A cry spread over the mountain top as a young man was hurled from a combat stage. He landed heavily on the floor, but his pride was injured more than his body. On the stage a girl at least two years his junior bowed courteously and appeared almost timid as she walked down the stage. This appearance was in stark contrast to moments ago when she conjured a magical water serpent, which ferociously preyed on her opponent.
“There are some good talents in your Water Dragon Sect, Fellow Daoist Lin!” exclaimed a white-haired elder with a laugh. He shared a table in front of the combat stage with two other elders.
He had addressed the only woman at the table, which smiled modestly while her eyes glittered with pride.
“Indeed, little Ah Mei has acceptable talent. She has joined us only for a few years but has already reached the eighth stage of Qi Condensation.” she answered.
The third elder, a skinny, red-haired man, just snorted angrily.
“It appears our batch of new disciples still has much to learn. Our Fire Dragon Sect retreats from this competition and leaves the remaining matches to your Cloud Dragon Sect and Water Dragon Sect.” the skinny elder continued. Although his voice was loud and clear, one could glimpse a hint of frustration on his face. But, unfortunately, he had already sent forth the best of the new disciples without much success.
This Rookie Competition was officially just a friendly spar for the youngest disciples to compare pointers. But the truth was that each of the Sects meticulously kept track of wins and losses. And the Fire Dragon Sect's ranking in last place was already inevitable this time.
“Then I will not be polite, Fellow Daoist Ding, and send out my disciples against yours.” the female elder said and stared icily at the elder from the Cloud Dragon Sect.
“No problem, no problem, we will entertain you any time.” Patriarch Ding answered. He still smiled and laughed heartily, while he waved his hand to select some of the disciples behind him.
The following fights got fiercer and some of the more senior disciples also displayed their prowess. Although the atmosphere stayed friendly and no one sustained permanent injuries, some of the disciples limped from the stage and two even had to be carried.
However, after ten more fights no winner could be determined and both Sects won and lost an equal amount of the fights.
“It is getting late, Fellow Daoist Ding, we should wrap up this friendly spar. One last fight, what do you say? Just to conclude the event, maybe we send the best of our young disciples?” the female elder, Matriarch Lin, said with a light tone.
“Sure, this is a good idea and I fully agree.” Patriarch Ding answered without hesitating.
“Xiao Ding, my son, come and demonstrate what you have learned.” he chuckled. One of the disciples in the front row promptly stood up and bowed.
“Yes, Father.” he said and flew towards the stage.
The tension on the mountain top immediately reached a new height. Any idle chatter was stifled and the disciples and elders attentively watched the stage. The bronze-skinned youth had an uncanny resemblance with Patriarch Ding but a more serious complexion. His Cultivation base was impressively at the mid stage of Foundation Establishment and he emitted the pressure of a Flawless Foundation.
Normally this Rookie Competition would never catch great attention. But this time the heads of the three Sects personally came to oversee it. And the reason was that the sole son of the Patriarch of the Cloud Dragon Sect, Ding Jie, participated. To give Patriarch Ding face the other Sect heads also had to appear which gave this year's competition a really high profile.
Ding Jie's opponent slowly walked to the stage, dressed in a blue robe with a wide hood that hid the facial features. The figure stopped and faced off with Ding Jie at a distance of thirty feet. As the aura of the mid stage of Foundation Establishment emanated out even Patriarch Ding began to clench his teeth.
“This old hag actually managed to groom such an impressive disciple.” he thought inwardly.
The hood was pulled back and Ding Jie realized that his opponent was a young woman. She was quite beautiful and when she threw off the wide robe a supple figure appeared. Strikingly, she possessed deep blue eyes which contrasted strongly with her long black hair. Those eyes slowly met Ding Jie's as she took in her opponent. She seemed very nervous, apparently knowing that she would face a tough fight.
However, the moment Ding Jie saw her face and looked into her eyes, his soul shook. His throat went dry and there was a strange fluttering in his stomach.
He realized that this was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. None of the so-called beauties in his Sect could ever come close to this heavenly creature. Instantly he was overwhelmed by an inexplicable attraction that left no room for clear thought.
None of the onlookers suspected what was going on in Ding Jie's mind. His opponent, although beautiful, would in no way rank in the top ten of any Sects beauty ranking. Her nose was a little long and her face just to plain. The disciples watching were captivated by her cultivation, rather than her looks.
But Ding Jie was overcome by something that came from his very heart and left no place for further thought. His mind appeared clear to him and he instantly knew what to do.
“Ding Jie from the Cloud Dragon Sect against Tao Yu from the Water Dragon Sect. Fight!” shouted the referee.
Tao Yu immediately conjured three enormous water dragons, the trademark technique of her Sect. They spiralled over her head and rushed at her opponent.
In that moment Ding Jie had still not moved and appeared to be in a daze. But then he hurriedly spoke.
“I give up.”
This sudden development shocked everyone present, most of all his opponent, Tao Yu. Wide-eyed she stopped in the middle of her move and lost control over her technique. As a result the water dragons dissipated and unceremoniously showered Ding Jie and herself in a massive amount of water.
“You give up?” she gasped.
“Yes, I give up.”
“You what? Are you kidding me? You cannot just give up! I worked hard to fight you here. I trained for years for this chance. And now you give up?”
“The moment I saw you, I knew that I cannot ever raise a hand against you. You are the woman I have always dreamt of.”
A further blush of red appeared on Tao Yu's face. While before it was mostly anger it now mixed with shyness in face of this blatant love declaration.
“Fight me you rascal! First you snatch away my deserved fight and then you mock me in front of all the people. Do you have any face at all?”
Ding Jie seemed to slowly realize what he said a moment ago and a blush also went to his face. But he was not one to easily back out in an argument.
“What I said was the truth of my heart. And, nevertheless, I already said I concede this fight. I am a man of my word and will never take it back.”
“If you are a man then fight me. You wimp!”
The expected exchange of high-level techniques between elite disciples quickly transformed into bickering and name-calling. When the elders finally recovered from the shock both disciples were shouting at each other face to face and had lost every bit of their former imposing bearing.
Patriarch Shi from the Fire Dragon Sect laughed lightly. He could not think of a better way to end this competition. The other Sects had really lost face today as both their elite disciples totally lost composure.
Both Patriarch Ding and Matriarch Lin personally flew to the stage and separated the adversaries.
“As Xiao Ding conceded this fight, it is Water Dragon Sect's win. We accept this outcome and I bid both Fellow Daoists farewell. There are some urgent matters in the Sect that just came up.”
Patriarch Ding immediately grabbed his son and the rest of the disciples and flew away. Matriarch Lin did the same, both wanted to end this shameful display as fast as possible. Only Patriarch Shi stayed a while, slowly drinking his tea while he smiled heartily and looked into the distance.
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“What were you thinking? Conceding to a woman because you took a fancy to her? Ding Jie, did I ever teach you anything? I am beginning to doubt it. The cultivation world is harsh and you must never let your emotions get the better of you. Even if you lost the spar I would be content. But you did not even put up a fight! Our Sect lost a lot of face today!”
Patriarch Ding was seated in the place of the Sect patriarch and the other Sect elders were next to him. Their faces were grim. Ding Jie knelt below with a solemn expression.
“Patriarch, I apologize for my behaviour. I realize I made the Sect loose face and I accept any punishment. However, I do not regret my decision as there are some things where one must absolutely follow ones heart. My feelings for this woman are true and fighting her would tear my soul apart.”
During the last words Ding Jie raised his head and looked in his father's eyes. When seeing the firm expression of his son, Patriarch Ding's expression softened a little bit.
“We will see. You are to go into secluded cultivation for the next six months as punishment for your wrongdoings. Then we will talk again.”
Obviously, Ding Jie was let off lightly as he was the son of the patriarch. But even the strictest elders were somewhat impressed by his unwavering statement in front of all the seniors. Some may have even perceived a hint of the upcoming trouble.
A similar scene was playing at Water Dragon Mountain.
“Tao Yu, this one congratulates you to your victory over Cloud Dragon Sect's Ding Jie. Your application of the Jade Enchantment Art was perfect, even I myself did not notice it. But you used it before the fight officially started, which is not honourable. And most of all your behaviour afterwards was shameful and not worthy of our Sect. You should learn to control that temper of yours. Therefore, I command you to go into secluded cultivation for the next three months and reflect on your mistakes.”
Tao Yu knelt below the Matriarch with conflicted feelings. She considered telling her, that she did not use the Jade Enchantment Art. But she thought that admitting that would probably make matters even worse so she kept it to herself.
The next few months passed without bigger incidences. The Cloud Dragon Sect and the Water Dragon Sect obviously wanted to forget the Rookie Competition and tried to avoid talking about it. And even though the Fire Dragon Sect rejoiced over the mishap in the final match, they lost so miserably before, that they also decided to remain silent.
