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Author's Note:

Hey guys!

Would have released it a bit earlier but I was busy reading TAG. :P :D 

New chapters to come. I'll try releasing more in a single day. Thank You for reading. [and give me some good ratings too ;) ]

Thanx once again. Enjoy the chapter!

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Chapter 8: Blissful Training 

The Elemental Affinity Test had just concluded. The clans men went back to their regular routine. Today was the day after the ceremony. Today was special for Li Chen. Today was the promised day for Verona to start training Li Chen. Li Chen was nervous when he went to sleep last night. When he came to Demonte Clan seven years ago, he had never thought they would accept him just like all the other blood relatives. He had equal status like everyone else. He couldn't quite understand the situation. After some time he managed to ask his mother, Lavisa about the situation. Lavisa laughingly cleared all of his doubts. Supposedly, the three clans formed the main part of the army during the wars fought around three hundred years ago. A significant part of their core members of the three clans died during the wars. If the situation persisted for long, then in a few years the three clans would perish. Hence they came up with a genius idea to adopt children. They spent years training them. The results of their hard work paid off. Some of these children would go on to change the course of war many years in the future. Some of them are even remembered today. This after many years became a tradition. After all these years it still continues. Hence, when Lavisa came home with Li Chen, everyone welcomed him with open arms. After the ceremony, everyone knew Li Chen would one day be a legendary figure from the clan. 

Mount Vernius

Five Hundred Kilometers West of Demonte City 

Dawn. The sun rose in a pool of crimson and gold, spilling light over the land and the white clouds. The whole landscape bathed in the warm glow of the rising sun. A flock of birds  flew through the mountain. From a closer look, you could confirm they were Rank 2 Pearl Pigeons. The morning wind was too cold. Below the mountain were two people. One laid on the ground unconscious and the other was cross legged meditating. It was Li Chen and Verona.

"Uh....." Li Chen got up from his sleep shivering. 

"W-Where am...."

"Good Morning Zayer" said Verona opening her eyes in the meditative posture. 

"V-Verona?"

"It's about time you got up. It's a good think you got up on your own or I would have beaten you up"

"Where are we?" Li Chen asked looking up the mountain.

"We are here to start your training"

"I'm not even in my training clothes.I need to....."

"Blah Blah Blah! Just shut your trap! Don't utter a word and just follow my orders"

Li Chen was silent. The thing in front of him wasn't human, it was a monster. He had to submit this time.

Li Chen gulped.

"Now let's begin!"

Verona walked towards the mountain and looked at Li Chen.

"You will climb this mountain and then come back here. This will be your routine. You have to do this five times"

"Five times?"

"Yes, going up and coming back down. You have do this five times. You will not your use Qi"

"Qi? How can I use Qi? I have yet to..."

"Don't play games with me. You think I don't know you used to meditate in your room at night?"

"Oh shit! How did this b***h find out? She is really a big headache!" Li Chen thought in his mind.

"Uh..I-I did train only for a f-few days"

"I know. You were too lazy. You gave up too easily. But worry not, I will make sure you ascend to the right path. Now, which level have you reached?"

"I-I-I......"

"Don't you dare play games with me Zayer!" Verona was fuming.

"This b***h!!!! I'll definitely make her regret this one day!" Li Chen thought to himself.

"I-I have reached t-third level of Rudimentary Profound Realm"

"Good. I can sense only that from you body. Finally I can conclude you're not hiding anything else"

"Camouflage. Camouflage. Camouflage. If it weren't for this then I would have..... Oh Krezul! I will forever be in your debt" Li Chen thought to himself.

With a flick of the wrist, a red colored whip came out of thin air in the Verona's hands.

"This is a Blood Whip. It's is a mystic level treasure. If you even use a tiny bit of your Qi, I'll whip your body. Now start!"

"Y-Yes" Li Chen began to ready himself.

"I'll be watching you Zayer"

"Oh! I forgot tell you, the gravity is several times normal!" Verona had smile on her face.

