he held Zhang's arm, lightning coursing around him in a storm. "All this time, I have been training with a single purpose. I'm not going to let trash like you stop me now."

Lightning erupted, and Zhang screamed. He grabbed his arm, singed from the lightning, as it hung by his side. Zhang grunted, spitting out blood, as he saw Li walking towards him, his lightning now blood-red, fuming with fury. Fire danced around his body.

"Months you say. I had spent years dreaming of this, having long given hope. You understand nothing about true pain. How could you? You care for nobody beside yourself, not even your brother."

"Shut your mouth!" Li screamed, as he moved.

Zhang gathered gravity Chi, making Li lighter as his strike missed Zhang, flying above his head. Jumping up into the air, Zhang struck Li in the chest, before grappling the boy. Lightning poured outwards as Li screamed, and Zhang felt his body tensing against the lightning Qi, but he pushed forward, putting his knee onto Li's chest midair, before he reversed gravity, as the two fell with a rapid thud. Li coughed blood, blasting a burst of lightning that threw Zhang off him.

Pulling himself up to his feet, Zhang wobbled. Li rose to his face, his hair now scattered around his face in a mad expression as it covered his scarred eye. "You understand NOTHING." He screamed, rushing forward, as a serpent of lightning formed around him.

Zhang jumped back, but the serpent struck with rapid haste, binding Zhang within itself, as lightning singed his body, making him lock up.

"You stole everything. Everything. Now you need to pay for it," Li said, clenching his fist, as the lightning snake erupted in a burst, throwing Zhang back. Lightning covered the arena, as Qi swirled around in a frenzy.

Zhang rushed out at a rapid speed, his weighted fist striking Li in his face like a crashing boulder as it launched Li backwards.

"It is your actions that did this. There is no one to blame but yourself," Zhang said, rushing forward, as he lifted Li, raising him into the air, then swinging him through the air, he flung Li across the arena with all his strength.

Not waiting for the boy to recover, Zhang gathered his gravity Chi. Energy boiled in a frenzy as he flew in the air, and a blinding light gathered in his hands.

"It is your turn to understand now. The consequences of your actions," Zhang said, as a burning heat exploded into the arena. Gravity Chi filled the space, a starry backdrop filling the arena, as the light from Zhang's hand covered everything.

"Gravity Art: Birth of a Star."

The world erupted in flames, as a blinding star came into existence, before exploding. Fire and heat erupted, burning the grounds, singeing them black and cracking the floor from the heat.

Zhang felt his strength fading, as he slowly returned to the ground. He stood, waiting as he watched the flames and dust swirling in the arena.

"Heavenly Phoenix Strike!"

Lightning erupted across the arena, as a blinding phoenix of lightning filled it. The heavens rumbled, striking down beneath, as the phoenix grabbed Zhang in its wings. Zhang screamed, lightning coursing through his body as it broke through his defenses. The world crackled with static, as he slowly fell onto his knees.

Li stood, his clothes half burned, his body covered in marks of injuries, as he looked down on Zhang, who was on the ground.

Zhang clawed the dirt, trying to raise his body, but found it refusing his will as strength faded from his limbs.

"That's exactly where you belong," Li spat, before turning around.

"And the victor is Yan Li," Elder Sheng announced, and with frustration and fury in his heart, Zhang felt his consciousness drifting away.

He hoped brother Jie would forgive his failure.

***

I heard the announcement of the end of the match and let out a sigh. I had been expecting this. The battle with Zhou Fang was difficult enough that Zhang would've struggled to take out Li. I watched the elder from the alchemy hall pick up Zhang, and I took the boy from him, supporting him on my shoulder.

"Apologies, brother Jie," Zhang said.

"Nonsense, you did more than enough," I replied, as I helped him sit down. After making sure Zhang was alright, I spared a moment to check my own spirit. The poison was, thankfully, still moving slowly. A portion of my spirit felt like it had been hollowed out, but there was enough around to serve my purpose. But my time was limited nonetheless. I needed to win quickly.

"Now, it seems the final battle is all that's left," Elder Sheng said, looking at me.

I stepped forward at his words, entering the arena. Li stood on the opposite side, injured, but still far from defeated as lightning crackled around the boy.

"Are both participants ready?" Elder Sheng asked.

I gave a nod.

"Since the day I was born," Li replied, cracking his knuckles as he grinned at me. "I'll make sure to return the humiliation you gave me that day twice over."

I ignored Li, focusing within myself. I could not use the first law, not with its obvious usage of Gu as my Chi split itself. I also couldn't really draw upon the spirit of the tree, or I would just get overtaken and lose control.

Which meant, I had to win this battle with just my own strength, and the strength of my abilities. Wasn't that just so wonderful?

Letting out a long breath, I took my stance. I did not like doing this very often, but this time I had no choice. I closed my eyes, letting the other half of my personality begin to show a stronger influence upon me.

Memories from Gu Jie's half began to fill me, as my stance adjusted itself subtly. Wider legs, a firmer stance. Little things that I could not really notice consciously, not until I was in this specific mindset.

Years upon years of training and lessons began to reflect themselves as I stood, ready for the fight in front of me.

"Now, let the final round of the duel begin!"

I moved first. The world blurred around me as I stepped forward, Chi gathering in my palm as I struck at Li. The boy defended with his arms, lightning crackling around as he took the blow, sliding back.

"What happened to those flames? That fire you used? No longer willing to show your demonic abilities?" Li said, grinning, as lightning fathered in his hands before he shot it towards me.

I ducked, barely dodging the bolt before it shot me right at my face. Fucker had gone straight for my forehead. Letting Chi fill my steps, I kicked off, first from the earth, then at air itself. It took a moment for me to adjust but I knew I'd done it before, and I could do it again. That confidence lent itself to the Chi I used as the air firmed against my steps. I ran across the arena, launching myself around in every direction, before I struck Li's face with my fist, throwing him back. To my surprise, the boy had been ready, and instead of being launched off, he used the moment to grab my hand, using it to sent a flashing bolt of lightning into me.

I felt the lightning Qi burn my arm, but my feet were in the air, and the effect of lightning was weaker. I pulled Li closer, using his grasp to establish mine.

"Even after the last time, you seem to have learned nothing," I said, bringing him close to me. Lightning continued to flood into me, my hair rising at every inch of my body, but I bore through it as I flew in the air with Li in my arms. Kicking off the air around me, I moved fast, slamming Li into the ground. I felt a crack against my elbow as I struck him down. I'd broken a few of his ribs there.

Li coughed, blood filling his mouth, and I moved back into the air, ready for a return strike.

Yet instead of a strike, what came was laughter, unhinged laughter that seemed to burn with uncontained fury. "Ah… it hurts. As I thought, just a few months had not been enough time," Li said, looking up at me.

"But it doesn't matter," he said, as lightning burst under his feet, before he jumped into the air far faster than before. I moved back surprised, but Li's strike struck me in my gut, and I coughed, blood pooling in my mouth. I felt my hair tie being undone as he grabbed my hair, before striking with his fingers in my chest. His fingers pierced me, as lightning burned all around him in an uncontrolled storm.

"You cannot hurt me in a way that matters. I will keep coming back, for you, for everyone you love. I will hunt them, and break all of it, piece by piece," the boy proclaimed, his face splattered with blood as he smiled with manic eyes.

I looked at him, and for the first time since the battle, regretted not finishing what I had started. Chi burst from me, as I pushed myself away from Li, blood flowing from the injury in my chest. The wounds were healing fast, yet the damage had been done. My muscles tensed, as Li rushed towards me, body coated in lightning as he moved far faster than he had before.