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The three Sects were located fairly close to each other. Each Sect occupied a large mountain at the very far end of the Eastern Lands, respectively named Cloud Dragon Mountain, Fire Dragon Mountain and Water Dragon Mountain.
The Eastern Lands dropped off sharply into the boundless sea of planet South Heaven and the mountains towered impressively directly at the edge of that massive cliff.
Legend has it that a very long time ago the three dragon Sects were branches of a much bigger Cultivation Sect. However, these times were long gone and only the Sect names hinted at a common origin.
Their peaceful coexistence depended on a fine-tuned balance of power. It all came down to the fact that their strengths, be it in terms of Cultivators or resources, were fairly similar.
Thus, the three Sects had a competitive but stable relationship. There were no serious conflicts in the last few hundred years.
At times they even banded together to ward off intruders and “The Three Dragons at the Sea” were considered the absolute hegemon in the larger area.
------------
When Ding Jie finally left secluded cultivation he immediately reported to his father.
“You managed to break through the late stage of Foundation Establishment! It seems that something good came out of this whole situation after all.” his father joyously greeted him.
Ding Jie just nodded, seemingly lost in thought.
“Son, I want you to take over an official position in the Sect. It seems I have spoilt you too much in the past and did not teach you how to act responsibly. I plan to make you head of the third North Slope's hunting division. Old Mo has been there for a very long time and would be happy to spend his final years not hunting wild beasts.”
Ding Yong chose a serious tone but he could not hide that we was very proud of his son's latest breakthrough. Being the leader of a hunting party was a distinguished position and he clearly expected his son to be happy to obtain it.
However, Ding Jie kept his head down, obviously indifferent to the good news. Finally, he spoke up.
“Father. I have not forgotten about Tao Yu. I plan to woo her.”
Silence. Patriarch Ding's eyes almost popped out of his sockets.
“You. Will. Not.” he shouted. His former joviality was gone and he emanated the full pressure of his Spirit Severing Cultivation base. Each of his words made the earth tremble and the heaven shake. Ding Jie was directly forced to his knees and coughed up a mouthful of blood. But still his gaze was unwavering as he stared pleadingly at his father.
“Please, father! I beg you!” he said. Silently his father retracted his pressure and his gaze softened.
“No. I will not allow it. Forget about the girl, Father will find a more suitable partner for you. This is the end of the matter, we will not speak of this again. Now go and prepare for your new task, I will inform the North Slope of your new task immediately.”
With bitterness in his eyes Ding Jie bowed and left his fathers cave. When he went home his gaze wandered over the endless sea to the next mountain where it stayed. A longing appeared in his eyes, but it did not stay and was quickly replaced by fiery determination.
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The next morning Patriarch Ding landed in front of his house. In his hands he carried an unconscious and injured Ding Jie.
“What happened to him?” his wife cried out as she saw her son.
His injuries, especially the broken nose, gave his mother quite the shock. Tenderly she took him in her arms and carried him in the house while she took out a transmission jade and called for a doctor.
“I severely underestimated how obsessed he was with the girl from the Water Dragon Sect. He sneaked out at night and went there in the morning, asking to meet her. An elder of the Water Dragon Sect wanted to make him leave and sent out some disciples to harass him. But apparently he held his own against dozens of them.” Patriarch Ding explained while shaking his head.
“I cannot decide if he made the Sect loose face or gain it.” he laughed bitterly.
“Can you believe that even in the end he just shouted for this girl, Tao Yu? Looking like he does, covered in blood, he shouted it so that half the Sect heard it.” Patriarch Ding told his wife.
She laid Ding Jie on a bed and gently wiped his face, conflicting emotions on her face.
“Dear, don't you think we should just let them meet?” she finally asked.
“Impossible. He is our son and she is the Dao Child of the Water Dragon Sect and personal disciple of the Matriarch. They can never be together.” Patriarch Ding answered.
“I did not say that they should be together, just that we let them meet. It seems that Xiao Ding will not give it a rest before he meets with her.”
“But what if he successfully woos her? His emotions seem sincere.”
Ding Jies mother just smiled mischievously. “We just have to make sure that she will reject him completely. At some point Xiao Ding has to give up.”
“And how will you make sure that she does? A woman's heart is easily swayed.”
“Stupid!” his wife laughed.
“Women are much more mature in matters of the heart, especially at this age. It is often the men who are hopeless romantics. We women just play along. Or did you forget how you acted when you met me?” she continued and used a finger to playfully caress her husband's chin.
The imposing patriarch actually appeared a little embarrassed when he was remembered of his younger years.
“Let me talk to the girl and I promise you that she will see reason.” his wife said and concluded the matter.
While Ding Jie was still unconscious his parents met with Matriarch Lin of the Water Dragon Sect. By reminding her of the misconduct of the elder at the gate the matriarch was forced to agree to the plan. Naturally, she did not want to see her own disciple involved in this matter at all, least in such a deceptive way. However, she saw it as the smaller evil compared to giving an explanation for severely injuring the Little Patriarch of the Cloud Dragon Sect.
“This disciple greets the elders.” Tao Yu said with a bow, when she arrived. She was unclear about why exactly she was called over but the presence of Patriarch Ding made it clear which matter this was related to.
“I am the mother of Ding Jie, girl. What do you think of our son? Speak your mind openly, do not hide anything.” the woman beside Patriarch Ding told her.
Tao Yu was startled and looked at her master. When the Matriarch nodded, she pondered shortly and answered.
“I do not know him. My first impression is that he is a bit impulsive.”
Ding Jie's mother smiled kindly. “So you do not have any special feelings for him?”
“No, I do not.”
“Perfect. I would ask you to meet with our son and tell him that yourself. It seems he is infatuated with you and will not give up until he can meet you. However, he would not pursue and harass you any further, if you plainly tell him of your feelings. Can you do that for us?”
Although the words sounded like a kind plea, there was a certain edge to it.
“This junior would be honoured to be of service.” Tao Yu answered with a light bow.
“Wonderful. Here is a transmission jade and a Sect amulet. We will notify you in a few weeks and organize a meeting on our Sect grounds.” Ding Jie's mother said with a satisfied smile.
The Matriarch and Tao Yu remained in silence after Ding Jie's parents left. Matriarch Lin studied her disciple that tried to appear indifferent.
“Tao Yu, I hope you understand what this was about?” she finally asked.
Tao Yu nodded. “I have to make sure Ding Jie looses all feelings for me.”
Matriarch Lin nodded in approval but she did not smile. “I would have preferred to keep you out of this all. You are after all inexperienced in matters of the heart and this scheme could disturb you in your Cultivation. But my hands were tied after the situation at the gate happened. We have to give them face here. I hope you can quickly finish this matter and be done with it. Guard your heart. You must not let your feelings disturb you.”
Tao Yu just bowed again, but her heart was already in turmoil.
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A few weeks later Dong Jie was standing in one of the hanging gardens of his Sect. He was seated below a tree and stared absentmindedly down onto the vast sea. He was dressed in his best robe, his face was rosy and cleanly shaven; apparently he had spared no effort for this occasion. When he heard that someone was approaching, his eyes flickered nervously.
He stood up.
“Fellow Daoist Tao Yu, I am very glad we could meet.” he greeted her with a bow.
“Ding Jie.” Tao Yu just answered with a short nod. Apparently she did not care about this meeting as much as he by a far margin. Her hair was unkempt and she wore a robe that very clearly favoured convenience over appearance.
Tao Yu generally did not care very much about her appearance and focused on Cultivation instead. Her place in the Sect was earned with outstanding talent and even more outstanding effort. She liked to think that she did not obtain any advantages because of her looks and despised those junior apprentice sisters who did.
But still Ding Jie appeared completely smitten when he saw her. So much that his mouth dropped down a little. Instead of feeling flattered Tao Yu frowned. She knew she was not an outstanding beauty and felt ridiculed.
“Ding Jie, if you called me over to make fun of me, you will regret it.” she said with an angry undertone.
“Miss Tao, I would never do this. I earnestly just wanted to meet you and talk with you a bit. I also would like to apologize for my behaviour at the Rookie Competition, I made you loose face.” Ding Jie said after he composed himself.
Tao Yu was a bit appeased after his apology and her tone became softer when she answered.
“I am only here to tell you that whatever you feel for me, I do not reciprocate those feelings. Ding Jie, give up and do not waste your time on me.”
A pained expression flashed over Ding Jies face. “But my feelings are sincere, Miss Tao. Won't you at least give me chance to express them?”
The anger in Tao Yu flared up again.
“You have only met me once and immediately declared your love for me! Do not speak of sincerity to me! You do not know me at all, how can you even say that you like me! I hate shallow men like you the most!”
Ding Jie was taken aback by her outburst but gathered his wits.
