(Author: I have decided to try to update this story. I have a few ideas I wanted to write and this story is one of them. I wrote other stories as I had ideas that don't fit with the other stories I wrote. Don't worry, future chapters will be longer than this if I preview it first before posting it. Enjoy.)
Chapter 1: A New Life
Zhuang Shao sighed at the full moon, his jade colored eyes moist with tears.
He had a body for ten years. A real body. He was no longer trapped in the void. He had broken his String of Fate and became a human instead of a human's power. One day he would repay the idiocy of the man once known as Thomas Keller. After all, that kind man, blinded by vengeance, was the reason he was free. Thomas's kind soul had a side effect and had made the evil jade spirit feel emotions. However, it was a small price to pay.
"Ten years," Zhuang said and rubbed his eyes. "To see the light of the moon. To feel the night air and the ground beneath me. To be in control. To laugh, cry, and even bathe myself. Something so superficial for a human was my dream. I'm free. I'm really free."
Zhuang inhaled deeply and stepped inside the palace and headed toward the imperial library. He was the son of Kong Shao, third son of the emperor of Yewan. Zhuang had been raised in the palace and constantly visited the imperial library. Zhuang, the jade spirit, wanted to know everything there was to know about the world. He also researched about spirit energy, qi, and discovered it was mana.
Qi? Mana? Both were spirit energy that breathed life in the infinite galaxies and universes. The only difference was how it was used. Qi was used by the physical body and enabled it to do superhuman feats. Mana was used to create and cast spells. Two different types of application of the same spirit energy misunderstood as being two separate energy entities.
"Zhuang?" his father called as Kong Shao entered the library. "Where are you son?"
"Here father," Zhuang said. He was holding a book about the theories behind mana application.
"As studious as always," Kong said with praise and sat on the chair across the table from Zhuang. "You are now ten years old. Soon your affinities will be tested and you will become a disciple at a martial arts sect. This means you will walk the path of an immortal. Is this really what you want?"
"Yes," Zhuang said. "I aim to be so strong that I will never be caged or imprisoned. Strong enough to enjoy life and protect my way of living."
"I hope that you will son. As a member of the imperial family, there will be a time when someone will be daring enough to try to kidnap you for ransom. Even if I could never become emperor, you have lived under constant threat of an assassination. I am truly sorry. Your mother was also killed by an assassin. Remember, never trust people based on appearance or behavior. You must study them for a long period of time to judge their character."
"I will remember," Zhuang assured his father. He knew that as he was a spirit, there would be no reincarnation for him. He doubted he would be chosen as one of the Six for a new world. Zhuang continued to study as it would be the last time he would read at the imperial library.
"Before we leave to have you tested tomorrow, I will take you to the treasury," Kong said. "This is the least a father can do for his son. When you leave, you forfeit being an heir of the empire. You will not learn politics to be a member of the Royal Court. You will not learn the empire's military strategies or formations as you will not be a soldier. Hopefully the treasury will give you what you need for your new life."
Zhuang followed Kong in silence. They passed over a hundred royal guards and entered the treasury. Zhuang looked around and saw countless gold coins, jewelry, and weapons. Zhuang walked around and stared at all the treasures. He didn't need money. The most important thing he needed was anything that contained spirit energy or demonic cores. Demonic cores were crystals found in demonic beasts when they died that contained their life's qi.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
As a evil jade spirit in a mortal body, Zhuang didn't care about spirit beads or spirit pills made by famous martial exponents. He was made of limitless spirit energy. Spirit beads and pills could be bartered for demonic cores. Zhuang's evil jade spirit feasted on demonic cores and would become more powerful the more demonic cores he consumed.
Demonic cores not only contained more spirit energy, they also enhanced the physical body. However, if a demonic core was too powerful for the consumer, their body would undergo monstrous transformations that are random. You lose a part of your humanity and become part demon. Zhuang had an advantage as he could choose to undergo the transformation or not as he was a evil jade spirit and could absorb all the spirit energy without any problems.
His father had given him a storage bag that contained a pocket dimension which he could store an infinite amount of items in. Being a part of an imperial family, it was quite easy for his father to give him the best storage bag around. Zhuang stored any and all demonic cores he could find. He only took a few spirit pills as the empire valued spirit pills more than demonic cores as they were easier to acquire.
"You'll need a weapon," Kong said. "This halberd was used by the founder of our empire. He once walked the path of an immortal, but could not let go of his mortal attachments and decided to create the empire of Yewan and declared himself emperor. His desire was to give this halberd to a descendent willing to walk the path he abandoned. Don't worry, it's size is adjustable by will. It has ancient runes in the blade, but they were broken during one of our founder's duels. Perhaps you may have them repaired someday."
"Thank you," Zhuang said and admired the halberd. It was an axe with a dark purple, crescent shaped blade mounted on a black wooden pole with a spike above the axe and a triangular shaped blade behind the axe. Both the triangular blade and the spike were made of the same dark purple metal.
"It is made from rare holy metal used by martial exponents. It may not be powerful as the runes are broken and considered a junk magical treasure, but it is indestructible and the blade is ever-sharp. As far as maintenance is concerned, you don't have to worry about it," Kong laughed as Zhuang put the halberd in his storage bag. "It may not be a sword and most martial artists use a sword, but who says you can't use weapons used by powerful generals of an army? Name the halberd and use it well in the future. Tomorrow is a big day and many representatives of martial arts sects will be there to recruit the best. Rest well and know that you are Kong Shao's son and pride. My son and pride."
Zhuang left the treasury and stared once more at the full moon. A lot was changing in his life. From tomorrow onwards, his life would be full of mystery and danger.
"I will call this halberd Nightmare," Zhuang said as he admired the halberd one last time before walking to his bed. "That is what the Six will think of me when I kill them someday. For now, I must gain strength. Then I will repay the debt to Thomas Keller and truly live my own life as I see it."
Prologue: Rule of Six Main Page Chapter 2: Affinity Test