I ran, stepping and moving through the air, as I dodged through the bolts of lightning. Moving to the ground I pressed my palm on the earth, as the ground erupted from beneath me, earth rising to block the bolts of lightning heading my way before they crumbled under the strike. Flames gathered on my fist and I let them fill my hands as I sent them towards Li, who rushed me cackling like a mad man as he flew through the fire burning him till his hand was on my throat as he pinned me down, while he struck my abdomen where my dantian was.

I felt the strike, as my core shivered, a small crack forming within it.

"Let me begin by doing what you did to my brother," Li exclaimed, as he struck another strike. I felt the blow land, as my dantian shuddered, and I felt the poison escape free, as it seeped into my spirit.

I clutched Li's hands, pulling on them but his grip remained like iron. I pushed, kicking at the boy, feeling my eyes starting to droop from the lack of oxygen. My mind began to slowly sink, and in a desperate attempt, I kicked at Li, pushing him away.

As he lost his grip, I coughed, taking in deep gulps of air. Li stood next to me, lightning swirling all around him.

"Pathetic. You are pathetic. I cannot believe I lost to you," Li said, as Lightning Qi began to gather on his hands. "Let me end your pathetic suffering."

I looked at the boy, at the madness in his eyes and found myself giving in. I felt the poison seeping into my body, draining me, and knew I couldn't avoid it any longer.

"I… have tried so hard. To not let myself give in to anger. Even when you hurt Labby, I felt regret for letting rage make my choices. Because I thought that it wasn't your fault. But the world you were born in, which raised you to be like this. Lei had been proof of this, his change showed me that I had been right," I said, looking up at Li, who froze under my words.

"Words won't buy you any time," Li spat, lightning crackling on his fingers, ready to strike.

"You still don't understand, do you?" I said, and laughed. "All this time. I was trying not to repeat my past mistakes. To give you a chance. But you've robbed me of that choice now."

Li did not wait to listen further, as he moved with the intent to kill, his strike launching towards me. I moved, grabbing his hand, as a golden ring manifested in my eyes, burning with the fury I had been holding back all this time.

The First Law manifested itself in the world around me, as I Gu and Qi began to flare around me. But that wasn't it, was it? No, I had a lot more to give than this. And so, I began to draw on the well of power that rested within me.

Chi began to flow, from the land I was Lord of, from the people who had chosen to walk my path with me. I changed, and the world around me changed as well. I felt my spirit begin to mingle with something greater, as my voice shook the world.

"You are not worthy of this false strength. A gift stolen from us, now we take it back again."

I put my hands on Li's face, and then took away the gift that the Heavens had granted him. The false promise that he had built his life around. And just like that, with a single proclamation, Li was a mortal.

I heard screams, shouts, as my eyes moved over to Elder Yan, standing on the other end as he looked at me with a horrified expression.

"A demon… I was right afterall," the man said.

Lord Zhou shouted, someone screamed my name. I did not notice. I moved to dodge but the man was faster than I could even hope to be. A mountain of Qi erupted in front of me as I moved, and Elder Yan rushed towards me. It took a moment, a bare second as the man's hand landed upon my abdomen.

"We should've killed you the very first moment we'd seen you," he said, as the Qi in his palm blasted into my dantian.

Crack.

I felt my dantian shatter into pieces.

The poison now flowed freely, as it mingled with my spirit, burning through pieces of it. My vision blurred, as I saw Lord Zhou striking at Elder Yan, but my consciousness did not last.

With a gasp, my mind slipped into darkness, and the beast I held within my spirit roared as it was released into the world.

Book 2: Chapter 58: Broken Cycle

Elder Yan saw Lord Zhou move but the man had not been fast enough. Lightning was speed, swiftness, even the Lord could not beat him in this regard.

"What have you done?!" the man screamed, genuine fury burning in his eyes now.

"What you should've done ages ago," Elder Yan spat, grasping at the Lord's arms. "Harboring a demon in your own castle, you have become a traitor Lord Zhou. I will not stand for it. You no longer are fit to hold the title of Lord of this peak," Elder Yan said.

Lord Zhou's expression twisted and Elder Yan simply glowered back at the man. But neither moved against each other.

What did move, was something else entirely.

Elder Yan glanced sideways, noticing one of the demon boy's friends holding him in their arms. Elder Yan scowled, Qi flaring rapidly as he prepared to finish the job.

"I would not do that if I were you," Elder Sheng said, putting an arm on his shoulder. Elder Yan scoffed, yet his body was frozen under the man, unwilling to move.

"Ah, my dear junior brother. What a mess you've left for us," Sheng Yuan said.

Before Elder Yan could ask the man what he meant, he felt the world erupt around him.

Crack.

Something broke.

Like an egg cracking. But what came out was no mere beast. The weight of the world descended upon them, as Elder Yan found himself pushed down to his knees. Panic stirred in his heart, the strength displayed reminding him of the only man he had witnessed who had ever been this powerful.

The emperor is here?! No… no this is… someone else.

With all his will, Elder Yan looked up, and saw… Lu Jie standing on his feet. But he knew, it was the boy no longer. His hair was white, his body a pale color, as an ethereal aura flowed around him. Scales formed on his skin as the weight of his aura began to crack the earth he stood upon. The beast's eyes glowed a powerful white, before its eyes moved to rest on Elder Yan.

A shiver went down the Elder's spine, and without a moment's delay, he fled for his life. The elder's body turned into lightning itself, as he moved faster than any physical form ever could as he burned through his Qi.

But in moments, he saw the beast appear in front of him in the blink of an eye, glowing eyes regarding him with cold calculation.

"You are a thorn. A result of this broken cycle. No longer can you exist," the beast said, raising its arm as he clutched Elder Yan in his grip. Death loomed over him, more certain than he had ever felt in his life, as the creature held him in his hand.

"What… are you…?" Elder Yan gasped.

"We are the price of your immortality. The result of the cycle you have broken. Now we will take what is our due."

And so the beast did. Qi began to flow, in torrents, as the creature took it with him. Realm after realm, decades of cultivation slowly flowing into the creature, lost forever.

"Hey, you! Take this!" A voice exclaimed, as a strike struck the creature's face, drawing blood. The beast turned to see Elder Sheng flying in the air, with piles of rocks in his hand that he tossed around.

"Ah, that got your attention, did it?" Elder Sheng said, before throwing another rock at the beast. The creature grabbed the rock with one arm, the impact of the small pebble striking like an explosion that shook the air itself.

"Child of Death and Fire. Why do you fight us?"

"I don't really want to either, but you see. I don't like when the Divine Beasts just begin to run the show. Doesn't really sit right with me. Especially since you've taken over my junior brother's body like that."

"So you wish to be an obstacle in our path?"

"You can say that," Sheng Yuan replied, smiling.

"Very well."

Elder Yan gasped, as the monster let go. He fell through the skies, his cultivation having lost decades of Qi, and strength. Screaming, Elder Yan used his arts, lightning swirling around him as he crashed through the branches beneath him, before falling onto the earth. His body ached, bones cracked and broken. His cultivation had been returned to the edge of the third realm, barely enough for anything.

Coughing, Elder Yan slowly pulled himself up, fury and shame burning in his chest as he looked at the skies. Yet the anger faded soon after, replaced by a primal fear he hadn't felt in ages.

Just what had he unleashed?

***

"Lu Jie! Stop!" Yan Yun screamed into the skies, yet no one replied.

Zhang put a hand on her shoulder, as she looked at him, feeling frustrated. The world shook around her, as Yan Yun looked at the skies, feeling helpless.

The heavens rumbled, Elder Sheng fighting Lu Jie, keeping the destruction in check. No one else dared even try.

"What is happening?" Zhou Fang asked, having come to consciousness a little while earlier, as he now stood confused amidst the destroyed dueling arena.

"Lu Jie won," Yan Yun won, her lips pursed as her eyes remained at the skies.

"Isn't that good? Why… do you look so concerned?" Zhou Fang asked.