“Miss Tao, what you say is true. But the same can be said about you disliking me. You have only met me once and already say that you will never like me. This can also be said to be shallow.”
Tao Yu furrowed her brows but could not refute her own argument.
“Miss Tao, let me propose a solution. We will meet five times in the next five weeks and if you still feel the same about me afterwards, our ways will part never meeting again.” Ding Jie said before she could recover.
Tao Yu's eyes became cold and pierced Ding Jie honest face, seemingly to spot a hidden plot.
“Three times in the next three weeks.” she said finally, “And this counts as the first meeting. But do not get your hopes up, I am not known for changing my mind.”
Ding Jie smiled. “Neither am I.” he said.
“Will you walk with me then and take a look at this beautiful garden?”
“No, I have no interest in flowers.”
“Maybe we can sit down for a cup of tea?”
“No. Not interested.”
Ding Jie tried different ways to strike up a conversation or to start some kind of activity but everything was blocked off by Tao Yu in the most direct way. She just stood there and looked out at the sea, seemingly not noticing him.
“What do you want to do then?” Ding Jie finally asked helplessly.
“Except for leaving?” she chuckled, “I would like to fight you!”
A mischievous smile appeared on her lips. She had not forgotten that he had stolen her fight in the Rookie Competition. Every disciple could only participate there once and she had prepared years for her debut fight only to be unable to demonstrate her prowess.
Ding Jie showed a conflicted expression. “I will not fight you. I said it once and can only repeat it.”
“Come on, what is wrong with you? A Cultivator that does not want to spar? What kind of strange technique do you train in? The Tranquil Void Heart?” Tao Yu teased him. The Tranquil Void Heart was a special technique where one had to abandon all desires and almost all of its male practitioners where eunuchs.
Ding Jie only looked down, heart-felt pain visible on his face.
“Come on now. Rookie competition rules, no magical items or pills and no killing moves. I will pull my punches to not damage your pretty dress.” Tao Yu chuckled.
“If you do not fight me for real, I will see this as missing respect and I will leave and never come here again.” she finally said after Ding Jie still showed no signs of answering.
Then she suddenly shot towards him and punched out without reservation. Ding Jie was totally caught unaware and could just raise his arms in time to receive the punch. Its might far exceeded his expectations and he was blown away leaving a trail in a flower bed until he finally collided with a big tree.
When Tao Yu saw this scene she laughed so hard her stomach hurt.
“Haha, I would never have expected that this meeting could be so much fun. I should have done this sooner. If this is your full strength, no wonder you gave up in the competition.”
Ding Jie pushed himself up from the floor, any striking presence was gone. His robe was messed up, dust was all over his face and his hair had clumps of earth and flowers in it. But his eyes burned with fury as anger overcame him.
He just shouted out and immediately began to attack without reservation. The full pressure of his Cultivation base emanated out.
Tao Yu's eyes shone with surprise but then she laughed and confronted him again. Both their Cultivations were at the early late stage of Foundation Establishment, both had seven Dao Pillars. It was unsure who would win this confrontation.
On a peak not far away, Ding Jie's parents observed the situation in the garden.
“She sure is a ferocious lass, this Tao Yu.” Patriarch Ding said with a hint of approval.
“But she does a good job to discourage our Xiao Ding.” his wife added and smiled, “I do not think we have to worry any longer.”
Tao Yu and Ding Jie fought on for several incense sticks worth of time. Both exhausted their arsenal of magical techniques but at most gained a short lived advantage during the fight.
At one moment Ding Jie managed to lure Tao Yu into a spell formation he had set up during the fight. He revealed a smug smile and was inwardly relieved. The spell formation continuously rained down thunder on Tao Yu and she could barely endure. But then she managed to conjure a massive barrage of ice chunks that covered the whole area and finally damaged the crucial points of the spell formation which made it break down. Her robe was burnt at several places and her hair was sticking out due to the remaining electricity in the air. But her blue eyes shone with ecstasy and so the fight went on.
A few minutes later Ding Jie was caught by a water whip that threatened to suffocate him. Whenever he tried to destroy the whip, it became like water only to be as hard as steel again a moment later. He managed to escape only when he covered himself with an explosive mist cloud and blew it up. The explosion destroyed the whip but he also suffered from it and was in quite a sorry state afterwards.
The battle raged on and both fighters had exhausted all of their strength but were unwilling to give up. An almost insane will to win kept Ding Jie and Tao Yu on their legs, even when both could not fly anymore. Finally, they faced off at a few feet and traded punches directly. Only when both tumbled down and fell on the floor did the fight end.
“You are better than I expected.” panted Tao Yu as she popped a few recovery pills into her mouth. Her pale countenance improved immediately and she sat down cross-legged.
“Miss Tao's Cultivation is very impressive.” said Ding Jie as he also began to recover. After a short while both looked much healthier and had recovered some of their energy. Finally, Tao Yu stood up and tried to leave.
“About the other two meetings...” Ding Jie called out, not sounding very hopeful.
Tao Yu did not turn around. “Our fight has not yet concluded, so I will come back next week.” she called out as she flew in the night.
No one noticed the faint smile that quickly appeared on Ding Jie's face before it again showed a look of utter exhaustion.
The meeting of Tao Yu and Ding Jie repeated the next week. But it would be wrong to assume that it was anything like a date of two lovebirds. As much as Ding Jie hoped that he could strike up a conversation or take a walk with Tao Yu, she was only interested in fighting with him.
Fortunately, he had learned from last time and invited her over to an uninhabited part of the mountain. Ding Jie had heard that the gardener of the Sect was still unconscious from the shock he received after seeing what their fight had done to the tranquil flower garden.
The battle from last week repeated itself and Tao Yu and Ding Jie fought until they were utterly exhausted. But still no one could gain a definite advantage.
This surprised Tao Yu as well as Ding Jie. Both were used to fight and win against opponents levels above them due to their superior talent and proficiency in powerful magical techniques. It was the first time that someone of the same Cultivation level could give them such a good fight. And not only that, it seemed that the opponent was exactly evenly matched, be it in terms of fighting strength, wits or endurance.
Slowly their impressions of each other changed. Tao Yu had to grudgingly admit that Ding Jie was by no means a coward or a weakling, but a very strong and brave young man. And Ding Jie realized that Tao Yu was not a simple girl that could easily be wooed but a head-strong Cultivator with exceptional strength.
Again, after the fight Tao Yu did not stick around but promised to continue their fight on the third week.
A week later Ding Jie sat down cross-legged as he waited for Tao Yu. He had used the last few days to earnestly cultivate and improve his fighting strength.
His feelings for Tao Yu had transformed and had become much more complex. He still felt an inexplicable attraction to her that he could not suppress. But the fights had also roused his competitive instinct and he aimed to win this final fight almost as much as he wanted to win over Tao Yu.
In contrast to his appearance on their first meeting, he wore a plain robe and was unshaven, clearly having neglected his exterior in preparation for the fight. When Tao Yu appeared both did not waste any words but immediately shot into the air.
The battle waged on with unprecedented intensity. While in the fights before they may have been unwilling to exploit a random slip of the opponent, this was not the case today. Both knew that any mistake could lead to defeat and fought on as fierce as never before.
Tao Yu conjured up two of the strange water whips in an attempt to catch Ding Jie. Her face paled and she spat out a mouthful of blood as this was her absolute limit.
But Ding Jie knew that he would be finished once he got caught by the whips. Last time he escaped one of them by paying a heavy price, but he would not be able to do that for two of them. He immediately flew back and conjured up a massive cloud. Instantly his face also paled and he coughed up blood due to this overexertion.
Tao Yu shot into the cloud without hesitation but now she had to defend against lightning strikes that randomly struck at her from the mist. This reduced the pressure on Ding Jie and he began to flash incantations while narrowly escaping the whip lashes.
Before Tao Yu could reach him, he finished his preparations and dispelled the lightning cloud. Above his head was now an enormous cloud dragon that let out a roar and charged towards Tao Yu.
Were it any other fight Tao Yu would have chosen to use her whips to defend. But on an impulse she decided to risk it all and formed two water spears from her whips that shot towards Ding Jie.
Two booms rattled out as both techniques found their targets and Tao Yu and Ding Jie were blasted away.
However, when realizing that Tao Yu chose not to defend, Ding Jie had changed the course of the cloud dragon. It still hit her but she was not injured heavily.
Without any time left to dodge the incoming water spears, Ding Jie had then pulled a jade from his bag of holding that created a defensive shield that barely withstood the attack. He was still slightly injured but no one knows what would have happened without it.
Ding Jie slowly stood up from where he had fallen and approached Tao Yu.
“I used a protective treasure. I lost this fight.” he admitted and lowered his head.
But Tao Yu did not look pleased.
