While travelling towards Sentinel township Kathrine explained to Renult how his mother and younger brother had left Glassthread the moment they had heard of the new plans for Kathrine’s engagement with Lorent. Kathrine spent much time and funds looking into their new location but was unable to find much information other than the possibility that they had left for the Dragon Glass capital.

Dragon Glass is the greatest power in the whole South Western territory, one could not even compare Glassthread village to the capital, it would be like comparing a chicken with a drake.

“While we travel I might as well start paying that favour back, why don’t I teach you a thing or two about the basics of pill crafting.”

without waiting for a reply Silas plunged his hand into his pack to pull out 3 strange looking herbs.

“These are the most basic ingredients to make the most basic of pills, it’s called a focus pill and will allow your mind to remain alert while delaying the desire for sleep”

“Higher quality pills will require a pill furnace but a simple 3 ingredient pill can be done using your energy manipulation”

As Renult walked and spoke he used his dantian energy to crush the herbs together, then he used a small flame made from mana to roast one herb, and burn the two others greyishblack.

Then he proceeded to infuse them into rice wine, he heated the final mixture allowing the alcohol to evaporate leaving a fine powdery substance which he finally pressed into a pill.

“Tadaa, all finished”

“Yaay well done!” Kathrine exclaimed as she clapped with a cheery expression on her face, her joy towards everything was palpable now that she was free.

However what Renult had just done was no easy feat, especially for a lesser earth cultivator, making a pill this easily should have been impossible, Renult’s energy control was superb, many an ancient pill forging magus would have taken an interest in Renult’s potential should they have witnessed such a display of skill.

“Woah that’s so cool, can I try?”

Renult passed some herbs to Silas and explained each step again but it more detail, after 30 or so tries (while seated) and quite a few wasted materials Silas finally was able to assemble what looked somewhat similar to the pill Renult had expertly crafted. The quality of the two pills could not be compared however, Silas had accidentally slightly burnt the herb that was meant to be roasted and the ratios were not perfect but it was a functional pill that a mortal would readily buy for a few silver.

“Well done brother, you have a talent for pill crafting, it takes many beginners hundreds of tries before their first success!”

“Nothing compared to yours brother, I bet your very first try was a success haha”

After a halfday of travelling the trio arrived at a crossroads.

“I’m sorry to say this is where we must part ways for now brother, Kathrine and I will be heading to Dragonglass from here in search of my family, once you have sorted out your business in Sentinel town why don’t you come to the capital as well? It’s the centre for all trade in our south western territory.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Indeed I may have to come to see the grand city myself”

“Farewell” “Safe Travels”

with Kathrine and Renult gone Silas was able to increase his speed and make it to his home town in under a day.

Silas didn’t have much to do in his town other than get revenge, his little brother Theo was sold off as a slave long ago by Ting when he failed to meet his quota, even though Silas had begged and offered to supplement Theo’s quota with his own.

Before killing that Scumbag Ting I will have to extract some information about my brother’s whereabouts.

It was night time when Silas arrived at the wooden gates of his home town, the night was quiet and lights were few and far between for candles were too expensive for the common folk to waste.

Without much trouble Silas reached lord Ting’s building and entered his bed chambers, however what he found was not pleasing, Ting was nowhere to be found. From the looks of the room it seemed like he had left in quite the rush clothes were strewn across the floor and an inkwell had fallen to the ground splattering the wall.

“No one is here…” Silas voiced his thoughts out loud in a confused tone.

“Well I wouldn’t say no one”

As Silas heard the strange voice he spun around but it was far too late, a claw like hand shot out from seemingly nowhere overflowing with intense mana hitting him square in the head.

“You will learn the depths of your mistakes soon enough, you should never have offended the All-Heaven sect.”

Blood was flowing freely from Silas’s head, reeling from the attack he cleared his mind and readied his defence. In front of him stood a young blond man with a cheeky smile on his face.

“Who are you.”

“A worm on the brink of death has no need to hear my blessed name”

The unknown cultivator opened his mouth and released a giant flame bird with such heat that the sweat on Silas’s forehead turn to vapour in moments. If he couldn’t find a way to block or escape this attack he would be burnt to a crisp.

I can’t die like this, I haven’t found Theo, I haven’t gotten my revenge yet, what must I do to make it out alive.

Without any time left to think Silas did what not many other cultivator’s could do, he shifted the mana in his blood, muscles, bones and dantian and saturated his skin with it, as he did this his skin began to glow a faint blue hue.

Silas was approximately 75% finished setting up his defensive technique when the fire bird struck him. The heat was unbearable like he had been plunged into the pits of hell. While being assaulted by the heat Silas blindly stumbled towards the window and threw himself out.

“You wont get away that easily.”

As soon as Silas hit the ground he began run as fast as he could, unfortunately this was far from enough to lose his pursuer.

I have to do something desperate, at this rate I’m going to get run down like a wild boar, all my energy will go into this next attack, it’s do or die.

Silas focused harder than he had ever done before and nearly instantly shifted his energy from his skin into his hands, eventually his hands were so full of energy it was difficult to push more in, but that was exactly what Silas forced himself to do.

“What are you doing.”

*fshhhhhhhhh*

The air in the surroundings started to change, it was like a suction force pulling everything towards the origin of this anomaly, the cultivator that was chasing stopping a few metres from Silas to observe the changes, not daring to get closer only to be caught up in this technique.

“You believe this last ditch effort will kill me? Fine, I will take your attack head on without dodging that way you will know how pitiful and weak you truly are Hahahaha”

*Fwoooooom*

A strange vibrating noise emanating from Silas’s now swollen hands gave the assassin a strange feeling which made him decide to go back on his word and dodge the coming attack.

“One day you will have the honour of being killed by one of my techniques, unfortunately today is not that day.”

*tchBANG*

a massive shockwave brought chaos to the surroundings, trees splintered and fell to the side, birds kilometres away took flight in fear but Silas, Silas was nowhere to be found.

“FUCK, that piece of shit never intended to have a last stand, he was preparing an escape technique, how could I be so foolish! Mark my words, the great Trafalgar learns from his mistakes, next time he wont be so lucky.”

[…]

Running at great speeds in ordinary times is very simple for a cultivator, currently however, walking was an incredibly arduous task for Silas, he had nearly completely depleted his internal energy, burning the last of his reserves to hobble over to a small hidden cave. After passing through the entrance Silas’s legs gave in, collapsing onto the cold hard ground. As his consciousness began to fade Silas only had one thought in his head.

“I must get stronger, I need the strength to choose my own fate.”