Li Chen chuckled. He didn't dare utter a word. He started to think that he had completely used up all his luck.

He started to climb the mountain. He could get a good footing as the the mountain wasn't too steep. Also there was so much of vegetation on the mountain. It almost looked like a forest. Li Chen's body wasn't great at all but now he had no choice. After a few hours he actually managed to finish the course three times. He had spent all his energy and was almost exhausted to death. He started to climb the mountain again. After an hour, he started to lose consciousness but he still wouldn't give up. As he passed through the trees he saw an iron rod struck through the ground. He decided to use it like a stick to support his body. He pulled it out and held it with both of his hands. He started to climb again. There were many bruises all over his arms and his knee caps. He had fallen down quite a few times already. Li Chen had almost lost his consciousness as something bizarre happened. As a drop of blood fell on the iron rod from his hands, it contracted and vanished in thin air. Li Chen didn't realize what had happened as was already unconscious. He fell down on the ground yet again.

"Hmmm. Not bad. He could do it three times" Verona thought in her mind as she flew towards Li Chen to bring him back down.

 "Ugh............" Li Chen opened his eyes. 

He got up and saw it was already nightfall. Verona was a few meters away sitting crossed legged and meditating. He felt too tired and fell really hungry. 

"Finally you woke up. It's been a few hours since you were sleeping" said Verona.

"Think we can go home now? I think we trained too much today"

"Home? Train? We are yet to start your training and you already want to quit?"

"We did train today. Remember in the morning?"

"That wasn't a part of your training"

"Then what was that?"

"That was just me checking your determination"

".............."

The lingering light was obliterated by the rapidly falling night. The once salmon and purple sky had transformed into a vast expanse of jet black that engulfed the region. A canopy of luminous stars materialized in the ocean of blackness. Some were dull, merely flickering into existence every now and then, but there was an adequate amount of shimmering stars to illuminate the dark, moonless night. 

"Verona, you have anything to eat?"

Seeing the spatial ring on Verona's finger, Li Chen thought there were high chances of food being stored in the ring. Verona to his surprise took out a pill. The pill was blue in color. She threw to towards Li Chen and he caught it.

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"Swallow it"

"What is this?"

"Just swallow it" said Verona as she glared at Li Chen.

Li Chen didn't show any signs of protest and just did what he asked to do. After he swallowed the pill, his body was back in peak condition in a few minutes and there no hint of fatigue in his body.

"Amazing!!" Li Chen exclaimed.

"And now we will start your training" Verona had a smile on her face.

"What??!!!"

"Don't worry Zayer. You will do only meditation training"

"Oh. Okay, so where do I start?"

"We'll go to the mountain peak"

"Peak? Now? It'll be very cold at such altitude. I can just sit here and start"

"No. You will sit there and meditate. There is a reason why I'm making you do that. That place has Lightning Type Divine Energy"

"Lightning Type Divine Energy?"

"Yes. Sometimes there appear locations were the Qi and the elements fuse. This happens due to several reasons like weather, terrain etc. This type of energy is useful to martial artists who are in their beginner stages of training. As you advance further it becomes really hard and nearly impossible to suck in this energy. So, high level martial artists don't bother about this as it may not be of much use to them and anyone who wants to use this energy must have at least high level affinity. These sights are really rare. The main advantages of this include gaining more control over your element. Some martial artists have even succeeded in forming weapons with their element!"

"Weapon formed from an element?"

"Yes, it's just your element in the form of a weapon. This shows how proficient they are in using their element. Now, as to how much you improve in your abilities depends on your talent. Remember, you have only one chance to do this. Once you try and fail there won't be another chance as the energy will disappear.

"I'll try my best!"

"That's the spirit! Now let me see how much of a genius my grand son is. Quick hold my hand"

As Li Chen went to hold her hand, Verona sped towards him and held him by the waist.

"......................."

"Let's fly"

Verona shot upwards holding Li Chen towards the top of the mountain. In a few moments there were at the peak.