"A spirit has taken over Lu Jie's body," Lord Zhou said, standing in front of the children, before his gaze went to Zhang. "Do you know what is happening?"

"Brother Jie… never went into detail. But he had mentioned a spirit that he could draw power from but could not control. That spirit is what seems to be rampaging right now."

"He… he was poisoned by grandfather," Yan Yun said. "A spirit poison that would eat at his cultivation and spirit. Granny Lang had made something to hold back the poison but the battle seems to have released it. I think… Lu Jie lost control of the spirit because of that."

Lord Zhou looked at the skies, the waves of the battle shaking the earth beneath them from shockwaves, as a deep frown came upon his expression. "At this rate, he'll destroy half the empire before he can be stopped."

Elder Tian Feng arrived in a blur of mist. "What're your orders my lord?"

"Send word to the cultivators, start erecting wards upon the seventh peak. Begin evacuating the villages nearby and call them back to safety," Lord Zhou said, as people rushed around.

"Leiyu has gone to the capital, to one of our friends in the Shie family. He should be returning soon with the antidote. Perhaps with that…?" Yan Yun trailed off.

"Then, pray that your spirit can return to us in time," Lord Zhou said, watching the skies.

***

Liuxiang lay in her bed, feeling exhaustion flowing through her. The training her great-grandmother had been giving her only seemed to be rising in intensity as she pushed forward in her cultivation with blazing speeds. She did not mind the training, but having to manage all the politics of being the great Elder's disciple when exhausted made things all that much harder. She knew her grandmother was well aware of this, and was likely pushing her to make her better prepared to be able to handle things even when she's at her worst, but that did not make her hate the woman any less in the moment.

"At least it's good for you," Zhi Zhu said from her spirit.

"Easy for Zhi Zhu to say. I'm the one suffering," Liuxiang complained.

"Zhi Zhu is suffering too. She has been training relentlessly. Just… not as relentlessly as the Eldest would have her train."

Liuxiang groaned, rolling in her soft bed made of cloud-cotton. Something so luxurious just imagining sleeping on it would've felt like blasphemy. Now it was just another part of life. At least she didn't bleed, unlike some of her cousins. She pitied them. It was one of the few things she appreciated about her bloodline.

"Seems funny to think Liuxiang had been so desperate to pretend to be human before. To join their false pretenses."

Liuxiang grunted, agreeing to Zhi Zhu. "It isn't so bad. But… it does feel nice to not need to do so as well."

Zhi Zhu manifested nearby, crawling around the chamber. "What does Liuxiang plan to do for the winter's feast? The celebration draws closer and closer."

"I haven't decided yet," Liuxiang said. "I hear they're inviting all seven lords of each of the peaks. That hasn't happened since last century. And then grandmother will obviously be the focus of that feast."

"Which means Liuxiang will be the center of attention for the entire empire. Thinking of it like that, Eldest's training almost seems kind."

Liuxiang groaned, burying her face into her bed.

"Liuxiang. Get up. There's an intruder."

Within a moment, Liuxiang was on her feet, needles in hand and ready to strike. Zhi Zhu had melded back into her, as their senses scanned the area. A moment later, Liuxiang shot her needles out, as they struck out through the window and she heard a cry of a bird outside.

"What in the heavens!" a voice shouted and Liuxiang rushed closer to see a familiar spirit.

"Leiyu? What are you doing here?"

"Lu Jie needs your help. Elder Yan has poisoned him, and we need an antidote. Leiyu has come here to ask for help."

Liuxiang let Leiyu in, her expression darkening. "How is Lu Jie?"

"Fine, last we saw. But it's hard to say what's happening right now," Leiyu replied.

"That boy has not lost his habit of getting into needless trouble," Zhi Zhu said.

"Do you have the poison on you?" Liuxiang asked.

"We do," Leiyu said, handing over the letter. Liuxiang quickly glanced at the contents, before picking out the needle present inside.

"Spirit eating poison. Vicious in usage. This poison acts rather quickly. The fact that Lu Jie was fine for so long… is hard to believe."

"Last we saw he was okay. But he is not normal, as we all know. Still, there have been problems."

Liuxiang looked at the poison, before glancing at Leiyu. "We have the cure, but it'll need us to go there directly."

Leiyu looked at Liuxiang, before signing. "We can take a larger form and take you with us. But it'll be a difficult ride."

Liuxiang nodded.

"Liuxiang, you cannot be serious. What about Eldest? What will you tell her?" Zhi Zhu asked.

"Zhi Zhu, stay behind for us and calm her down? We'll be back as soon as we can," Liuxiang said, picking the needle as she put it in a bowl, before beginning to take out herbs from her shelves.

"She will chew Zhi Zhu out," Zhi Zhu said, but did not refuse.

Liuxiang smiled at her spirit, before she began to take out the herbs she needed. Poison Qi flowed around her hand, as it mingled with the herbs, and she sat down, putting the edge of the needle into the mixture.

Minutes passed in silence, before the mixture turned into a black goop that hissed as it moved.

"It is done," Liuxiang replied.

"That quickly?" Leiyu asked, surprised.

"Making the antidote is simple. It is its delivery that is the difficult part," Liuxiang said.

"Very well, then let us depart," Leiyu said, lightning crackling around the eagle as his smaller form grew rapidly, until it was large enough for Liuxiang to ride on.

"Zhi Zhu, we're counting on you," Liuxiang said.

"As always, it must be Zhi Zhu who has to do the difficult tasks. Go and save your friend, we'll handle Eldest."

Liuxiang smiled, as she climbed onto Leiyu.

"Hold on tight," Leiyu said, and with a bright crackle of lightning, they were off.

Book 2: Chapter 59: Poison Cuts Poison

Sheng Yuan flew in the skies, watching the Divine Beast give chase. This trip had very quickly gone from a fun, leisurely one to a battle he was rather under prepared for. There was no way the Azure Dragon would not notice this, so their time was cut even further as the Emperor himself would realize what was going on. He would need to make sure he got his due back for this favor from his dearest new Junior Brother.

"Man, grandfather sure loves picking children like us, doesn't he?" Sheng Yuan exclaimed to the beast, who did not reply, simply letting a strike of Chi burst that cracked reality in front of him. The void seeped from between the cracks, and Sheng Yuan had to exert his will to keep the realms from cracking as he took the blow.

"Calm down, you really don't want to create a rift to the void here. There are worse things than either of us in there," Sheng Yuan said, but his smile was starting to slip. Maintaining this form while fighting was proving to be more and more difficult, but he could not exactly let that slip right now either. He would need to improvise to manage somehow.

"Say, how about we both move somewhere quieter?" Sheng Yuan said, before Stepping. The realms peeled away as he moved a large distance within moments, bridging the gap between space itself. The beast was far too heavy in its presence to do what he had just done, and so it would have to move through the space itself to give chase.

Granted, that would only take a few minutes at best, but it was enough time for him to gather his strength. Looking down, Sheng Yuan noticed the spirit beasts running away in terror as they felt the battle raging.

"Meh, they'll have to do."

Rushing down, he grabbed a giant tiger in his hand. A moment later, the beast collapsed into ash, as his life was absorbed into Sheng Yuan. Stretching his presence, Sheng Yuan began to pull, using his will as he commanded.

"Perish."

The lush forest around him began to decay within moments, as Gu formed in giant quantities. Within moments, he absorbed the death and life of the creatures, calling them within itself as his strength replenished itself. A giant hollow crater remained in the forest now, filled with gray ash.

The heavens rumbled, ready to strike upon him.

"Oh shut the fuck up, you know I'm doing you a favor," Sheng Yuan shouted back, as the heavens stirred. But no tribulation came.

