Chapter 2: The Third Child

Twelve years had passed since the triplets were born and the Guo Clan couldn't be happier. They were a relatively average clan with a slight edge in growing magical herbs. As suppliers to the Alchemist Association, their connections were the reason no one bothered them, not the might of the clan. For years, the clan had garnered practitioner weapons, armors, and treasures. However, none of the descendants in the last eight centuries were born with exceptional talent.

However, these triplets caused the clan to have much joy. It was common knowledge that eating a lot of magical beast meat meant the body could handle vast amounts of spiritual energy. The three triplets were only satisfied when they drank the milk of magical beasts, much to their mother's dismay. When they could eat solid foods, their diet consisted mostly of small bits of magical beast meat mixed with their meals, the amount growing with every year.

The only problem they had was that two of the triplets behaved abnormally. The only child that behaved normally was the middle triplet: Guo Lin. He was everything Guo Feng and the patriarch, Guo Jing, had hoped. He had long brown hair and eyes as green as jade. He was incredibly strong for his age, capable of lifting over a hundred pounds with one arm. He was also very interested in learning martial arts, often imitating what he saw his father and older cousins did. He was polite, kind, and smart. If raised properly, he would not become arrogant and truly bring glory and be one of the first to join a sect or academy.

If he was the pride of his parents, his sister was his jealous enemy. She prided herself in being the best, even learning how to walk, write, and talk before her two brothers. She was incredibly cute and was very fast. Even at the age of seven, she could run faster and longer than most ordinary adults. She constantly sparred with Guo Lin when he beat her in something she prided herself in. Sometimes, her mother would be biased to her but knew it was because she didn't want Guo Mei to feel bad. She didn't hate her brother, but she was jealous he had the spotlight.

Then there was the third child: Guo Yang. He was the most abnormal of the triplets. Even as a baby, he needed a brazier to keep warm. It was as if he were cold blooded, always needing a brazier with him or thick clothes. He had black hair but had sand colored eyes. As soon as he could walk, he would always stay under the sun, basking under its rays. At first, they thought he was sickly. However, they learned he just hated being cold. He would always protest whenever the maids only gave him light layered clothes and forgot to bring his brazier as they followed him around.

Also, he was incredibly smart. As soon as he could read, he would stay in the library and read books by his brazier. He was also very uncomfortable talking or being near others. His eyes would always narrow as if he suspected you of trying to take advantage of him. He would always throw rocks at birds, clear hate in his eyes. Whenever he hit one, he had a smile and clapped his hands with glee. Since the first three incidents, no member of the Guo Clan brought their avian magical beasts to the patriarch's home as Guo Yang was always there.

While the rest of the family was divided between Guo Mei and Guo Lin, only the patriarch was biased to Guo Yang. Guo Yang always visited his house and stayed with his snake magical beast. He was quite surprised the little boy was not afraid of it and even seemed to understand it. Guo Jing and his magical beast had not entered the cultivation realm where his magical beast could converse in the human language. It could be said that Guo Jing was Guo Yang's only relative as Guo Yang did not mind his presence.

Another reason the patriarch favored Guo Yang was his immunity to poisons, even helping out in taking care of the more poisonous herbs in exchange for more magical beast meat and milk. With his presence, the Guo Clan decided to grow more poisonous herbs and were amazed that Guo Yang seemed unaffected by the many toxins and poisons.

Guo Yang was also different because he had the neidan, a marble akin to an alchemical furnace, in his body. As he ate the magical beast meat and drank their milk, the spiritual energy would also refine within the neidan and enhance his body. While others did not see him practice any martial arts, the amount of spirit energy within his body was vastly superior to the older triplets. His neidan was the color of jade and had an image of a snake's skeleton within, so black it seemed to suck the light as a black hole devours the stars. Its presence was also the reason he was immune to poison.

"Guo Yang? Guo Yang?" Guo Feng called as his wife made breakfast and only saw his elder children sit at the table. "Guo Lin, where's your brother?"

"At grandpa's house. He left before dawn, again. He wore light clothes so he left with his personal brazier," Guo Lin answered as he stabbed a scrambled egg.