“You diverted your attack in the last moment. Otherwise I would have had to do the same. So you did not loose.” she said.
Then she smiled lightly and continued. “Let's call it a draw. It appears we are yet again evenly matched.”
“Fellow Daoist Tao Yu is wise. Let's call it a draw.” Ding Jie chuckled as he bowed to her.
Then both just stood there in silence, at a loss what to say.
“What about our agreement, Miss Tao?” Ding Jie finally asked.
Tao Yu hesitated and looked away. “Ding Jie, I have to admit you are no weakling. I respect your strength and your determination as a Fellow Cultivator.”
Then she locked eyes with him.
“But that is it. I have no special feelings for you. There will never be more between us.”
The moment Ding Jie feared had arrived. He tried to appear indifferent but a string of sweet hope in his heart had been cut off.
“Take this treasure as compensation for the one you used earlier. With that we are even and will not meet again. Farewell Fellow Daoist Ding.”
When she said these words she handed him a jade slip and flew away.
Ding Jie stood motionless in midst the forest that showed the scars of their battle.
In the distance his father nodded approvingly when he heard the words Tao Yu spoke. He then left to let his son sort out his heart alone.
Ding Jie continued to stand there for a while. He slowly traced the jade slip that she gave him with his finger and enjoyed the warmth from her hand on it until it was finally completely cold.
On a whim he decided to probe the slip with his qi. Surprisingly a smile blossomed on his desolate face. Quickly he put the slip in his bag of holding and flew away.
The words that were stored in the jade slip still echoed in his mind.
“Fellow Daoist Ding Jie, I found our exchange of pointers very helpful. If you are interested in sparring again, meet me in the place stored on this slip in a months time.”
For any outsiders the matter was thus silently concluded. Ding Jie finally took on the responsibility as leader of a hunting party and seemed to have completely given up on Tao Yu. He demonstrated organizational talent in his new job and fervently cultivated. His mood seemed so stable that his parents thought about engaging him to an appropriate girl in the Sect to avoid similar situations in the future.
Tao Yu went back after their fight and earnestly reported to her master. She admitted that Ding Jie was a decent young man with impressive fighting strength. But she did not have any special feelings for him.
The Matriarch let out a breath of relief as it seemed that the heart of this girl was not shaken in any way. If she had denied having any sympathy towards Ding Jie, Matriarch Lin would have been sceptical. After all he was actually a young man with good traits when he kept his wits together. But to openly reflect and state her own feelings showed that Tao Yu had matured.
A month later both Ding Jie and Tao Yu requested absence from the Sect for a few days to meditate in peace. Nobody would have suspected that they met up in a hidden lagoon far away from both Sect mountains.
Ding Jie was delighted to see Tao Yu again and even Tao Yu could not help almost smiling when seeing the now familiar face.
They did not loose many words but started fighting immediately. This time, however, Ding Jie actually lost. He had underestimated the advantage Tao Yu had when fighting near a water source.
This scene repeated the next day but now Ding Jie grabbed victory. Both did not speak much with each other but when they parted ways they traded sound transmission jades and promised to meet up here again in one month's time.
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Like this the years went by. In regular intervals Tao Yu and Ding Jie met up to spar against each other with no one else knowing. The only thing that was apparent was that both their Cultivation level and fighting prowess soared. It seemed that their potential was thoroughly stimulated by finding someone similarly gifted and competing against him. As both were the absolute top talents in their Sect, this was something they could not experience otherwise.
Matriarch Lin and Patriarch Ding were both absolutely delighted with the development of their proteges and did think further about them regularly leaving the Sect.
But unbeknownst to anyone the feelings of both grew closer. At some point Ding Jie and Tao Yu started talking after their spars. First it was about techniques, magical items and Cultivation. Then it turned to more trivial things like stories about the live in the Sect. Talking freely to an outsider was part of why they did it, but they also realized that they enjoyed talking to each other.
The feelings of both were complex, influenced by the past situation and their responsibilities to their Sects. But far away from their home in this hidden place both felt unrestrained. After some time they started to talk about themselves.
One day Tao Yu even revealed the plot of Ding Jie's parents behind the three meetings years ago. Although Ding Jie had long since suspected it, the confirmation threw him into an utter rage. He shouted for minutes until he stormed off and sat down in the cliff above the lagoon.
When he calmed down a little bit, Tao Yu sat down next to him and she felt that by telling him about this hidden intrigue her heart was finally free. And Ding Jie was filled with anger towards his parents and stubbornly decided to defy their will.
In this moment their hands incidentally found each other and instead of pulling them back they both took hold to never let go. Tao Yu rested her head on his shoulder and both simply enjoyed this moment of closeness. In front of them the boundless sea churned and was the only witness of their budding love.
Things progressed and Tao Yu and Ding Jie became lovers, although no one knew about them. They sparred and cultivated together with extraordinary efficiency. Their Cultivation progressed at an astonishing rate and within a few years both stepped into the realm of Core Formation.
However, as expected this also gave raise to jealousy. Thus, when one fellow disciple of Tao Yu noticed that she regularly left the Sect, he could not help but suspect something.
Maybe she hid an exceptional treasure somewhere, he thought. At least her Cultivation progress was simply too astonishing.
Thus, this disciple tried to follow her on her trips. However, Tao Yu was skilled and he lost her track again and again. But this only made his greed flare up even more. After a few dozen tries he finally managed to follow her all the way until she flew into a lagoon.
Inside Tao Yu flew straight in Ding Jie's arms and kissed him. When the disciple saw that, he almost fainted. And when he recognized the Little Patriarch from the Cloud Dragon Sect, he basically died from the shock.
He wished he had not seen this scene, but he did. Cursing inwardly he pondered on his options but finally decided that he had to report this matter. Reporting would mean punishment but hiding could mean death.
When he came back to the Sect, he immediately sought a private audience with the Matriarch. When the responsible elder saw the panicked eyes of the disciple, he immediately arranged the audience. The disciple gave the impression as if he had seen hell and wished that he had perished there.
When the disciple was alone with the Matriarch he kowtowed and spoke slowly. “Matriarch, I know what I will say now will earn your wrath. However, know that this disciple speaks true and does only speak because he dares not to hide what he saw.”
“When I went out today, by accident I met Senior Apprentice-Sister Tao Yu.” he paused after that.
“And sh-she met with a-a-a ma-ma-man.” he finally stammered.
The eyes of the Matriarch bulged out. She immediately covered the room with her presence and allowed no sound to escape.
“What did you say?” she shouted, “Tao Yu met with a man? What did she do? Speak clearly you whelp!”
Under stammering and while almost wetting himself the disciple told what he had seen. When his story reached the point of the kiss, the Matriarch let out an angry cry that almost broke his eardrums.
But when he said that he recognized the man as Ding Jie, her face turned ghastly white. Immediately afterwards her chair was pulverized into splinters. Then she was in front of the disciple and grabbed him by his neck.
“Tell me where they are. If I find any fault with what you told me, you will experience completely new forms of pain.” she hissed.
The disciple presented a jade slip in which he had marked the location.
By exhausting herself with several teleportations she quickly arrived at the lagoon. When she saw her Yu'er and that despicable Ding Jie sitting together at the cliff she immediately spat out several mouthful of blood in anger.
“You!” she shouted in fury. Her voice thundered and the earth shook. When Ding Jie and Tao Yu spotted her in the air above their hearts fell. They knew the day they feared most had arrived.
“Leave her alone!” Matriarch Lin bellowed and a strand of her force went out to attack Ding Jie. He did not dawdle and immediately produced a talisman that formed a shield that enveloped him and Tao Yu. He actually pulled her closer to his side which infuriated the matriarch even more.
However, the talisman was personally crafted by his father and held up.
“Master, this disciple apologizes for disappointing you. But I love him! Can we not be allowed to be?” Tao Yu called out.
This gave a pause to Matriarch Lin. It now seemed clear to her that Tao Yu indeed seemed not to be forced but rather looked at Ding Jie with a loving and caring gaze.
“Yu'er, I have told you several times that there will be no union between any of the three dragon Sects. It cannot be. It is simply not allowed. You will leave with me here after I have skinned this damnable debauchee!”
At this moment another voice echoed over the cliff. “Who wants to skin my son?” Patriarch Ding had arrived and immediately appeared in front of his son.
Earlier when Ding Jie took out the talisman he also crushed a jade tile his father gave him for emergencies. This was to be used when his live was in danger and he had no other way out. As the cat was already out of the bag, Ding Jie knew the only way to escape here unharmed was to call his father.
When Patriarch Ding recognized the woman beside his son his face turned white.
“What have you done, son?” he shouted, his face stricken with grief. He now looked the same as Matriarch Lin, unable to stomach this development.
“Father, I love her and she loves me. I am sorry that I have not told you this, but as I said years ago, my feelings towards Yu'er will not change.” Ding Jie bravely declared.