"That's what I thought," he snorted. Looking back at the destroyed land he shrugged. He didn't have the time to fix it, and the forest would regrow given enough time. With a stomp, the ash hardened, forming a giant arena.

Any leisure time he may have had was lost as the Divine Beast appeared above him, noticing him standing in the clearing. With a burst of speed that broke the sound barrier, the beast launched itself into the earth in a collision that moved tons of earth, causing the ground to tremble.

Sheng Yuan blocked the strike, letting Gu seep into his body, before he punched the beast back, flinging it across the clearing. A second later, he teleported to where the monster was moving towards, letting a second strike launch it into the ground.

"Do you know how hard it is to not only beat you, but also not kill the body you're holding hostage?" Sheng Yuan complained, as he flew over the beast.

The creature was far lost from its sanity, as it roared, lunging at Sheng Yuan. Chi burst out in a powerful explosion, as the creature used power that would make Divinities shiver in fear.

Divinities who were stronger than he was, in this form. Thankfully the beast was all power and no control, or Sheng Yuan would've been forced to change his plans, or abandon the seventh peak entirely.

"What do you say about playing a game, my friend?" Sheng Yuan asked, dodging a strike that cracked the earth beneath him. Fire spewed from the ground, torrents of Gu escaping from its earthy prison.

"I'm taking that as an enthusiastic yes," Sheng Yuan replied. "The rules are simple. You win if you catch me. Sounds good?"

A roar that shook the ground escaped from Lu Jie's mouth, as the creature broke a giant chunk of earth, throwing it at Sheng Yuan.

Sheng Yuan broke the boulder with a strike, dodging the fist coming from Lu Jie by an inch as he moved sideways, before touching him on the shoulder.

"Okay, you need to catch me now," he said, as the monster swung, and he moved through the world, vanishing.

The beast moved fast, giving chase, near-instantly arriving where Sheng Yuan was. Energy gathered in the creature's hands, as it struck at the air itself. Fire erupted from the friction, as a flaming fist tore through where Sheng Yuan had been within a fraction of a moment.

"Whoa! You almost got me," Shen Yuan said, dodging once more as the monster swung.

"You'll need to do better if you want to win!" Sheng Yuan said. To his surprise, the beast stopped. A moment later, it turned his focus up to the skies.

"Wait, no, that wasn't an actual suggestion, don't do better!" Sheng Yuan shouted, rushing after the creature. But it moved swiftly, jumping up to the skies as it reached out to the heavens. Lightning rumbled within the skies, striking down, as the creature struck with his fist. Sheng Yuan cursed, joining it in the skies, as he let his own strike land on the creature.

"I know we're enemies and all, but how about a truce? Help me out a little, maybe?" Sheng Yuan called out to the heavens.

The skies rumbled, shivering. A moment later, he saw ghostly warriors manifesting around him, and smiled.

"Hate to say it, but thanks," Sheng Yuan replied, as he rushed in towards Lu Jie. The creature roared, Lu Jie's aura growing stronger and stronger by the minute as it continued to absorb all the energy from its environment.

With a shuddering strike, a pulse of energy shot towards the skies themselves, as he grabbed onto a strand of the heavens, ripping it apart.

"Normally, I would cheer you on, but not today," Sheng Yuan said, rushing in as he struck Lu Jie at his chest, flinging him back onto the ground with a powerful strike.

Gu gathered in his hands, and he drew on Qi from the heavens, combining them in a dizzying array of energy. Chains descended from the skies and the earth, wrapping Lu Jie's arms and legs, as they held the Divine Beast at bay.

Sheng Yuan panted, feeling his energy drawing to a limit. But the chains would last, at least for a short while. Glancing at the heavens, he gave a grudging nod, before stepping through the world once more.

Appearing in the castle, he looked around. "So, do any of you have any idea how to stop Lu Jie? He's obviously lost control."

The girl looked at him in surprise.

"I don't have all day, if I don't go soon, that thing will be crashing through here," he said.

Quickly composing herself, she replied. "There's an antidote to cure the poison that has eaten away at Lu Jie's spirit. My spirit has gone to the capital for it, but I can't say when it'll be here."

"Wonderful," Sheng Yuan said, wanting to curse. So he possibly had to hold back that thing for a week.

With a sigh, he jumped back into the skies. He hoped all this effort was going to be worth it.

***

Liuxiang felt the wind brushing past her. They had been going for three days now, without any breaks and she could feel Leiyu's exhaustion. But at last, their destination was starting to be visible. Liuxiang noted the seventh peak in the distance, feeling a strangely pleased sensation fill her to be back here. Though through rather unusual circumstances at her part.

"Is that… a ward over the entire city?" Leiyu said.

Liuxiang focused her attention, noting Leiyu was right. There was a ward present on the entire city, shimmering with Qi. Even the surrounding area looked like it had been destroyed in chunks, like some kind of large-scale battle had been taking place at the location.

"What is going on here?" Liuxiang asked.

"Leiyu doesn't know. But clearly something happened," the spirit replied.

A moment later, she felt a powerful burst of energy explode in the distance, sending a shockwave that almost knocked her off. She looked off in the distance, noting tiny figures fighting in the skies. The heavens rumbled with lightning, storms brewing across the lands as Liuxiang felt her heart begin to race.

Those… were Divinities. Multiple Divinities at that, nothing else had power of this level. No wonder she had been sensing a disruption on her way here. But what Divinity had come here to battle, and for what purpose?

Slowly, Leiyu began to lower himself to the ground, before circling over the seventh peak.

"We sense Yan Yun in there," Leiyu said.

"In the Lord's manor?" Liuxiang asked curiously. Focusing her senses, she noted that Yan Yun was indeed inside the manor, alongside Zhang and others.

Slowly, Leiyu circled around, letting out a loud, piercing cry, after which a small section of the ward faded and Leiyu slipped in, flying down to the manor with sparkling statics.

People rushed closer, before staring with wide eyes at Liuxiang. Yan Yun stepped in, as Leiyu returned to his smaller form, before swiftly moving into Yan Yun's spirit.

"Liuxiang?" Yan Yun asked.

"Indeed, it is me," Liuxiang replied. "It is good to see you, Yan Yun, Zhang, Granny Lang. Though I can tell that now is not a good time for greetings."

"You can say that again girl," Granny Lang snorted.

"Leiyu told me about the poison and I decided to come here myself, since delivering the antidote is a difficult process. But there seems to be something entirely else happening," Liuxiang said, before glancing around. "Where is Lu Jie?"

She noticed the people looking at each other uncertainly, and she felt her heart sinking.

"He's, well, he's sort of the reason we're all here," Yan Yun said.

"Brother Jie has been possessed by a spirit, after the poison took hold of him. He's now being held back by Lord Zhou, all the cultivators in the seventh peak, and the Cloudy Peak sect. But they're struggling," Zhang replied.

Liuxiang's eyes widened. "They're… all struggling to hold him back?"

Nods came towards her, and Liuxiang had to wonder just what sort of madness Lu Jie had gotten up to this time.

A loud tremor shook the skies, and Liuxiang turned to face the skies. She noted warriors flying in the sky circling around a single figure with power so overwhelming that her spirit senses felt like they were burning.

Even her grandmother did not possess this much spirit energy.

"Is… that Lu Jie?" Liuxiang asked, horrified.

"It is," Yan Yun said. "If we can bring the antidote to him somehow, I think he can be stopped."

"We can take care of the boy for a small time," a man said, and Liuxiang turned to see Elder Tian Feng standing nearby.

"It is good to see you, Elder," Liuxiang said, nodding.

"Me too, though I am but a clone," Tian Feng said, before glancing at the skies. "I've already relayed that the antidote is here, Elder Sheng and Lord Zhou will be down momentarily."

As soon as Elder Tian Feng said that, the world rippled around Liuxiang.