"There is some strange energy in the air!"

"Yes, this is what I told you about" said Verona as she started drawing a formation on the ground.

"You will meditate in the middle of the formation"

"O-Okay" said Li Chen as he was about sit cross legged on the ground.

"Don't sit down. You have to stand"

"What?? I have to stand and meditate??"

"Yes but it's a little different, so just follow my instructions. Okay?"

"Okay"

"Now watch me and do the same. Place all your weight on your left leg. Bend your right knee and place place your right foot on your inner left thigh. See this?"

(Note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vriksasana this is the posture for people who didn't get it :D )

"That's weired. Will I really be able to stand long in this cold?"

"Just do it"

"Okay"

Li Chen stood in the posture shown by Verona.

"Good. Now concentrate and feel the essence of your element. Then start taking in the energy"

"Okay" Li Chen said as he closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

After a few moments Verona started to see minute particles of the divine energy entering Li Chen's body.

"Excellent!! He grasped it very quickly! As to how much he'll gain, it will depend on his talent. I just have to wait and watch how long he'll last. I'm thinking around four months. Let's see" Verona thought to herself.

Time flowed like a river. Seasons continued to pass. The mountain was quiet and Li Chen just stood there in a trance.

"I guess that's it. I have taken in all the energy left here" Li Chen thought to himself as opened his eyes. He freed himself from the posture and sat down. He felt a presence nearby and looked backwards. It was his grand mother Verona.

"Verona!"

"Hahaha! Looks like you took in all the energy which was here! Excellent! I'm so proud of you Zayer!" Verona was tremendously happy.

Li Chen had never seen Verona like this. He realized that her happiness was indeed genuine. He smiled back at her calmly.

"Yes, I feel I have really improved by leaps and bounds"

"I was actually beginning to get worried about you. You have to leave to the academy in two months!"

"What? Two months? Verona I'm still ten"

"That was almost two years ago"

"Two years ago??? You mean for almost two years I just stood here meditating?"

"Yup! Even I couldn't believe it! I knew you had tremendous potential but after watching this I realized you are a sheer genius! Haha!"

"So in two months huh? Well, I guess that can't be helped. By the way, when I was climbing the mountain two years ago I found an iron rod. It actually fused with me. I can form any type of a weapon. Look!"

Out of thin air in Li Chen's hands appeared a sword. It was jet black in color.

"Oh!!" Verona exclaimed.

"How did you get this?? Where exactly did you find it??"

"I don't know I just found it somewhere on the mountain"

"Your luck is really good. I think you found yourself a Mystic Level treasure! As for what it is I really have no idea"

"Now can you try anything with your Lightning? I know you haven't trained in the element but give it a try"

"Let's see. I haven't really tried anything. This will be my first try!"

Li Chen pointed a finger upwards and channeled some Qi to his fingers and started to gather the lightning essence into his finger tip. Then all of a sudden to vines of lightning shot upwards coiling around each other. It was around ten meters in height.

"A-Amazing!! I have never seen someone do something this bizarre!!" 

Li Chen then moved his finger freely in the air and the vines of lightning also moved as if it were stuck to his fingers.

"Nice!" Li Chen was amazed himself

"Zayer your training paid off! I never expected such a result!"

"Well, if it weren't for Grand Ma Verona bringing me here how would I become this amazing? huh?"

"Hahahahaha! After all you are my grand son. You should at least be on this level right? Hahahaha!"

"................." Li Chen had a blank expression on his face.

"Come on! Let's head home now. Everyone is really worried about you! Quick!" Verona said as she held Li Chen and flew away.

There it stands above, a vastness one can imagine of what lies beyond, with it's whimsical clouds in a partial canopy, playing hide and seek with the sun. Pools of sunshine streamed through, leaving a heavenly glow below as a beam of light shot away in the distance. The beam of light was Verona holding Li Chen against her as she flew away towards the Demonte City.