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“I also love him. And we already have formed a Cultivation Pair.” Tao Yu added with unexpected boldness. When Matriarch Lin and Patriarch Ding heard the words 'Cultivation Pair' they both spat out blood. Immediately their eyes shot towards Tao Yu's stomach. Even though they could not see anything, they were not relieved.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, I cannot handle this situation here anymore. I take my son and you take your disciple. And then we will talk about how to handle this.” Patriarch Ding send a sound transmission. The matriarch nodded and like a flash both dashed down, striking the juniors unconscious. Neither Tao Yu nor Ding Jie had any chance against the coordinated strike of two Spirit Severing Cultivators. Carrying their proteges both Sect heads left without any further words but with very depressed faces.
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Both Ding Jie and Tao Yu were directly put in prison cells at their Sects.
Then Patriarch Ding and Matriarch Lin met in secret. But even though both accused the other of raising a seducer or seductress, in their hearts they knew it to be false.
Obviously, both had talked to one of the lovers and the truth was as trivial as it was depressing. Over the years both had simply gotten closer and closer until a mutual love had developed. There was no greater scheme or even a seducing that went on. It was simply the blossoming of an innocent love.
And it was obvious that both were matched very well, in mind as in Cultivation. The benefits of this Cultivation Pair were clear to both of the Sect heads.
Still they found no way to silently deal with the situation and knew they had to involve the elders.
So Patriarch Ding called the Elder Hall together. With great shame he reported about the involvement of his son with the Dao Child and personal disciple of the Matriarch of the Water Dragon Sect.
When the first shocked silence was over, the Elder Hall was in uproar.
“An outrage!” one elder cried. “We have to expel him from the Sect!” another one called. Immediately the second elder felt the full power of Patriarch Dings Cultivation base and was shut up.
“My son will not be expelled from the Sect as long as I am alive.” Patriarch Ding growled.
After another round of shouting and accusing, finally order came back to the hall.
“Why should we not simply allow both youths to marry? They seem to genuinely like each other.” a red-robed elder asked with a faint smile.
“You fool, this would be the same as joining hands with the Water Dragon Sect. The Fire Dragon Sect will not allow such a cooperation. It would destroy the equilibrium of the three mountains.” another elder immediately criticized and the shouting started again.
In the Water Dragon Sect similar arguments were discussed. Either both young people could be expelled from the Sect, which neither Matriarch Lin nor Patriarch Ding would allow. Alternatively they could be forcefully separated which would probably make the Sects loose two exceptional talents. As their relationship had already progressed so far it would be unlikely that anything short of locking them up could keep them from each other.
So most of the talk circled around the third option: could the marriage be allowed? It was clear that this would be almost a declaration of war towards the Fire Dragon Sect if not handled carefully. The pacifists in the Elder Hall, therefore, thought of ways to appease the Fire Dragon Sect and convince them that this was actually just an innocent love and not some grand scheme. But some of the elders thought differently. They saw this as a chance to be grasped.
Ding Jie sat alone in his prison cell, somewhere deep in the mountain. Only his mother visited daily but even she could not hide her disappointment about his behaviour. His father never came.
So when he heard steps he was startled. A red-robed elder which Ding Jie knew as Fang Hao came to visit him.
“Boy,” he said, “do you truly love this girl?”
Ding Jie was at a loss first but then answered honestly. “Yes, senior. I truly do. Otherwise I would never have gone against my Sect. And the same is true for her as she went against her Sect for me.”
The elder laughed heartily. “I admire you. Really. Maybe, back then if I would have been as decisive as you, my fate would have been different.” he laughed again, seemingly thinking back to his own youth. “I will support you, boy. Maybe I can persuade your father to acknowledge your union with that girl. So hold out.”
With those words he left and Ding Jie felt his spirits lifted. But he did not notice the crafty smile Fang Hao displayed when he left.
In the next few days other elders came over to talk with Ding Jie. They all apparently wanted to make sure of his dedication towards Tao Yu and then declared to support his love. They all did not fail to mention that they would personally try to convince Patriarch Ding. Naturally, Ding Jie noticed that something was fishy. But he did not care. He would rather die than live without Tao Yu.
And so a growing faction of the elders supported the marriage of Ding Jie and Tao Yu. On the surface they talked about true love, and fate, and even compared them to the famous Cultivation Pairs from the legends.
In reality this faction wanted gain dominance over the Fire Dragon Sect by joining hands with the Water Dragon Sect. They saw the arduously crafted equilibrium of the three Sects as nothing more than a hindrance to their own Sect's expansion.
Similar scenes played out in the Water Dragon Sect. At some point in both Sects the pro-marriage factions became big enough to start negotiations with the Fire Dragon Sect. Although, the fact of the affair between Ding Jie and Tao Yu was long since leaked to the Fire Dragon Sect, Patriarch Shi and his elders could now officially throw a tantrum. They cried out, they threatened and even cursed at the other two Sects. They even broke off negotiations two times.
In the end the three Sects all agreed on a deal. The Cloud Dragon Sect and the Water Dragon Sect had to promise to not act against the Fire Dragon Sect. Furthermore, they had to pay a huge amount of treasures and Spirit Stones as compensation for this marriage to the Fire Dragon Sect. In return this marriage was not seen as a declaration of war and peace could be preserved.
However, this was only on the surface. The elders in both the Cloud Dragon Sect and the Water Dragon Sect looked almost with pity at the Patriarch of the Fire Dragon Sect when the treaty was signed. And the Patriarch Shi could not hide the worry on his face.
For Tao Yu and Ding Jie a truly joyous time began. When they heard that they were allowed to marry openly they almost could not contain themselves. A great marriage ceremony was held at the Cloud Dragon Sect and almost every Cultivator with a certain standing in the larger distance was invited.
Groom and bride looked most resplendent and there was true joy on their faces. Even the most sceptical observer had to admit that this was a marriage out of true love.
Patriarch Ding and Matriarch Lin also had tears of happiness in their eyes and toasted to each other the whole evening. Ding Jie and Tao Yu had brought them much sorrow and this marriage emptied out a large part of their Sects treasuries as compensation to the Fire Dragon Sect. However, in their hearts they were still their most important persons, one was the son and the other the personal disciple. Deep down they congratulated them on their personal happiness.
Only the guests from the Fire Dragon Sect appeared somewhat reserved. Patriarch Shi was especially gloomy and talked with some of the guests from outside most of the time.
The moment when he passed on a bag of holding to a black-robed guest passed unnoticed. It seemed of no relevance on this big day.
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Tao Yu and Ding Jie were truly happy. They settled down in the Cloud Dragon Sect and it was not long until before Tao Yu was pregnant. She gave birth to a small girl and the excited parents named her Ding Yi.
As the plans of producing siblings for her did not work out, the little Yi'er was consequently spoilt by her parents. Whenever she wanted, she could sit on her fathers lap and look at the sea. Then her little arms stretched out while she stared at the small boats on the waves and her tiny fingers wanted to grasp the distant figures. Sometimes they even flew with her to the shore and Ding Yi played at the beach with fascination. Indeed the girl seemed to tend to her mother's side with much more attraction to water than to the mountains.
The immediate impact of the marriage was not large. Even the most war-hungry elder had to admit that the compensation that was paid to the Fire Dragon Sect left them in an unfavourable state. And there was no rush. At worst the Fire Dragon Sect would be worn down from a constant state of wariness. At best they would become careless.
Secret talks and connections were made. Often elders from the Water Dragon Sect visited the Cloud Dragon Sect under the pretence of visiting Tao Yu while conspiring with some elders there.
Patriarch Shi from the Fire Dragon Sect naturally got the intelligence reports detailing that behaviour. But he long since did not care anymore. He had made a bitter decision at the day of the marriage and though it may pain him, he intended to follow through with it.
When he handed that black-robed cultivator the bag of holding he had already steeled his resolve.
And the day of decision seemed to have arrived. When Patriarch Shi was sitting in his study all of a sudden a shadow appeared in front of him. It was apparently a man but his face was shrouded in darkness as he did not want to be recognized.
Patriarch Shi felt the tremendous fluctuations from the aura of the newcomer and immediately fell to his knees.
“Shi Wei greets senior.”
“You were the one who sent the message to our clan?” the figure asked.
“Yes, this was me.”
“Before we talk, I already came here, and you promised a compensation, didn't you?” the man laughed and held out his hand.
Shi Wei did not dare to hesitate and immediately pulled out a bag of holding and passed to the man. Only a careful observer would notice the flash of pain in his face as he gave it away.
“Wow, now we are talking. How did you even manage to gather so many Spirit Stones at such a backwater place? This must have taken thousands of years.” the man joked as he probed the bag of holding.