"Where is it?" a man barked with blood flowing down his arm and clothes in tatters. A moment later, his eyes rested on Liuxiang. "Shie?" he said, pausing.

Liuxiang looked at the man uncertainly.

"Do you have the cure?" Lord Zhou asked. Liuxiang saw the Lord, and her expression further turned grim. His body was injured, heavily so, and his Qi was faint.

"I do. If you can bring me to Lu Jie, I'll be able to administer it. I will need you to hold him still for a minute though."

"Great," the man, she assumed Elder Sheng from what she'd heard, grasped her hand. Liuxiang almost let out a hiss, but let the man pull her as the world itself warped around her.

Her eyes almost widened again. That was something her grandmother could do. And only her, of all the people she knew. Was this man a Divinity then? She did not have the time to ponder the question, her eyes on Lu Jie. She almost didn't recognise him, his hair a pure white, his eyes glowing with Qi… no, something else entirely.

Just what had happened to him?

"Okay, I'm going to try and hold him back for as long as I can, but I'm basically spent at this point. Try to be quick, or he'll erase you from existence," Elder Sheng said.

Liuxiang wanted to protest that the Lu Jie she knew would never do anything like that, but she knew that this was not Lu Jie. But something else using his body. She gave a small nod.

"I can fly," she replied, noting the elder was holding her hand.

"Won't be enough. Stick to me, and when I say go, rush in," the man said. Liuxiang looked at him, a concerned expression on her face.

"Oh, don't give me that look. You'll be fine," Elder Sheng said.

"That was not what I had intended," Liuxiang replied, but did not banter further as Lu Jie rushed towards them. Just his movement alone caused the air around him to ripple, and she felt the world itself descending on her.

With a warp of the world, they moved through reality itself again, dodging the strike as the man let go of Liuxiang's arm.

"Junior Brother, you've been a serious pain this far. Time to give back some of that pain," the Elder said, before he rushed back in like a descending bolt of lightning.

Liuxiang began to count.

A powerful blast shook the ground from where the Elder struck Lu Jie down. A dark aura spread over the world, and for a moment everything seemed to turn to night, as the stars themselves blinked out of existence.

"End's call," the man said, as a great aura descended upon the earth.

Lu Jie screamed as the world itself began to crush him, pushing him down into the earth itself. He screamed, a powerful burst exploding from him as he broke apart the technique, which would've taken multiple Master ranked cultivators to fight, in an instant.

The man moved undeterred as if he had been expecting as much, already preparing another technique. The earth stirred around Lu Jie, rising around him as it slammed down upon the boy. For a second Liuxiang worried the attack would be enough to kill him, but Lu Jie simply tore his way out, his hands breaking down the energy as he absorbed it within himself.

Liuxiang watched, in awe and fear, as Lu Jie moved in closer, landing a strike on the Elder as he launched him across the grounds. A moment later, he disappeared, the struck opponent being a clone as he grasped Lu Jie from behind. Power gathered in his hand, as he commanded.

"Stop."

The world itself seemed to freeze under his command, Lu Jie standing with his body stuck in time.

"Now!" the man screamed, and Liuxiang rushed in. Moving down, she quickly reached Lu Jie, feeling the overwhelming aura around him crushing her like an insignificant bug. Breathing felt difficult but she reminded herself of the training her grandmother had given her. For the first time she felt grateful for the brutal nature of her practice.

She pushed through the heavy aura, taking out a bowl with the black liquid as she dipped a needle into it. Slowly, she began to run it across Lu Jie's body, tracing the pathways in his body. Each little movement crushed her, and she could feel the Elder's aura; no, not just his, the Lord and everyone in the seventh peak shielding her from being crushed.

"Be… a little… faster," the man gasped, and Liuxiang refocused on her task. Her needle moved, her movements precise and rapid as she moved across his arms, chest, and neck until she was down at his abdomen. With a final stroke, she inserted the needle into his dantian.

Liuxiang felt the shielding from the aura fade and she almost fainted at the spot from the pressure. With sheer will, she hung on, rising back to her feet, as she reached out to grab Lu Jie's shoulder.

"I don't know what happened, Lu Jie, but whatever this is. You can break it. Snap out of it," she said, mixing her own Qi as the antidote mingled into Lu Jie's body.

A moment later, the Elder grabbed her, the world warping around her once again as she stood back in the castle. The man collapsed, falling down onto his knees in exhaustion.

"Is it done?" Lord Zhou asked, a grave expression on his face.

"I'm… okay… thanks for asking…" the Elder said, before lying on the ground where he had appeared.

Liuxiang nodded as she looked at the Lord. "I have administered the antidote."

The rest was on Lu Jie now.

Book 2: Chapter 60: An Empty Void

I stood in the darkness. A familiar sight by now, one I had grown to take comfort in more so than anything. But this time it was vicious, like the unending darkness that wanted to eat at my existence itself.

Looking around, I picked a direction on a whim and began to walk through the dark. Time passed in this strange state. I did not get tired, I did not feel hunger, but I did get bored. Even as I corrected the slight change in my steps to not run in circles, the eternal darkness did not relent. I continued to walk, so long as my will held, reaching out with my spirit to anything that would hear.

Where was I? This was not a dream. I could not sense anything here. No Qi, no Gu, not even any Chi. There was truly nothing here. Even with the force of my will, I could not tell if I walked forward or not. My own Chi illuminated my body to my sight, yet only I existed in this place. Nothing else could be seen.

"Alright, intimidation tactics succeeded. Now come on out," I said to the darkness.

Nothing.

I began to walk again, before that too grew tiresome. "Seriously, where the fuck am I? Did I die? Is this what death is truly like? That can't be it, right?" I called out. By now, I had grown accustomed to the lack of sound. Even my own voice felt faded. I expected it to echo but there was nothing for it to touch, and so it simply vanished into the void.

I sat down on whatever there was to sit on. Perhaps merely the manifestation of my own sense of needing a ground, or a physical space I could not see. Taking a seat, I began to meditate.

There was no Chi to gather here, so I simply began to cycle mine, focusing on my breath.

Time passed in a daze as I continued to meditate.

One cycle… Two cycles… The trend continued, as the numbers kept on growing.

Five thousand eight hundred and twenty seven cycles… Five thousand eight hundred and twenty eight…

I lost count many times. So many, that I lost count of how many times I had to begin anew. How many times I screamed at the darkness, or shouted, or ran until I gave in and simply closed my eyes.

Nothing had worked. Nothing seemed to. This was eternal torment.

As I sat in the dark, my mind wandered from one thought to the next, when suddenly I created a ball of water in my hand to drink from. I was not thirsty, but the craving had arisen anyway.

As I drank the water made of Chi, it took me a moment to realize something.

I had created something.

The only thing that existed in this darkness now, was me, and the few drops of water that had faded away. But even for a moment, they had been there.

It was like my world had changed.

I created more water, letting it flow out of my body and form from the Chi in my core. After the water, came earth. It rose and flowed, forming the ground beneath my feet. Lands sprawled across me, and I created a pond. Laughter echoed in the darkness now, pure joy filling me at watching the earth and the water.

But I wanted more. There needed to be more. And so I filled the world with air. Taking a breath, I felt a breeze upon my face, and tears spilled from my eyes at the sensation. Slowly, with each drop of water, each pebble, each grain of sand and dirt, I created a new world.

It was not a large one. My Chi had limits. But it was mine, and mine alone. And so I began to build.

***

Time passed by. I had grown accustomed to counting, so I knew it had been three months since I started as I finally finished my project. Though even that felt like forever ago now.

A home remained in front of me, a manor around a garden with a quaint pond within it. It was a modern construction, white ceilings, glass windows with a precision no human hand could craft or create.

