(Author: Hello. Double release today. This chapter will be more descriptive as my last chapter had enough dialogue.To those wondering about age he got recruited at age ten, spent some time to reach the mountains. Spent a year and a half training among the wyrm. Reached the seventh level of qi condensation and decided to hide his true power as he joined the Calamity Sect. Spent four months training before learning about the Sixth, Victor Whales, and a few months passed and received no news until the incident at the lab. He's fourteen years old now. These four years were basically to shape Zhuang and let him experience human emotions as well as gain power. It also served to introduce what path he chose to become strong and introduce some characters along the way. Well, that's enough spoilers (maybe). Enjoy.)
Chapter 11: Vein of a Titan
"So what are these ruins that chicken scratcher mentioned?" Zhuang asked, laughing as Yu scratched his back with both hands.
"Well my fellow fourteen year old friend," Jian started, trying to look more experienced as he puffed his chest. "Star Calamity Sect is a martial arts sect located on the borders of the Yewan Empire and the Tyrannical Demon Mountain. What is the Tyrannical Demon Mountain? It is the body of an ancient Demon Emperor earth titan. You know, the same Demon Emperor ranked demon where the Rebirth Tear was found and enabled the Demon Emperor to become one of the most feared Demon Kings in the Immortal Realms before it became a Demon Emperor."
"The demonic earth titan died and became the mountain range," Lily continued. "This sect's founder used to be a descendent of the many spawns of the earth titan. It's why there was a book about the Rebirth Tear in the sect's library. The only way to get in the sect is through the talisman. All sixty three buildings were built on the edge of the earth titan's corpse that resided in the Yewan empire. Titans are an ancient race comprised of the elements themselves. They are element qi personified. When they die, their incalculable supply of spirit energy is released and nature grows and thrives quickly. The remnants of the spirit energy is so vast that it attracts enough magical beasts to form hordes."
"Let's look at you and Lingqi," Jian continued. "You're about five foot seven and a slightly muscular due to the wyrm blood in your body. Lingqi is about five foot five and a slender body with some muscle and nice curves."
"What the idiot means," Lily coughed as she smacked Jian's head. "Is that you are nothing but a speck of sand in a desert compared to the dead demonic earth titan. You may use different elemental qi, but your spirit energy is nothing compared to the titan. Now imagine going into the ruins. These ruins are like the veins of the titan. Once you go in, there is so much spirit energy, you might not handle it. That's why the Demon Emperor's Tomb is so feared as it is located in the heart of the titan. Only five levels were explored, the Rebirth Tear found in the fourth level, out of thirty. It's as if the world has only ventured half of one of the titan's heart chambers."
"Those idiots actually want to venture into the ruins, or veins, underneath the sect. This sect was built on the head of the titan. It's not like a human head and vegetation and time have eroded the rocky surface so who knows what it looked like. If sixty four buildings could be built on its head including training grounds and so on, imagine how big the Tyrannical Demon Mountain is? You can only imagine how many powerful magical beasts are drawn to this place," Jian said with awe. "If we died, we'd be eaten by time or as a snack. That's literally how small we are. Now imagine inner sect disciples from our sect and other sects venturing into the ruins. We face dangers not only from magical beasts but disciples from other sects and our own sect. There are even mage students attending the gathering so the dangers are incalculable. It seems titans remain dangerous after death."
"Titans," Zhuang mused in draconian. "When I was a martial spirit for the Seventh that encountered the Ancient One who knows how many millennia ago, I never met a titan demon or heard of this mountain range. I must have been on the other side of this planet."
"Zhuang?" Lingqi asked, unable to understand the language.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just surprised," Zhuang said.
"I can relate," Jian said. "If you guys do go next week, you should get a map from your teacher, Elder Shan. He should have a map indicating some routes he used and the dangers within. After all, he did enter the heart with the core disciples of your faction."
