The floating debris was unsteady in the air. Climbing from the blast as the slow drift of the mountain tried to reveal the scene.

Dust and grass did not hide all for long, as Hao shook in his new gray shoes, greeted by death before a storm wall.

The wind continued lashing him, cold or hot. He couldn’t tell. He forgot what ‘wind’ was as he stood in the storm’s eye.

The First Elder and Senior Ya, a man Hao considered a benefactor after giving him a pill, created a wind wall around him.

“You can play whatever games you wish until your Master is back! But I will not let you slaughter mortals!” Senior Ya said. His voice was a storm on its own. To those who could see them, there was a clear dislike in his eyes.

Hao stared up, looking in the face of the First Elder, unable to help his scowl. His inside urged him to leap forward. To bite and tear, peel the bearded creature in front of him apart, or run, yet he could not move. Stiff, he fell back, his ass hitting the ground, keeping his back straight, Senior Ya at his right side.

A sweet aroma filled the air. The bag on his back was deflating, red juice from berries painting the blast behind him. Hao felt he experienced the same thing, a hole in his chest and stomach. There was nothing of him left, shrinking.

The first elder did not hide the words he spoke, not hiding contempt. “You protect a spy, you may well be one yourself, wearing out Sect’s robe without ever joining.” The First Elder said.

“Me? A spy? Fool, you insult your Master, and his friend, me. I was here when your Master sat his seat for the first time. I was wandering the South when the Diving Crane walked this way. When this sect ruled this region and fought its wars, not others.” Ya did not hide his words in response, but they were not loud, only those close or strong heard over the wind.

Silver Step reacted to the comment, but did not interfere.

“You may have been here long as my master’s friend, but you have shown no loyalty to the Sect. Your words prove nothing. Now you show disloyalty. The fact you have Qi makes that more clear. Do you think you can protect the spy?” The first elder said.

“I’ve tested him myself. He is no spy. But if you insist, you can try to push past me. Bring your dog down here too.” Senior Ya said, looking up at the elder who was standing behind the First Elder.

He did not flinch, his body and face stayed still, and yet he stayed still.

Hao did not doubt Senior Ya, even though he could feel the difference between them. Those in the sky were vast oceans. Senior Ya gave off no presence. But even those oceans did not doubt the ability to face the challenge.

Hao could see very little, the sky blocked by dust. He knew less and had little time to learn. What he knew did not help him. The technique in the book, the magical pill, the restraint he taught himself to control his actions, the righteous respectful display. All the knowledge of the Island’s Elders, his life. They had no meaning in front of that power.

That power showed him death. He had to watch himself die helpless. It played endlessly in his mind.

His blood explodes into a mist, skin, muscle, and viscera flying into the distance for birds to pluck from the ground and tree tops to bring to their nests. Bones left behind clattered to the ground in a pile. Him, in parts, in death, no longer him, sitting in his mind, eyeless, looking back at himself.

Everything welled at the bottom of his stomach, in his heart, an empty sensation, a shiver of fear. That feeling hollow drifted in him, crispy dry leaves of summer till his eyes focused on the First Elder. A spark, every leaf took flame, his blood petals, that took, his flesh on branches in ponds took, his bones like logs took. A fire roared inside Hao, greater than any fire Hao had ever felt or seen.

He felt something primal down to his marrow but didn’t know it was showing on his face.

The First Elder was facing towards Hao, it was easy to notice the flame growing behind Hao’s eyes. “Little Beast, showing such eyes to your benefactor, step aside. I’ll extinguish him and this will be done.” The First Elder said, his eyes flickering between Hao and Ya.

Equally prideful, quick, and silent with words, his stance shown in his actions. Almost existing within the light, a mountain stood at Ya’s side, unshakable in its weight. Hao lost his fear at the sight, the flame dying down without fuel.

The First Elder responded, using his something thicker than True Qi, the spiritual power of the Realm above. The image of the First Elder imprinted, like a carving on clay, in the minds of those around. Hao, like all other but the elder, held his head and screamed, drool falling to the ground.

The flame was almost out, swirled into something new, compressed into a seed that rested in his heart. Hao did not seed it too focused on the agony from his mind.