I looked into the glass paned windows and saw my face reflecting back. I looked different now. I decided to cut my hair. It was short, and messy, as the blade had been a simple sharp rock. I had not been good at creating metal at the time. Eventually, I'd made a shirt for myself, and some jeans, slipping into them with a familiar comfort that I'd missed for quite some time.

Now I walked around my garden, watching the little fish swimming in the pond, pleased and happy to be alive. Just like I was, to see them there. In my garden, plants and flowers blossomed, filling the air with fragrant scents as I walked amongst them, feeling a strange sense of contentment and joy.

But there was one place. One place that made me happier than any other. I walked for a while, to a section of the garden kept separate from the rest before reaching the place where all my friends were.

"Hey Labby," I said, raising my hand.

The statue made from earth did not respond, but I smiled anyway as I pet Labby's head. There were others who were nearby, and one by one I greeted them all as I made my way around the garden. It would be rude to ignore my friends, after all.

When I was done, I walked back into my house, before taking a seat on the sofa. There was a TV on the wall, mounted, and I picked up the remote as I began to watch a movie. The devices should not have worked; after all, they were empty inside. But they did nonetheless, as this world was mine, and I dictated what the rules were.

I continued to watch the movie, sitting in peaceful comfort as the hours clicked by. The clock slowly moved through the day, before reaching near the end of the day.

"Damn, did not pay attention to the time," I said, getting up as I walked to the kitchen. Idly, I prepared something to eat. A simple sandwich would suffice for today. Taking my snack, I munched on it, walking around my home before reaching my library.

Looking inside, I felt pleased looking at the rows of books. Unlike everything else, this library was what had taken me the longest time to create. Each book, each page, and each word had to be created from memory.

I was grateful for the near perfect recall I had in this place, allowing me to fulfill the task, even though I wasn't sure what purpose I was creating and preserving these books for, just looking at them made me feel better.

A cracking sound came from nearby, and my good mood began to fade. I clicked my tongue, walking further into the library until I stood in front of a mirror with cracks. There was one person beside me in this place. A person who should not have been here.

Gu Jie watched me from the other side.

"Why do you keep making noise?" I asked.

"Because you refuse to listen," Gu Jie replied, looking back at me with his piercing gaze. "Wake up, Lu Jie."

"You know I have tried. There is no point. I don't even understand why you exist here, or what this place even is. What's so wrong with trying to be happy if I must be tortured eternally here anyway?"

"We can't just give up. There's a war we need to fight, and our path we need to walk. Will you just abandon that?" Gu Jie asked me, as the mirror shattered, and he stepped out of it.

"Why don't you go ahead and fight it in my stead then?" I said, turning back around. I had grown tired of hearing this. Hearing his words, as if I did not wish to return. As if I did not know the false lies I clung to.

"You know I can't. I am Gu, you are Qi. Only together is our path complete," Gu Jie said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I ignored him, as I had for a while now. The first time I found Gu Jie, I had rejoiced. I had someone to talk to at last. A real person, instead of statues. But soon, our talks grew sharper. He remained relentless in his pursuit, while the time took a toll on my spirit. I had tried many things. More things than I could reasonably count. It had been two weeks since I had given up, and I failed to find the strength to try again.

I walked to my bedroom, where I knew he could not come. Even in this place we had our boundaries. Perhaps due to mutual understanding, or perhaps merely something that existed as whatever remained of our two selves' individuality, but this was my sacred place.

Walking into the room, I lay on my bed, closing my eyes, as I let sleep take me.

***

I walked around my town, as the children gathered around me, calling my name. I laughed, pleased by their presence as I picked one up in my arms, before I took them into the skies.

My world had grown with time. First my home, then others, and eventually I had learned how to create people. And so I had. Gu Jie had left me a while back, and we had lost the Chi our union had formed. But I had not given up.

One by one, I filled this barren wasteland with life. I had created a sky, a sun, mountains, and now the valley that surrounded us was our home.

My steps were slower now, more paced. I had grown older, though by how much I could not tell. The child in my arm shrieked in joy as clouds flew past him. I smiled, letting him roam through the skies with my arms.

But then the boy shouted, and not in joy any longer and I soon realized why. The void drifted beyond this valley, the end of our world that led to the unending dark. I slowed down, turning away but the child had seen the dark, and so he cried.

Gently, I covered the boy's eyes before erasing the memory from his mind. A simple task, as he soon calmed down and I descended upon the earth.

The children laughed as they watched me come, begging to be the next one to ride on my shoulders. Just as I was about to pick another child, an alarm rang in the darkness.

The adults moved out, weapons drawn as kids quickly rushed back into their moves. "Leader, the dark beasts arrive!"

I nodded, stepping forward. Qi burned in my core, as I took to the skies watching the rows of mindless beasts rolling in through the void. They wanted to take my home, the place I had built from the very earth that it was founded upon. I would not let them.

Fire erupted from my hands, as it burned through the beast. My men ran, fighting with their weapons. Explosions shook the ground as we fought the rising tides.

The battle raged for weeks, my people died but so did the beasts, yet the tides were stronger this time.

As I stood amidst the battlefield, cutting through a behemoth, my eyes met my other half, looking back at me with a quiet gaze.

"You!" I screamed, anger flooding me as I felt a betrayal I could not describe.

"We have waited too long. A false world, and a false prison. Today, we break free."

I ran, rage taking me over as I fought my other half.

Qi and Gu raged against one another, as flames burned the world to the ground. Everything I had made, everything I had created was turned to Ash as I fought within the void.

No words were exchanged any longer. Nothing could be said. We simply fought, until only one of us remained.

The darkness shook from the battle, the collision of two energies cracking the world. Light seeped into the darkness of my soul as I felt something give way.

Our battle stopped, as both of us watched the world around us beginning to collapse. I heard a voice whose words I could not make out, but they spoke to me. Calling me towards it.

"What is happening?" I asked, as the ground tore itself beneath my feet.

"I don't know," Gu Jie said, before turning towards me. "But perhaps we can escape now."

My eyes met his, and I found hate and anger burning within me. Yet, even as I did, the desire to return was greater.

I took Gu Jie's hand, as two became one once more.

My memories, my emotions, they were one again, as they were meant to be. Chi formed at my fingertips, as I reached into the crack, grabbing the edges of reality itself as I tore them apart.

A gap was here now, one from which light poured through.

I took one longing look back at what had been my home for an eternity, before I slipped through.

Book 2: Chapter 61: Spirit Trial

The world changed around me, as I found myself standing in a white expanse, instead of the darkness that had been my world for so long. Already, I found my memories of my time spent in the dark starting to blur, like a dream that was slipping away from my grasp like sand the more I tried to remember it.

I felt my spirit, feeling an empty gap in where my cultivation used to be. I had been hoping that since I had been able to use Chi in the void, it had survived somehow, but I suppose I wasn't going to be that lucky. I looked around, reaching into my spirit, as I tried to feel my body. I was… there, but not quite. Something was holding me in place, preventing my consciousness from joining my body. And I knew who.

"Show yourself," I called out, and felt the Tree's spirit turn its attention towards me.

"I'm back, the rent period is over. Time to hand back my body."

"We had told you, we would take matters in our hand. You lost, your spirit gone to the void. Now it is not your role to change things."

"You don't get to decide what my role is," I replied, standing tall against the giant spirit. I wasn't going to be intimidated by a pair of eyes.

"Let us show you, the vision we see," the spirit said, as I saw myself looking at the world from its eyes. I flew in the skies, looking upon the world, and saw the threads the Heavens kept to tie the fate of the lands within itself. The spirit moved, its power far greater than anything I had ever even imagined as the skies turned dark and lightning crashed down. Spirit warriors descended from the heavens itself, fighting against it, but none could stand in front of its might.

Chi flowed freely, like the world was its endless supply of power, fueling its strength as it drew upon everything around it, before using the energy to sever the ties of the world itself.