Now Patriarch Shi looked even more gloomy than usual. Indeed he had passed almost all of his own Sects treasures and the compensation received from the other two Sects to the man. But he reassured himself that this was necessary.
“How may I address senior?” Patriarch Shi asked.
“You can call me Nineteen.” the man laughed again, “Let's not beat around the bush. You spoke of a certain ancient pill in your message?”
Patriarch Shi nodded. “Indeed. I know that the Cloud Dragon Sect not far from here is in possession of an ancient Transmigration Pill.”
Nineteen did not answer directly. He stared intently at Patriarch Shi until sweat was running down his brow from nervousness.
“Do you know what the effect of this Transmigration Pill is?” Nineteen finally asked.
“Senior, this one does not know exactly. The Cloud Dragon Sect has no records on it except for its name. But my own investigation revealed that it can be used to open up another path to immortality. One that is different from the one we Cultivators tread.” Patriarch Shi answered.
Nineteen nodded slowly. “So you know something. Enough to understand that my clan is interested in this pill. Let's cut to the chase. This senior will definitely leave with the Transmigration Pill. But in exchange for your information I may consider giving you a little favour. What do you want?”
Patriarch Shi gulped. “Senior, my Sect faces the danger of annihilation. To overcome this disaster we must strike first and attack the Water Dragon Sect and the Cloud Dragon Sect. However, their strengths are similar to ours. If senior could lend us a hand we can prevent the extermination of our Sect.” he said while kowtowing.
“Speak clearly, I will not fight your little squabbles for you.” Nineteen replied with impatience.
“If senior could deal with the Spirit Severing Cultivators of the other Sects, our victory would be assured.”
“I will take care of the Spirit Severing pups from only one Sect. That is enough. Name time and place.” Nineteen just said lazily.
“Senior, in nine days I will invite the other Sects over. We will start our attack then.”
Nineteen merely nodded and vanished without a trace.
After Nineteen had left, Patriarch Shi felt the cold sweat on his back. He knew that the path he had chosen would be bloody. Even though he had killed his fair share during his long life as a Cultivator, what he planned now was something else. His heart shuddered but again he steeled his resolve. There was no way back now. With determination he stood up and left his study to organize a war.
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Patriarch Ding was bored. He was actually called over by the Fire Dragon Sect to witness the totally plain wedding of some Qi Condensation Cultivator. Patriarch Shi liked to call him his son, but in reality probably even he did not know from which generation this descendant of him was. Patriarch Shi had achieved his second Severing a few hundred years ago and has since concentrated on grooming his family. Compared to Patriarch Ding who just recently produced a single grandchild the old Fire Dragon was certainly at an advantage.
Patriarch Shi said that he will make an incredible announcement. Although, he chose to withhold the specific contents, he promised that it will be very good news for all three Sects. This was the only reason why Patriarch Ding and Matriarch Lin even came. Furthermore, they brought substantial parts of their Elder Hall with them. But until now Patriarch Shi seemed to focus on the wedding instead of talking about this announcement of his.
The ceremony went on and after this the banquet started. Patriarch Ding gulped down the wine with a bitter grimace to ease his boredom. He was just about to shout out in frustration, when Patriarch Shi finally stood up.
“Esteemed guests of the other Sects, I know I put your patience to a test. You probably were eagerly awaiting me to talk about the matter I mentioned. And indeed the time has come.”
He paused and smiled while the tension rose.
“With great pleasure I can announce that we located the legacy of the Ancient Dragon Sect.”
This announcement was like a thunderclap. Instantly all chatter died down and everyone watched Patriarch Shi with big eyes.
“Indeed, when we excavated a mine in our mountain we found a hidden cave that contained the remnants of a member of that ancient Sect. And with him he carried a record of the Sect.”
Patriarch Shi smiled lightly.
“You probably wonder why I would share this information with you. The record details where we can find the legacy of the Ancient Dragon Sect. However, to obtain it we will have to join hands.”
In face of this news even Patriarch Ding almost rose from his seat. His mind spun with all kinds of thoughts but foremost with excitement. His eyes were fixed on Patriarch Shi that slowly raised a wooden box.
“The skeleton also carried an artefact of the Ancient Dragon Sect.” he shouted, “See with your own eyes!” Then he abruptly opened the box.
In the next moment a red hell broke loose. The wooden box contained an Exotic Heartdevil Flower. The Nascent Soul Cultivators were immediately frozen on the spot when they looked at it. Without consuming specific pills only Spirit Severing Cultivators could withstand the bewitchment of the flower.
Matriarch Lin and Patriarch Ding immediately recognized the danger, but still it took them a small fraction of a second to react. The announcement had made them excited and a bit muddleheaded.
In that fraction of a second the whole wedding banquet exploded. Evidently the Fire Dragon Sect had hidden uncountable explosive magical items in the area that were all detonated at the same time. The place of the wedding, a tranquil mountain peak, was blasted in oblivion.
All elders from the visiting Sects and those Cultivators below the Nascent Soul Stage perished in that explosion. Only the elders of the Fire Dragon Sect were prepared and survived the explosion.
Even the newlywed couple and all other Fire Dragon Sect Cultivators with low Cultivation died, while Patriarch Shi just stared emotionlessly.
Before the dust from explosion could settle a cry of rage spread out.
“You traitor!” shouted Patriarch Ding. His eyes were bloodshot from anger and sadness. The sneak attack was perfectly executed and even he had to withstand part of the explosion with his fleshly body before he could employ a defensive technique.
There was no time for him to think as he was immediately attacked by the three Spirit Severing Cultivators from the Fire Dragon Sect. Patriarch Ding had already achieved his second Severing while two of his enemies were only at the first Severing. Still he knew that it would be hard if he wanted to escape today.
If he cooperated with Matriarch Lin maybe one of them could escape. When he looked for her, his heart fell into despair.
Matriarch Lin could only let out an anguished cry before she completely disintegrated in body and soul. Behind her was an indistinct, black figure that just chuckled lightly before it vanished again.
Patriarch Ding understood immediately. The Fire Dragon Sect had probably paid a huge price to get the help from some major power which is why they were confident to win the war against the two other Sects.
In his heart he knew that this would probably be his last day. And maybe also the end for his Sect.
“Why?” he asked solemnly when facing Patriarch Shi, “Was there no other way?”
Patriarch Shi just laughed bitterly. “You forced my hand. When your son married that lass from the Water Dragon Sect, I knew that it would be only a matter of time until you reached out to my Fire Dragon Sect. So I decided to strike first and ensure our survival.” he said with a grave face and a hint of insanity.
No more words were spoken and the four Spirit Severing Cultivators engaged in bitter fight. Although Patriarch Ding was at a clear disadvantage he fought with his life on the line.
When he saw that he still could not escape, he just laughed maniacally and raised his arms. His aura shot to the heaven and a massive cloud gathered above the Fire Dragon Sect. Although his complexion paled and he took on continuous attacks while doing so, it was clear that he did not intend to stop. The cloud became several hundreds of kilometres wide and darker than night. Only snakes of purple lightning could be seen that condensed at the centre of the cloud. It was clear that the coming attack could destroy the whole mountain.
“You old fool!” Patriarch Shi shouted and started to conjure a protective shield to save his Sect. When the other Spirit Severing Cultivators managed to break the shield around Patriarch Ding he only smiled. His figure had already withered and he had exhausted his longevity.
“Reap the Karma you sowed.” he said with a satisfied chuckle. Then the attacks reached his body and he perished in the crossfire. But the black cloud did not disappear, instead it continued to condense.
“Help me shield the Sect!” Patriarch Shi shouted urgently. This was the single attack for which the Cloud Dragon Patriarch put down his life, it could not be underestimated.
Only seconds later a massive roar rung out and a purple-coloured dragon shot down from the cloud towards the Fire Dragon Sect. It collided with the shield that the Spirit Severing Cultivators put up and a massive droning could be heard. But the shield held.
The lightning dragon pushed against the shield again and again, seemingly without loosing any of its power. The Cultivators holding up the shield began to spit out mouthfuls of blood.
Then without any warning the lightning dispersed and covered the entire Sect mountain. “This is bad! The attack has a will!” Patriarch Shi shouted.
But before he could react the lightning condensed again. It had probed the whole shield and found the weakest spot. Its target were not the Spirit Severing Cultivators protecting the Sect but rather the Sect mountain itself. This was the task its creator had left to the dragon. It would fulfil it without fail.
The dragon bit at the shield and pried open a small hole with its claws. Before the Spirit Severing Cultivators could close the hole again, the lightning slipped through and rained down on the mountain.
“No!” Patriarch Shi shouted. In that moment the lightning struck the mountain at the side and vanished in the earth. It spread out through the whole mountain and ate away the defensive spell formations like a swarm of hungry termites. Then it shot out from the earth to strike each and every Cultivator in the Sect. Their collective cry of pain reached the heavens before it abruptly stopped.