“Enough. What are you trying to achieve, destroy the mine, the foundation of our Sect? Or just drive everyone in the Sect made. Perhaps lose what little face we have left.” The Second Elder spoke, her face still covered. Swiping a hand across the crowd, a cool sensation brushed over Hao. The suffering disappeared.

“It would be a bad time to destroy this mine, considering the news this child has brought to us.” The second elder said, she was looking at Hao or so he thought as he could not see her face. “We have never found source stones in our mine. This could be a one-off. Or we could restore the Drifting Stream Sect to the force it once was.” She said, her voice washing over the people around, turning as heads eagerly nodded to her words.

A few minutes passed, and just from a look, the disciples started what they were doing once again. Feeding blue stones to a bottle.

The First Elder backed away, standing in the sky, his eyes yet to leave Hao, a fang still in his leg, a poison thorn.

Only minutes passed since Hao arrived, yet in his eyes, the world changed once again. Something new nesting in his heart, more primordial than love or hate. But for a moment he leaned back, paying no mind to the jam that pressed against him. He did not stop his search in the sky for the one who put a rope on his lungs.

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The way everyone moved was strange. The Second Edler took charge, the First Elder, silent, knowing he could do nothing near the mine, spiritual strength jeopardizing the stones within.

The second elder was quick in her questioning, along with a few of the other elders. Trying to get something concrete from Hao’s previous stolen words.

She did not openly put doubt on Hao’s words, but spoke in phrases that did not have full confidence. If there were. Never found.

The Elders heard many tales and spoke of them to each other.

“We’ve seen such stone for the first time. We’ve gotten many false reports before of stone paler than most. None of them were Source stone, even if they were close.” The oldest one there in appearance, the Third Elder said.

They all believed his words, as he knew of all the stones that left the mine.

“What about this collapse? Do you think it’s worth checking?” The Second Elder asked.

The question made Hao’s heart sink. Can she discern something? He thought of the rope that pulled his lungs, but no one she questioned showed discomfort as they spoke.

The old and young in the sky thought for a second before shaking their heads no.

“We’ve had many cases of going deeper into the mountain, but found nothing like this.” The old man leaning on the cane said.

“We’ve found no such stones down there.” The one behind the First Elder spoke. Pointing at the start of the row of holes in the cliff face. “Yet found some in this direction.” His pointed finger trailed along each hole until he pointed the wall to a place without a hole. To the right of hole Five Eight. “I see no reason not to continue as we have been.”

They accepted the fact and the answer, not knowing anything more about the situation. As the words were correct. Even if the thinking was simple.

They had to agree. It made the most sense and was worth the check. Plus, mine was older than them, their tradition was older too. They preferred to follow it, even if the location of the mines and the mountain itself has changed in time.

“Indeed, we have no reason to change anything yet. We can continue down and open a few caverns, check in that manner.” The Third Elder said.

“Elders! The artifact is prepared.” A disciple under the eight in the sky announced with a deep bow.

A leather bag, water skin-like with a narrow mouth, was lifted in the disciple’s hand.

They floated up the sky to the eight, the Second Elder grabbing it from the air. Listening to her fellow elder as they talk of where to open the mine.

“Here will do.” “Well, why not here?” They went around each other, point at the cliff wall.

The Second Elder stepped forward. Hao could almost hear her heeled shoes on the air.

She placed the bag against the cliff, mouth first, her hands tight around its neck. “This will work, Senior Brother?” The second elder asked.

The First Elder nodded his head.

The stone of the mountain was cracked under pressure as the Second Elder moved closer to the cliff face.

Moving one hand to the back of the bag, the thing they called ‘the artifact’ gave a bright shimmer.

A white glow resonated weak power compared to its wielder.

Shoom! The light disappeared and so did all the surroundings. Dust once again filled the air. It was sudden and unexpected, a brown cloud drifting on the wind filling open eyes.

The air cleared in moments as it did before, more dust on the ground covering nearby roofs and berries on the path. Yet the sight before Hao was strangely not new.

The actions of the artifact, yes, something astonishing, confusing, and great.