Overwhelming power, so much so that even seeing it myself, it felt somehow hard to imagine.

"This is what we can do, if you merely let us. You are a suitable vessel for our will, and with us, you can alter this world. Fix the cycle that has been broken for ages."

I felt the spirit's voice, shaking my spirit, and for a moment, I almost considered it. This was more direct, but it would speed up what I was planning to eventually do anyway.

Then, my eyes drifted down onto the earth. On the things below. I saw people, creatures, lives of things being extinguished, as was bound to happen when something with so much power moved with abandon.

"What about them? All those people? Mortals, Cultivators, all of them?"

"They are children born of a false world. We will give them a second life. From death, they will be reborn in a brand new world."

The picture changed in front of me, as I began to realize what the spirit actually intended to do. It wasn't merely the Heavens that it intended to destroy. It was everything. Everyone in the empire, all the demons, all the cultivators. And then it would bring them back through a new cycle of rebirth.

The spirit rumbled, pleased to see I understood its vision as it continued to move with torrents of power, fighting against the tides of the Heavens.

"No. No, I can't allow that," I told the spirit.

"It is no longer in your hands to choose."

I felt my spirit being pushed back, a powerful aura trapping me in. But I wasn't going to let that happen, I had just spent an eternity stuck in the darkness as a spirit, the games of this realm were something I understood now.

I changed my perspective, warping the world around me. Energy moved, changing and bowing to my will.

"This is my spirit," I said, each world filled with my will as I pushed back against the spirit. The ground solidified beneath me, a world manifesting within me, my own inner world, one I had carved in the darkness now joined me here.

"You are not the one in control," I replied, finding my words to be true. My will clashed with the spirit, as my body froze in the real world, stuck between two opposing forces and confused about which to obey. I pushed, trying to take over, but the spirit was enormous. Even in my own body and spirit, it's power was vast enough that I could barely budge it.

"You are insignificant. Powerless. No cultivation remains to your name. Even if you were to return, what could you do?"

The spirit said, pushing back on me, and for a moment, I felt my will waver. I had lost my cultivation, hadn't I? Even if I returned, my path may forever be lost to me.

Then, I shook my head. "No, my cultivation is not lost to me," I replied looking at the spirit. "It took me some time to figure out, but time is what I had an endless amount of in the dark. My cultivation was never my Path. It was the change I brought in the world."

The spirit regarded me. "Changes that you can no longer bring."

"If you think that, then you have not seen anything I've done," I said, stepping forward. "Thus far, I had been clinging so desperately to the concept of a dantian. A core, a cultivation. It was so heavily ingrained in me. That method of cultivation, that structure, so deeply entrenched that I never managed to realize whether that even applied to me any longer or not."

I said, finding my will growing stronger as I began to push back against the spirit. "But the truth is, that's no longer needed, is it? It's why I lost my core when I had my first break through. It was an insight into my path. One I had not truly realized then, but now I know."

I found the spirit's form wavering, a dark shadow forming. I pressed my hand upon the creature, feeling it's unending power beneath the surface.

"There is no core, no dantian, no mortals or cultivators in my Path anymore. Those are things made by the Heavens, by cultivators. They do not apply to the Path I walk," I said, looking up at the creature.

"Isn't that right?" I asked, smiling.

The spirit did not reply, simply letting out a snort.

I kept smiling, as I slowly began to draw upon the energy of the spirit. The circles within my spirit reformed, one after another, and I let The Second Law manifest into the world. The Law of dantians, the law of origin, of mortals and cultivators.

"The Second Law of Cultivation: Genesis of Chi."

I felt Chi flood my spirit, as I opened my eyes. I flew up in the skies, an endless well of power flowing at the tips of my fingers. The spirit rumbled within my core, as I drew upon its power and looked up at the skies.

"Hey there old enemy," I replied, as the lightning in the heavens rumbled once more. I let the Chi flow through my body as I took off into the air, power flowing seamlessly around me.

Lightning struck down upon my body, but I merely willed it to return to where it had come from. The Heavens shivered, striking at me endlessly, yet the attacks were meaningless at this point. I moved with a single purpose in mind, reaching up into the skies, beyond the heavens themselves as I reached out to the source of my power. The village, the core of my strength, and I drew upon it.

The strength flowed, the chi bolstering me, but it wasn't enough. And so, I drew upon more, on the forests, on the grasslands, the rivers, the mountains, as my spirit began to expand across all of the seventh peak. The heavens roared in grand tribulations yet the change was unending and inevitable.

I let the Seventh Peak join me, under my spirit and command, as I moved to grab onto the threads tying its fate.

"It's time to be free," I said, as I drew upon the Second Law. Chi swirled within me, as the cultivation of every spirit beast and cultivator began to flow into me. The heavens cracked under my fingers as I pulled, and like threads snapping, I felt the Heavens shatter apart within my grasp.

The world shook beneath me. As a Divine Tree manifested in the sky. I looked down from above the clouds, and beneath me, was a brand new world.

***

Mo Lin sat within her chamber, sighing. The past few days had been so terribly boring for her. There had been tremors and shakes from some kind of battle, and everyone was terribly afraid and just hiding. She was so bored! She wanted to go out and play with her friends, run around in the fields. Just do anything. Not sit here at her home all day. The cultivators had been running around all day on the Lord's orders as well. Her father was too low ranked to be called, but even he had been worried all this time.

Something about really powerful enemies. She didn't really understand what the problem was. The Lord was really strong, so why couldn't he just beat them up?

Sighing once more, Mo Lin looked outside her window at the skies. Sometimes she would catch sight of the powerful cultivators fighting in the skies, their battles generating bright flashes that captured her eyes. If her mother spotted her watching she would get scolded, so she had to stay quiet as she did.

To her excitement, she noticed someone this time as well. A person flying up into the skies, as lightning danced around it. Were they having a tribulation? She couldn't tell from this far. But she envied them. Her father was in the first realm, but her mother was a mortal, so Mo Lin had not awakened any Qi. She had dreamed for years of awakening something, but no power had come upon her, no Qi to cultivate. Ultimately, she had accepted her fate that she was going to be a mortal just like her mother, yet the dream had refused to die.

She wanted to fly in the skies and shoot fire from her fingers as well. To cultivate and reach strength, and roam the empire. It sounded like so much fun! But the only thing she was allowed to do was sit in her room quietly and do nothing.

Mo Lin turned away, pulling her eyes away from the window. Watching the battle would not help, she would only become more envious, and that served no purpose for her. Silently, she sat in her chamber, looking down at the dolls her mother had sewn for her when she had been younger. One of them wore a blue dress and had a blade, a female cultivator, just like what Mo Lin had dreamed of herself becoming one day.

"I wish I could be like you," she told the doll in her hand, looking at it in silence.

Then, the world around her changed. She felt… something pass through her. A sensation she could not really describe, but she knew something had happened. She looked outside the window and saw the clouds had cleared as a giant glowing tree now hung in the skies.

Mo Lin's eyes widened, as she saw wind brush the leaves of the tree, and a storm of light-leaves began to fall like glowing snow all over. One of the leaves flew around, before landing onto her forehead.

A warmth flowed into her, and Mo Lin felt something stir in her abdomen. She looked down at her hands, and saw a faint thread of energy flowing around her palms.

"Mooooom! I awakened Qi!" the girl shouted, rushing out.

Book 2: Chapter 62: An Old Friend

As empowering as the moment had been, the torrent of power I controlled did not last, as my body returned to its normal form. Yet, whereas before the peak of the mountain had been invisible, now I could glimpse upon it and understand just how far I had to climb to reach that pinnacle. I would need to reach Divinity myself if I wished to truly be in command, but now, the Path started to seem like something I could achieve.