Only a charred smell remained.
Patriarch Shi wept bloody tears. He knew that his Sect was finished. Even if they won the war, it would never reach the same heights again. But it was too late for regrets. What had been started must be finished.
“For revenge!” he shouted and together with the remaining elders he set off in the direction of the Water Dragon Sect.
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In the moment of the explosion everybody in the region knew that a great calamity would befall them. Everybody in the Sects saw that a part of the mountain of the Fire Dragon Sect was blasted away. Although the distance was great the booming sound could still be heard on the other mountains.
And those who knew that the Fire Dragon Sect had invited the elders over for an important announcement also realized what this explosion signified. It meant war.
Both the Water Dragon Sect and the Cloud Dragon Sect immediately mobilized their Dao Reserve. The defensive spell formations were fully activated and the Sects were locked down.
But a few moments later a black silhouette appeared at the Water Dragon Sect and exterminated all their Spirit Severing Cultivators with a simple wave of the hand. It plunged the remaining elders in deep despair. Although that overwhelmingly strong Cultivator vanished directly after, they knew that their end had come.
The two remaining Spirit Severing Cultivators of the Cloud Dragon Sect immediately set out to help their Patriarch. But when they neared the Fire Dragon Sect they received a message from the Patriarch.
“It is too late. Leave here and guard the Sect, I will make the Fire Dragon Sect pay for their betrayal.”
When they saw the dark clouds gathering they knew that their Patriarch would not come back. He had initiated the Undying Exterminating Dragon technique, which had to be fuelled with the life and the dying wish of the Cultivator. As the purple dragon broke down the Sect mountain they felt a tinge of satisfaction but it was quickly consumed by despair.
The Water Dragon Sect had sent a transmission that their Spirit Severing Cultivators had been slain by a third power and they would not be able to fight back for long or even sent help the Cloud Dragon Sect.
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Patriarch Shi stared at the Water Dragon Sect with pure hatred. Below him were the remaining Cultivators of his Sect. They were the Sect's main fighting force that had hidden here since days to wait for the attack on the Water Dragon Sect. It pained him to think of how many more had to die today.
But in the end it was inconsequential. The Water Dragon Sect had to vanish from the face of planet South Heaven today.
With a shout he gave the command to attack. The Cultivators of his Sect needed no motivational speech, their bloodlust already rose to the heavens. When they had seen the lightning strike their Sect's mountain all of them knew that their relatives and friends had died.
What followed was no fighting but rather slaughter. The three Spirit Severing Cultivators of the Fire Dragon Sect just ran down any defensive spell formation on the mountain and slaughtered the Nascent Soul elders like chickens. The remaining Nascent Soul Cultivators of the Fire Dragon Sect then flew over the mountain and brought death to any Core Formation disciples. All the way down to the early Qi Condensation disciples everyone in the Water Dragon Sect was slain by those at least one cultivation level above him. The Sect mountain was washed in blood.
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On Cloud Dragon Mountain Tao Yu and Ding Jie held their hands and trembled in fear. When Ding Jie saw the explosion he already feared for the worst. But when he saw the black cloud that followed he knew that his father had died. And Tao Yu knew that her master had most likely also perished.
In death Patriarch Ding took with him countless of Fire Dragon Sect disciples and toppled Fire Dragon Mountain, but this brought no satisfaction to them. Their hearts bled. Not only because of their loss but because they felt in their hearts that it was their love that had invited this calamity.
Tao Yu pulled her daughter closer and took her in his arms. Ding Yi was now eight years old and had grown into a cute little girl with pigtails. But the lovely face was filled with fear. She did not know what was going on but she felt that her parents were scared of something.
“When worst comes to worst, I will bring Ding Yi to Misty Peak.” Ding Jie finally said.
His wife was first startled but then she slowly understood what he meant.
“No, dear! You cannot mean...” Tao Yu began.
“I will do it only when there is no other hope. But I will do it. Our destiny cannot not be severed here, even if we die, she has to live on.” he interrupted with a grim face.
Ding Yi started to cry, completely frightened by what her parents talked about. Tao Yu also had tears in her eyes and hugged her husband while she shivered.
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The whole Cloud Dragon Sect prepared for the coming fight. They retreated behind the most sturdy spell formations at the top of the mountain to make their final stand.
The situation looked bleak. The Fire Dragon Tribe had three Spirit Severing Cultivators while the Cloud Dragon Sect had only two left. And one of them was their Dao Reserve that could only fight for a limited time until his longevity ended.
When the Fire Dragon Sect finished the massacre at the Water Dragon Sect they immediately set off to Cloud Dragon Mountain and encircled it. Then they waited for one whole day. First to give themselves time to recuperate and also to give pressure to the defenders. The upcoming fight would be different than the one at the Water Dragon Mountain. The spell formations here would be controlled by Spirit Severing Cultivators, which could make them into a death trap for anyone below that stage.
When the morning sun rose over the sea the attack began. Thousands of Cultivators charged at the mountain peak simultaneously. Three Spirit Severing Cultivators lashed out like gods of war to destroy or at least halt the defensive spell formations.
Heroes were born and killed on that day. The Cloud Dragon Sect Cultivators fought valiantly, many of them like berserker far surpassing their own limits.
Ding Jie and Tao Yu exploded forth with all their power and their combined fighting prowess reached the heavens. Their coordination and understanding was forged through years of sparring and no one on the battlefield could compare to them in that aspect. When they plunged into a group of Fire Dragon Cultivators it was like two hungry Flying Rain-Dragons praying on a bunch of Flood Dragons. Even when they had to face off against two early Nascent Soul Cultivators with their middle Core Formation strength, they managed to slay one of them while escaping with their lives.
The war raged on for a whole day until one of the defending Spirit Severing Cultivators spat out his last mouthful of blood. Before he died he shot from the defensive formation and managed to take one of the attacking Spirit Severing Cultivators with him.
But the remaining Spirit Severing Cultivator on the mountain could not hold out for long. After another four hours of fighting the defensive spell formation finally broke down and he had to personally go out to shield the mountain.
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“We have to go! Now!” Ding Jie shouted immediately when he noticed that the formation was breaking down. Without hesitation he grabbed his wife and flew to Misty Peak. It was a desolate peak of the mountain top that contained nothing except a few caves. It was covered in clouds most of the time, which is why it gained its name.
There in one of the caves stood Ding Yi. Her parents hid her here before the fighting started and told her to stay put. She was scared witless by the explosions and cries that reached her through the clouds. She silently sobbed while pressing her most loved toy to her chest. It was a small wooden boat that she took everywhere with her.
When her parents appeared at the entrance of the cave, she gave a joyous cry. But then she saw their expressions and their injuries and was only frightened even more.
“Ding Yi, you have to be brave now.” her father told her and led her to the back of the cave. There he pressed on a certain stone and flashed several incantations. A rumbling sound filled the cave as a hole opened in the wall.
Tao Yu thought back to the day when Patriarch Ding had told his son about this secret cache. He told them that a long time ago an expert gave the Cloud Dragon Sect something for savekeeping. The reason for this was shrouded in mystery.
Still Patriarch Ding showed his son the secret incantation to open the cache and even told him what he knew about the artefact. It was an ancient pill that was named the Transmigration Pill!
But except for its name, nothing was known about this pill. Generations of elders had studied it without figuring out its exact use. Apparently it followed a strange and unknown Dao of Alchemy that could not be seen through by modern alchemists.
But Patriarch Ding had his own theory about this pill which he hypothesised after studying numerous ancient records. He speculated that this pill would allow a human to transmigrate to a different planet under the Nine Mountains!
It acted like a teleportation talisman that could cover the vast reaches of space between planets. If that was true it would certainly be a heaven-defying pill but on the other hand no one had tried it yet.
This was also the reason why Tao Yu was against using the pill. But Ding Jie was dead set on using this last chance to let their daughter escape alive. He strongly believed that the pill was stored here by that expert for a reason. And now as the end of the Cloud Dragon Sect had arrived, that reason should also have come. In the end Tao Yu reassured herself and hoped that at worst her daughter might get a painless death.
Above Cloud Dragon mountain Nineteen sat cross-legged and watched the fight with apparent amusement. When Ding Jie opened the hidden cache Nineteen frowned. He looked intently at the Misty Peak and then beamed with a smile.
“Finally!” he shouted and disappeared.
He appeared again in front of Tao Yu.
“Hurry!”, she shouted when she felt the dreadful aura of the figure in front of her. Then she still tried to attack but was already caught by her throat and pulled into the cave.
“Be strong!” Ding Jie could only tell his daughter before he hurriedly pushed the Transmigration Pill in her mouth. Then he turned around and faced the intruder.
Nineteen was dumbfounded.