Even so, it was just another hole like the other in the mountain wall. Great and mouth like a cavern-like hole, only its inside was new and known.

“You, check for a pillar inside,” The First Elder said, pointing at one disciple. One of the many who guarded the caves. He bowed and moved to check, confirming a blue pill near the center of the cavern.

They had yet to make such a mistake, but they could not check with spiritual strength.

Why do you make people dig, if you can do such a thing? Hao questioned, just one of many thoughts on his overclocked mind.

“So this is the famous one-of-a-kind treasure that uses plain world energy?” Mo Ciyue asked, still standing back above the crowd.

“You have heard of it before, yes, the stone-eating vase. It has its advantages, but just as harsh are its restrictions. It eats its contents, even the world energy the spirit stone it takes. Anything more I will not tell you. Only that if the Artifact forgers of the Red Valley Sect were still alive, there could be more like this,” the second elder said.

She did well, hiding her disgust for the man in her words. A practiced skill.

“What of the contents, Junior Sister? How much will it need to eat before the next hole?” The First elder said, clenching his jaw while looking down the wall.

“I can’t say for sure. The only way to tell or speed it up would be a binding, but that is not possible.” The Second Elder said, holding the treasure.

“Would it not be wise to hold off using it? We don’t know how the treasure would react to source stones. Worse, if it took some, it may be better to get people to dig a few holes down the way. That will save us resources and time.” The third elder said.

The other elders nodded, not opposing the idea. The disciple and servant did the opposite, but had no place to speak about it. Tools. Tools to gig an entire mine so you can take some stones. Hao wanted to yell into the air.

It was still not noon, dust was still floating in the air and so were the Elders above. One at a time the Elders began leaving, flying higher into the air before disappearing above the cliff which Hao worked under. Each performed a ceremonious bow as they left, not forgetting to look in Hao’s direction and the stone at his feet.

The first elder left with the man at his side both turning and looking at stone many times. Only once did that look at Hao.

The Second Edler was the last to leave, taking the artifact with her. She did not mask her actions despite having a mask of light. Her head was turned in Hao's direction for a good few seconds, looking at the boy and the stone.

Is this finally over? Hao thought, looking at the sky, going down to his back. Leaning into juice and jam. A life passed by in his mind, but he was still in the same spot. He stood, taking the stone from the ground.

The man who exposed the source stone, Mo Ciyue, silver steps was still standing there, a man who nearly cost Hao his life. Hao did not see him the same way he saw the first elder, but he held him good will. Was it you that ripped words from me?

Ciyue looked at Hao and the stone, his eyes lingering on the stone as Hao held it in his hand. Before his eyes went to Ya standing nearby.

He preformed a half-bow staring Ya in the face, flashing fighting spirit for just a moment.

“Can I ask the fellow practitioner for his name or title?” Ciyue said.

“No, no longer a practitioner, just old Ya.” Senior Ya said.

“Then, Ya, your words surprised me. I hope one day we can meet again.” Ciyue said, his eyes flicking to the stone again.

“I doubt anything interesting will happen, little protector of the Soaring Sect,” Ya said.

“My disciple brought some Islanders here to the mountain. I did not think this would be the result. She said one was a half-blood and foolish. You must be one of them.” Ciyue said, looking at the stone and never Hao, only once to see the streaks in his hair.

Brought? Was I brought here? Why would someone remember me?

“Things reach an unexpected place today, but I hope you will still show my disciple your thanks for the opportunity she brought you,” Ciyue said, bowing to Ya and then looking at Hao.

Hao felt like the man looked right through him at the dirt behind him when his eyes landed on him. Hao put the stone in his bag of berries in front of the man, covering it in a jam before cupping his hands. “Senior does not need to worry. I’ll offer my hand if she needs help in the future.” Hao's hollow eye-sockets stared back, looking through him the same way, but he was looking up at the bottom of spotless shoes, dust falling from him.

Hao could see a vein pop up on Mo Ciyue’s forehead before he turned to fly away.

Immortals are willing to kill, desperate to seek this stone. Do you think I would give it to you for a couple of words after stealing me from the mortal world? Hao's stomach shook.