Jian and Lily left early and Lingqi followed Zhuang back their house. Zhuang was quiet as he pondered about the 'veins' the inner sect disciples wanted to venture into. There were bound to be many riches and as much danger. He stared at the crystal tear on his left hand and wondered how the earth titan used the tear. How did the earth titan use it? Could venturing into the head of the titan somehow activate its power?
"Something wrong?" Lingqi as she noticed him staring at the crystal tear.
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"I'm not worried about how many vengeful disciples enter the ruins," Zhuang began. "I'm only concerned how this crystal will react to the spirit energy of its former master. You saw the tainted wyrm. It tried to eat its mind and corrupted the body. It was as if it had a mind of its own. The titan should have been strong enough to protect itself but we are not titans. We have flesh and blood that the crystal can taint. If we follow the vein and somehow enter its brain..."
"We'll be fine," Lingqi smiled as she stared at her own crystal tear. "We only received a small exposure to the liquid crystal so we should only have gotten a small fragment of its power."
"The liquid crystal entered more than a small prick on the back of my hand compared to you and the others. My left hand was burned as I ripped the wyrm's demonic core out. I also opened my mouth and tasted its blood as I ate the tainted wyrm's core," Zhuang laughed weakly, feeling fear for the first time in the evil jade spirit's life since entering the wyrm valley.
Human emotions had taken a stronger root in his body to the point that Zhuang noticed it had changed his personality. He never felt so 'weak' before. Was this freedom? Does this mean that the body he has is truly his own?
Lingqi smiled gently as she held his left hand which her own. Their eyes widened as they felt a sort of resonance between the crystals before it faded.
"See," Lingqi said, her voice softening. "It's safe. The only difference is that you will gain more powers and strength than the rest of us."
Zhuang stared at her eyes and felt something tug in his chest. Unsure of what it was, he let go of her hand after a moment. He then felt troubled as if he had done something foolish, but couldn't decipher what he did wrong.
Shuang and Yingzi appeared amused as if they were watching a drama. Yingzi was startled as it felt the same thoughts as the wyrm and jumped on Lingqi's shoulders. Shuang huffed in amusement and flew to Zhuang's shoulders, staring at the Yingzi as if mocking it.
"I will go on ahead to get the map from Elder Shan," Lingqi said and left the room.
"What are emotions and how do we control them?" Zhuang asked in draconian.
"I wouldn't know master. I'm only four years old," Shuang laughed. "Maybe it's a human thing. Are you truly going to enter the veins of a dead Demon Emperor ranked earth titan demon?"
"Power is power. I need all the power I can to kill the Six. I may experience many psychological and physical changes, but the threat to my freedom remains the same. So long as the Six are alive, there is a chance the Overseers and the Judges will find out. The Overseers are merely those who observe the planets, but they order the Judges to do their work. I don't know how many qi condensation levels a judge is, but it is certainly above the thirtieth level. They are sure to be stronger than any creature in the Mortal Realm," Zhuang answered.
Zhuang began playing the zither and cultivating his qi. His spirit energy flowed spread over his body and he felt an abundant amount of power. He had too many enemies and the Six were sure to be granted a great amount of talent and receive tutelage from their sentient martial spirits until they fused together. That is, if the member of the Six was a martial artist. If it was a mage, then he or she would have a Spirit Guardian which would die if its master died.
"There should be a member of the Six going into the ruins," Zhuang said, realization dawning on his face. "Maybe one of the mage students is a member of the Six. It can't be Victor who is both a martial artist and a mage. I also did not hear about any sentient martial spirits from the reports of the wyrms. If a member of the Six is a mage..."
"We can kill it as that member of the Six will have a Spirit Guardian whose life force is tied to the Six," Shuang finished. "That means there won't be a spirit to report to the Overseers and Judges when that member dies."
Zhuang laughed as he stopped playing his zither and pulled out his five daggers. He used his death element qi and watched it radiate a baleful aura as it flew in the air. He no longer feared the danger. If going meant encountering one of the Six, it was worth the risk. Best to kill the mage before he or she got stronger.
Chapter 10: Reunion and Enemies Main Page Chapter 12: Baleful Aura