"Is he not my and Ji Ting's son? Why does he never eat breakfast with us?" Guo Feng sighed as he sat with his other children and wife. "I should be more strict with the boy. He has potential to be a great practitioner but has not learned any martial arts. Even the spirit awakening test is today and he scurries off to father's house. I should hire a magical beast tamer and have him teach Guo Yang how to tame snakes. He'll make big business being a merchant who sells them and their eggs."

"Calm down, dear. He will surely change upon the results of the spirit awakening test," Ji Ting soothed. "No doubt, father-in-law will bring him there. We must prepare and take Guo Mei and Guo Lin or risk being late."

"You two quickly eat your food and get dressed," their father grumbled as Guo Mei and Guo Lin wisely said nothing as they noticed his anger.

"Now remember, Yang'er, behave and don't try to hurt the avian magical beasts as we head to the ritual grounds of our God Lotus City," Guo Jing warned as they rode on his giant magical beast snake. It was well over fifty feet long and six feet thick. He stared as the boy nodded as he whispered to the snake, hearing his magical beast hiss in reply. "Did you hear me?"

"Yes, grandpa patriarch," Guo Yang said. "I'll only glare at them."

"I swear, why do you hate them so much?" he asked.

"They are evil, vicious creatures. They are dangerous," Guo Yang answered while Guo Jing sighed helplessly as civilians avoided the path of the giant snake. Seeing a massive black and orange patterned snake was quite scary for ordinary folk and the only person who had a snake magical beast was the patriarch of the Guo Clan. To anger them was to anger the Alchemist Association as the Guo Clan was their suppliers despite being weaker than most other clans.

"Hello patriarch." "Hello father," Guo Feng and the other members of the Guo Clan said as the duo arrived.

"Guo Yang, why did you not eat breakfast with us?" Guo Feng asked as a white robed little boy stood beside the patriarch with a brazier in his hands.

"I don't like crowds and you said you would come early," Guo Yang answered as he adjusted his robe.

"Aiyah, leave him alone. There are eyes watching," Ji Ting said and the Guo Clan gathered around as other clans and people arrived with their own children at twelve years of age. The spirit awakening ritual always took place three days before new year's eve, a tradition since the founding of the city. Many commoners and members of the Guo Clan envied the more powerful clans as they always had children that survived.

"Hello and welcome to the ritual grounds," a man in a crimson tuxedo smiled. "Many people of all colors and ethnicity live in our great Gold Lotus City. You have all brought your children today for a single purpose: to awaken the spiritual energy within their body! Some may live, many will die. Such is the risk one must make to become a practitioner."

"We're gonna die?" Guo Mei gasped, staring at her mother in shock while other children did the same.

"If your children are lucky, they may even have attribute affinities," the man said, ignoring the crying children.

"Maybe I'll discover that third spirit energy my neidan has been absorbing," Guo Yang thought.

"What did that man mean by death?" Guo Mei asked, trembling.

"No matter what method, the spiritual awakening awakens the power of your soul. If you had an attribute, something only the ancient and most powerful of clans had from birth, then it might be lost," Guo Feng said, shocking Guo Yang as he thought of his own neidan. He absorbed three types of elements and they might be lost? Ridiculous.

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"There are people like that?" Guo Lin asked, disappointed as he thought he was quite talented.

"Don't worry. I guarantee you will all survive," Guo Jing laughed. "You must all sit within a formation barrier and endure the spiritual pressure of the practitioners as they awaken your spiritual energy. If successful, a white, clear lotus will bloom, having different petals if you have elemental affinities. Go on now."

All fifty three children nervously sat in the center of a large square as their guardians and loved ones sat in the stands. Guo Mei and Guo Lin were nervous as Guo Yang refused to believe he will lose his element attributes. Five practitioners in white robes stood at the corners of the square, an octagon formation barrier lighting beneath the children. The practitioners  lifted their hands to the Heavens and a gold light cascaded on each child.

Guo Yang grit his teeth as he felt tremendous pressure on his body. He desperately circulated the spirit energy in his body as he felt the element of water leaving his body. It felt as if someone had tied his limbs to separate horses and had them attempt to dismember him by walking away. Soon, over two dozen children threw up blood and died, a few more even having their chests or head explode. Many sounds of weeping were heard around him as Guo Yang closed his eyes and tried to protect the spirit energies he had left.