“You used the pill? You fed it to her?” he asked with an incredulous voice. Then he laughed and threw Tao Yu at the floor.
“That is so hilarious! You are two fine parents. Killing your own daughter, even I could not be so heartless.” he laughed even more, “Look at what you did!”
Indeed when Ding Jie and Tao Yu looked at her daughter her little eyes were lifeless and she slumped down. The small toy boat left her hands and fell on the ground.
Tao Yu let out a pained cry and hugged the small body.
“What did you expect? You probably didn't even know what the pill does! It is a pill for Demons, not for Cultivators! It deviates from the true path of heavens.” Nineteen teased.
Ding Jie did not turn around. Tears fell from his face.
“You would have killed her anyways. Like you will kill us. Like you killed the Spirit Severing Cultivators at the Water Dragon Sect. All the blood that flowed today is on your hands.” he said with trembling voice. He had immediately connected the clues and guessed the identity of the man.
“What happened today is not my fault. It would have happened sooner or later, I merely sped things up a little bit. My hands are clean.” Nineteen chuckled.
“Just stop talking and kill us if you must. But be aware that what Karma you sow you will reap.” Ding Jie snapped. Then he hugged his wife one last time. Both stared in deaths face together like they had faced the opposition of their Sects together years before.
Nineteen just snorted and with a flick of his hand their lives ended.
“Boy, what do you know about Karma.” he said and left the cave.
When he travelled through the clouds at Misty Peak he seemed to perceive something. He stopped for a short time and looked at the bellowing mist around him. But when nothing happened for a while, he just flew on towards the main peak of Cloud Dragon Mountain.
He could not sense the intense Demonic Qi that condensed in the cave. And he had already left when Ding Yi's body slowly dissolved into mist and joined the clouds on Misty Peak.
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Meanwhile the battle had concluded. In a short but intense fight the final resistance of the Cloud Dragon Sect was broken. Patriarch Shi was now the only surviving Spirit Severing Cultivator of the Fire Dragon Sect. The remaining elders and disciples were pitifully few - but the Fire Dragon Sect had won.
The rest of the Cloud Dragon Sect's disciples were now slaughtered without abandon. Patriarch Shi watched the massacre with a grim face. Inside he felt empty.
In that moment Nineteen appeared next to him.
“Senior, I offer my thanks for your assistance.” Patriarch Shi said with a bow.
Nineteen just waved his hands. “Yes, yes, small things. But you promised me a certain pill. Where is it?”
Patriarch Shi was startled. “But I thought senior already obtained it. It must be in this Sect.” he stammered.
“Must be, should be. Who cares? I was promised a pill and I do not have it. Breaking your promise towards me, means death.” Nineteen went on.
Patriarch Shi went ghastly pale. “But, Senior, I heard it is hidden on Misty Peak. It must be there.”
Nineteen just laughed. “But it is not there. By betraying this senior you and your Sect are finished.” he said and smiled evilly.
Patriarch Shi's face fell. He now understood. This was just a petty pretence for eradicating him and his Sect. Maybe it was on a whim or it was for knowing about the Transmigration Pill. In any case this was the moment of his death.
A storm of regrets went through his mind, beginning from Rookie Competition when Tao Yu and Ding Jie first met until today when he personally washed all three Sect mountains with blood. He cursed his own fate and then just saw a black hand before his life was extinguished.
With another wave of his hand Nineteen killed the few remaining Cultivators on Fire Dragon Mountain. Then he looked quite satisfied.
“No loose ends here, I think. Time to leave.” he mumbled before he vanished from the mountain. He did not notice the indistinct thread of Karma that connected him to the cloud on Misty Peak. It was very faint but seemed to grow stronger with every passing minute.
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Years passed. From time to time Cultivators appeared on Cloud Dragon Mountain. At first they just plundered whatever treasures were left. Then after several decades a small Sect actually set up their base there. Later they were attacked by another Sect which took over the mountain. And similarly it went on until several thousand years had passed.
But one thing remained constant. Misty Peak remained untouched and was covered by an everlasting cloud.
At first Cultivators who entered it just had a very bad feeling and as it contained nothing obvious they quickly left. But over time it became a forbidden zone where even Nascent Soul Cultivators could loose their lives in. The stories spoke of mists that could attack and consume people. It became generally accepted that this mountain still had one of the spell formations of the ancient Cloud Dragon Sect.
Inside the cloud itself unbeknownst to anyone slowly a consciousness formed. It became stronger and stronger until it was fully sentient.
“Who am I?” this newborn mind asked, “Why am I here?”
None of these questions could be answered. So it just sat there and pondered.
There was nothing at Misty Peak except for two skeletons in one of the caves. Whenever the consciousness looked at the skeletons it felt a wave of emotions in his heart.
But where did these feelings come from? It did not know.
It considered leaving but again there were feelings that stopped it from doing that.
So the cloud just sat there and protected the cave. It protected the skeletons from further decay and any Cultivator that was stupid enough to tread near the cave was immediately consumed by the endless mist.
The years continued in this fashion.
On one day a lone man tread along the cliff of the endless sea. His back was bent although no weight was visible. Step by step he walked slowly but without stopping. When he was below Cloud Dragon Mountain, he looked up. In this moment an illusory slip of jade appeared in front of him. It seemed to tell him something as his face showed deep concentration. Then he sighed and with a further step vanished from the cliff.
He appeared again up on Misty Peak. The mists bellowed in front of him as to tell him to leave. Without hesitation he stepped into the everlasting cloud while flashing an incantation. Although the mist churned heavily it could not touch him. With sure steps he walked towards one of the caves. The strands of Demonic Qi around him turned even more violent but could not harm him.
At this moment a ghastly voice sounded all around him.
“Leave, human!”
The man did not care and walked to the end of the cave. Carefully he picked up the two skeletons and carried them out of the cave. There he created a big grave and placed the skeletons in it. They had hugged in death and this is how they were buried. Then the man filled the grave and placed a tombstone above it. He clasped his hands and bowed to the grave.
After a while of silence he spoke up.
“Little One, this is all the help I can give you. I cannot bring you back from the path you tread. You have to tread it to its end, once started. But I can tell you that you have to leave here now. You have stayed far too long, if you dawdle even more your path will end before it even started.”
The mist around him stopped churning and showed uncertainty. It did not understand the actions of the man but it knew that whatever he did, it had appeased something deep in its heart. For that it was grateful. It knew that it could leave now if it chose to.
“Go now! Fly away, see the world and follow your Dao!” the man urged again.
Finally, the everlasting cloud moved. For the first time in countless years it moved away from Misty Peak and sun shone down on the grave.
“But remember, Little One, there is now Karma between you and the League of Demon Sealers.” the old man said softly when the cloud flew away. It trembled when it heard the words and although it did not understand them, it kept them in its heart.
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The sentient cloud flew all over Planet South Heaven. It saw all kinds of things, it passed the Great Tower of Tang, it passed the Milky Way Sea, the Western Desert and even the Black Lands. It grew bigger and bigger and its mind sharper.
It realized much about its own future and even guessed some of her past.
At some point she arrived at the outer border of the Southern Domain and felt that it was time for the next step. The cloud condensed and rained down heavily onto what would later become the State of Zhao. The rain lasted for one whole month and it was a downpour never seen before. The strangest thing was that it was concentrated on one single valley only. When the rain finally ended, the valley was filled to the brim with water and a lake was born.
The mortals in the area were in awe. They had never seen something like this before. As it occurred on the third month of the Yiding year of the Gu calendar, the people called the phenomena Guyiding Tri-Rain. The cloud which was now a lake liked the sound of the name. Something in 'Yiding' seemed familiar. It kept it as its own name even when the mortals long since called her North Sea.
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Hundreds of years later a little girl with pigtails and an old man sat in a boat on the North Sea.
In this moment countless kilometres away in the Crow Divinity Tribes’ Holy Land Meng Hao stabbed his four Immortal Slayer Swords into Ji Nineteen's withering body. The old man cried in agony and a tremor went through a certain karmic thread attached to him. This tremor shook the thread, all the way to its end in the boat on the lake on the back of a giant turtle in the Milky Way Sea.
“You seem very happy.” the Boat Spirit commented when he saw Guyiding Tri-Rain's face lighten up, “Any specific reason?”
“I don't know.”, she answered with a smile, “It just feels like something good happened.”
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I would like to use this opportunity to thank everyone who made this contest possible (Deathblade and the people from RR)!
It has been a really long time since I wrote something and this contest made me try it again. And I realized: I had forgotten how much fun it can be!
So thanks!
And if you feel that some parts of the story are vague or there are loose ends: the first draft was around 5000 words longer. I decided against splitting it not because of this contest but rather because I know I tend to be long-winded when I write. It was good practice to fit the story in the word limit (I think).