As the Chi faded, the spirit going dormant within me, I slowly lowered myself from the skies to the Lord's manor. My body ached, my spirit still dealing with the damage done to it, yet I was in one piece, and far more powerful than I had been moments before. All the Qi and Gu the spirit had absorbed had been converted into Chi and slivers of it had filled me, pushing me into the seventh realm.

The people around looked at me, some nervously and others with relief.

"We are displeased," I said, as the people flinched around me, and I couldn't help the laughter that escaped me.

"You stupid boy," Granny Lang said, grabbing my ears and pulling on them. She snorted at my words, letting them go, though I knew her anger wasn't entirely gone.

"Ouch ouch ouch, that hurts granny," I said, feeling her putting her all in it. Labby rushed closer, tackling me in a hug, followed by Twilight, Silverlight and Sheldon. Even Ash came closer, brushing his large head into me as if to be sure it was me that was standing in front of him.

"Sorry for worrying you guys," I said, brushing Ash's fur. I could see some servants gasping in horror at the wolf's sight, but I let them simply make their own assumptions for now with a wry smile.

There was going to be so much explaining to do anyway.

"We're pleased to see you're alright Lu Jie," Lord Zhou said, looking at me, before his gaze went beyond me. The wall of the manor was destroyed, showing the seventh peak and its city outside. "Though we can't really say the same for the city."

I bowed my head. "I'll try to make up for it in any way I can."

"It wasn't your fault, and we do not intend to blame you for what happened," Lord Zhou said.

"If the Lord is not against it, then the Shie clan would like to throw in a helping hand," Liuxiang said, and my gaze went towards the old friend who'd brought me out of a terrible dark place. I looked at her, taking in her white hair, and red eyes. We had talked in letters and so I had known her appearence had changed with her breakthrough, but now I finally could see the changes for myself.

No longer did it feel like she was pretending to be human, there was a subtle threat present in her aura, that she simply allowed to exist, at peace with her own nature. It suited her.

I gave Liuxiang a smile, one she returned, before her mannerisms took over and she schooled her expression, turning towards the Lord again.

"The Shie? Haven't the clan always been notoriously uninvolved within matters outside their own domain?"

"So far, yes. But my great-grandmother has awakened as you must have surely known. And upon her return, the clan has been seeing her changes. As her heir, I can convince her to lend a helping hand to the seventh peak, in return for some favors that she may ask of you.

The Lord hummed in thought. "The Shie are… not an ally we had expected to ever have. Are you sure you can convince your grandmother? She is… not exactly known for her kindness."

"We are aware, my lord. But she is a cunning woman. She knows an opportunity when she sees one, and with these changes… who in the Azure city could deny the potential of what is being created here?" Liuxiang said, glancing at me for the barest of seconds. "You will require political support if you wish to continue down this Path my Lord. Changing the nature of the heavens is not a light step to tread. Even should the emperor not deem you a traitor, the other lords will clearly see you as a rising threat to their seats of power. But having one of the Ducal families, and one with a new Divinity backing you will provide you with the legitimacy needed to stand in front of the Emperor," Liuxiang replied.

I gaped, feeling a little taken aback by how fluently she was navigating politics that I was still only treading waters with. Seems like Liuxiang had not been idle in the capital.

"Your words have merit, young Shie. If you can convince your grandmother, then we will be more than pleased to receive assistance. The city will need to be repaired, and the sect will need a new Elder as well."

At the Lord's words, all eyes shifted towards me.

I looked back blankly at the different gazes, before the words registered in my mind. "Wait… me?"

"Who else would be more fitting?" Liuxiang asked. "You are an Elder now, having stepped into the seventh realm. Even if you are young, you command a Divine Beast, the entire empire will hear whispers of what has happened here. If you do not wish to be labeled an enemy, then you will need to show you're willing to work for the empire."

"With your authority as the Baron of Taizhou, we can quite easily hand you the position of Elder. Rank wise, you would be on par with what Elder Yan had been," Lord Zhou said.

I stood silently for a moment. Elder of a sect… It was a very sudden shift, yet I couldn't deny that the position would allow me far more resources and power to further my goals. After a moment, I pressed my fist together, and bowed my head.

"If you think I am worthy of the position, then I accept."

Lord Zhou smiled. "Then the matter is settled. We look forward to the good news from you Young Shie."

"Likewise, my Lord. This place has been a home to me longer than my own home, if possible, I would love to repay the debt I owe," Luxiang replied.

The Lord nodded, discussing a few more details with Liuxiang before he stepped away to attend to his other tasks, finally allowing me the chance to talk to Liuxiang.

"Hey, thanks for saving me out there," I said.

Liuxiang let out a quiet hiss. "More like saving the rest of us from you."

I chuckled nervously, a laughter she joined me in, before she rested a hand on my shoulder. "I am glad to see you well Lu Jie."

"Same. It is good to see you again," I replied, smiling. I felt a strange sensation as we both stood in silence, just glad to see each other once again. I awkwardly looked away from Liuxiang's red eyes, to the city outside. "How long do you think you'll be here?"

"Not long. We cannot leave Zhi Zhu alone to deal with grandmother, lest she decide to appear here. And that will not be good for anybody," Liuxiang said, before looking me in the eye with a curious expression. "Why? Are you perhaps sad to see me go?"

"Well, of course I am," I replied with a shrug.

Liuxiang let out a hiss with an expression I couldn't read. "You wield such strength, yet you say these things with a straight face. It is good to see that you are still the Lu Jie I remembered."

"What do you mean?" I asked, but Liuxiang turned her gaze away, not replying.

"We will see each other soon. You will be called to the capital to swear fealty to the emperor one way or another, and the pit of vipers that are the Azure city's nobles will be upon your head, Liuxiang said.

"Do you say that because your family is…"

Liuxiang jabbed me with her elbows at the lame joke.

"Sorry, I can't help myself," I said, as Liuxiang let out a huff. "But yeah, I'm aware. That was bound to happen sooner than later. It's just going faster than I'd anticipated."

"That it is, but such is the nature of change. The empire… It has been heading towards decay for centuries now. This was an inevitable path for its destined road," Liuxiang said.

"You seem a lot more wise now," I said.

"Grandmother has been teaching me well," Liuxiang replied.

"Clearly," I said.

Once again, there was that silence. And I wondered if I should say something more. Yet I didn't know what, so we simply stood there. I could see Liuxiang's expression shifting very subtly, and for a moment I thought she was about to say something, yet the words never came.

"We'll see you in the capital Lu Jie," Liuxiang said, turning around as she stepped away.

I watched her go, looking at her back as I wondered if there was something more I wanted to say.

The answer never came, and so I turned around as well, staring at the seventh peak in front of me. A wave of Chi flowed over the entire peak, people reaching out to my spirit, as I felt their connections being tied to me, and the Divine Tree.

Labby hugged my leg, as I looked down at the girl, patting her head.

"Let's go Labby. We have a lot of work left to do."

***

Elder Yan stumbled through the bushes, injuries covering his body. Humiliation and anger filled him with unspeakable rage as he was forced to escape from beasts and hide from creatures he could've destroyed within moments.

That damned demon-child. He should've never let it exist. Everything he had built in his life, everything he had worked towards was taken from him. His sect, his city, his cultivation. All of it.

The anger fuelled Elder Yan as he struck a beast that had been chasing him, ripping its head off with a single strike. Yet that was far from enough to settle his anger. He wasn't just going to roll over and die here. No. Before he had become Elder Yan, he had been Yan Xian. The rising star of the seventh peak and the Yan clan. He would not be settling for this fate here.

The capital. There would be people he could go to there. And eventually, the emperor. Crushing the beast's skull in his fist, Yan Xian moved through the shadows. Silent fury burned within him as he made his way towards the Azure city, and the heart of the empire.