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9 Lives
Chapter 4: The Seal

Chapter 4: The Seal

Xiao San didn't know how long he floated in that golden pool of water for. Instead of a pool, it was more like a sea. Everywhere he look, he could not see anything but this sea. Unfortunately, he did not have the form of a baby. Instead, he was a floating ball of light.

"It's just like that dark abyss I was in. What is with me and boring situations. I wonder how long I have to stay here for."

Xiao San already gotten used to this type of situation, so he managed to remain calm. Still, he started to worry since this was a test of talent somehow. He needed to get good result if he wanted to succeed in the new life.

"Hey, old man or should I call you kid now? Looks like you reincarnated in an annoying place. I can't tell if you have bad luck or good luck anymore."

Xiao San recognized that arrogant voice even though he had only heard it once before. The source of it was someone he hated dearly, but he still had to thank. It was the arrogant cat.

"Cat, we finally meet again after a long time. Thank goodness we finally met again. Now I know for sure this isn't a dream. Otherwise, why would I see the Great Annoyance once again?"

Xiao San was happy he met it again, but he still had to pay the cat back for all the things it had done in his previous life. 

"You bastard! How dare you address the Great Master in such a way! I'll torture you to death by cutting off each of your limbs."

The cat was completely fuming. It was at least willing to murder Xiao San on the spot. The honor of the cat was its greatest pride.

"Eh, you wish you could kill me, but you're welcome to try anytime."

Xiao San was completely confident that the cat wouldn't and couldn't touch him. After all, it had made a deal with him, so if he died, there was no way their deal would ever be complete and the cat would be the one at a loss. Also, he felt safe in this golden sea without any basis at all.

"Hmph, you're much smarter than I though, kid. Even if I can't touch you, I never told you what you had to do for me. I mean, when you want something, you have to give something."

The cat grew calm and it acknowledged Xiao San for the first time, even if only slightly. Then, it went back to its arrogant attitude.

"From what I see, I'm guessing you reincarnated in the Heaven Realm, am I right?"

"Yeah, I have to thank you for giving me the chance to live in the heavens."

It was the dream of any cultivator to go to the Heaven Realm. Even if it through birth, Xiao San was happy to be in this realm because he knew it might help in his dream of becoming strong. The dream he could never fulfill in his previous life."

"Uh, damn it. If I'm right, the seal is going to be activated any minute now."

The cat's face grew grim as he spoke those words.

"Are you talking about the ritual I'm part of right now?"

Xiao San knew the ritual was special, but he did not know how or why other than the fact that it determined talent.

"Kid, this ritual thing is the Seal of the Heavens. It's a special ritual done to protect children in the Heaven Realm. The Heaven Realm was originally meant for Immortal level cultivators. Most children will easily die in this environment. So, to protect them until they become an Immortal, the Immortals use this seal to allow them to gain a body that is similar to the Immortals, so they can survive. But the seal is formed out of the Heaven Arts."

Xiao San could not understand how that was a problem until he heard it was formed out of the Heaven Arts. They were one of the four Profound Arts. Cultivators in the mortal realm could not learn them easily, but he had read in many legends that in the Heaven Realm, you could learn them easily.

"Wait, could it be because of the taboo?"

"Yep, kid. Soul travel was tabooed by the heavens, not only because it was bad. It is an Evil Art."

The cat looked at Xiao San's face and just as expected, there was shock.

"What? The legendary Evil Arts!"

Xiao San could not contain his surprise. Out of the four Profound Arts, the Evil Arts were tabooed because they were way too dangerous. It was said if Deities and Sovereigns of the Heavens caught you practicing them, you would be killed on the spot.

"Also, when I followed you to your next life, I had to fuse with your soul. Currently, my essence is purely that of the Evil Arts. That seal might try to kill me and since I'm fused with your soul, you could die."

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"What?!"

Xiao San had just gained his new life, so he definitely did not want to die as a baby.

"Is there a chance that the seal won't notice?"

He was attempting to find any escape from death, no matter what.

"Kid, sadly, once you use Soul travel, you lose a huge amount of luck. That seal will most likely try to find and kill me for sure."

The cat was also pondering at the possible solutions to the dilemma.

"Is there any way out of this?"

"Kid, I might have to use my power, but I don't know."

"Then, use it already!"

Xiao San was confused at why the cat was thinking about it. If this seal caught them, they would die instantly.

Suddenly, an angel-like being appeared from the sea. It was red in color and had two wings. It seemed to be a defense against users of the Evil Arts. There was only a visible shape, but Xiao San could sense its power. It was at an incomprehensible stage of power in the eyes of him. There was no way he could survive.

"Oh no! I'm done for!"

"Fine, I'll use my power."

The cat sighed at this idea, but since it decided already, it got ready to fight.

Xiao San did not know if the cat could beat it, but he had to bet his hopes on it.

"Please win! Please win! I'll buy you a ball of yarn if you win."

The cat glared at Xiao San and he shut up.

"Let's see how strong you are, red wing."

The angel instantly flew in front of the cat at a speed that Xiao San could not see its movements. It began to punch, but it realized the cat was not there anymore.

"Behind you, loser. Heh!"

The cat was behind the angel and it was laughing. The angel turned around, but the cat once again circled around him.

"So annoying. I'll finish you in one blow."

The angel moved back to prepare for the attack, but the cat was behind him once again.

"Void Punch!"

The cat punched the angel with its paw and at the location of the attack, a void that was completely black formed. It started to suck in the angel and no matter, what it did, the angel could not fight back. Soon, it was completely sucked in and the void disappeared.

"Kid, that was way too easy. I overestimated that thing."

The cat grinned at his victory, while Xiao San was extremely relieved.

"Thank goodness I'm safe."

Suddenly, the sea began to shake. There were spatial cracks forming at certain parts of the golden sea.

"Uh-oh, Kid, it seems I overdid it when I fought that thing. Well, see ya. Getting out here is your own problem."

The cat suddenly disappeared and Xiao San could not find a trace of it anywhere.

"Damn it. Where'd it go? How do I leave this place?"

Then, suddenly, a beam of golden light hit the ball of light that was Xiao San.

"Aaaaaaah!"

In the Prefecture Mansion, everybody was very happy, with the exception of Lord Tang and the Xiao family.

"Lord Tang, it seems that the child of the Xiao Family will not be the next Prefecture Lord. After all, no one has stayed that long in seal cauldron. A child that takes that long is surely not talented in the least."

The one who said this was Wang Yue. He was all smiles. After all, now his family had a chance to rule the prefecture.

Lord Tang sighed deeply.

"Xiao Yun, sadly, unlike you, your son is not very talented."

"Sorry for making you lose face, my lord."

Xiao Yun was very sad because his son was not talented in cultivation. One cannot help but be disappointed when such a thing occurs.

Suddenly, from the cauldron, the baby named Xiao San had come out. But, unusually, the golden sea had become completely red.

"What is this?"

Lord Tang was very surprised. The time it took to come out determined talent, but the golden sea had never changed color.

"My lord, what level of talent does he possess?"

Wang Yue wanted to make sure that the talented Xiao family was out of the competition for the Prefecture Lord, but he had been at many of these rituals and this had never happened before. The others were just as surprised at the result.

Lord Tang could only give a very confused face.

"I have no clue."