"Good. Good," the man in the crimson tuxedo said as twenty minutes passed. If the Heavens are bestowing them element attributes, they should be awakening now."

"Please spare them. Please spare them," Lu Ting prayed as the Guo Clan watched the triplets sweat and suffer from the pain.

"The foreign energy is light! No wonder it felt so weird," Guo Yang gasped as he finally identified the unknown spirit energy. "Yes, the Heavens are giving me an element. This is the element I should have gotten without my neidan. Wait, this is the very element I just lost: water. Heh. I guess the Heavens can't deny me my past affinities."

The crowd made a few gasps and sighs of relief as white lotuses appeared above the children. There were a total of seven elements: fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, light, and darkness. Of the survivors, at least one of each had been shown with the relatives of those children all with smiles on their faces.

Guo Mei had affinities to lightning and darkness, many shocked to see someone with the rare element of lightning. Guo Lin had four, shocking everyone present. They were earth, fire, water, and wind! The four basic elements. Even the more powerful clans were envious and wondered what surprise the last triplet would give. At last, his white lotus displayed affinities for earth, water, and light! These triplets collectively had all seven elements! Such an event was unprecedented!

"HAHAHAHA! The Heavens have blessed the Guo Clan. HAHAHAHA!" Guo Jing's laugh shattering the stunned silence of the audience.

"Sand, cerulean, and gold spirit energies are flowing within my neidan," Guo Yang thought as the lotuses and formation barrier dissipated. His body was changing, adapting to the new attribute combination. For some reason, Guo Yang did not feel uncomfortable despite the fact that he did not have his brazier next to him. It was a strange feeling. He guessed it must have been due to the light spiritual energy he absorbed through his neidan.

"It seems the Guo Clan will rise in the years to come. This concludes the ritual. Those with affinities please come up and receive a complementary gift. I thank everyone for coming to witness the future generations of our Tang City," the man bowed and straightened his tie as the children walked to him.

"Bird," Guo Yang hissed as he saw a phoenix magical beast near the man, Guo Yang guessing him to be the city lord.

"Congratulations to the ten of you. As tokens of your future success, I will bestow each of you a weapon. Please come up and request an element attribute weapon you would like from Gold Lotus Armory, the armory that makes the very magical weapons and armor used by the city's guards," the man smiled.

"And what do you pick?" the man asked as Guo Yang was the last to choose.

"I want a spear with the element of light," Guo Yang answered.

"Hmm. Haven't been requested one in a while. I assumed everyone wanted a sword. Well, it's alright. Here you go. This spear is a Moon Lotus Spear. It is because it is made with rare immortal metal with affinity to light but emits rays similar to the moon. Legend says the founder of Tang City, my ancestor, found all sorts of immortal metals in a gold lotus and this gold metal was found at the base of the lotus. My ancestor called it Moon Metal as the light attribute, when wielded, was the color of the moon," the man said, handing him a spear with a black shaft and fire colored spear head. "Take care of the pointy end, kid. When you get older, you should collect materials to have your own unique spear forged just for you. As someone with more than one element attribute, you also get a free inter-spacial ring. Within it is a few metal bars used to make the Moon Lotus Spear. That will be the start of your collection. Good luck and congratulations to you and your three older siblings. However, I must say that none of you look alike."

"Okay....Thank you for the gifts," Guo Yang bowed and rejoined his clan.

"A spear? That's unexpected," Guo Jing said. "Why?"

"I'm used to more fluid styles of fighting. Spears better suit the elements of light and water. The best weapon for the earth element is one's own body," Guo Yang answered, remembering various snake magical beasts and humans he ate who had those affinities. As he had a neidan, his cultivation would have to be different than others and he would have to find a way to combine past human spear techniques and create his own style. Luckily, he was used to the earth and water attribute.

"When do we join an academy or sect?" Guo Lin asked, excited.

"You got three years. You will go to school and learn  basic practitioner arts and techniques. Tang Arts School for Practitioners is what it is called. You spent the first twelve years, minus the months you could not speak or walk, learning proper etiquette and ordinary folk martial arts. If you want to go to an academy or sect, prove yourself when you learn practitioner arts," Guo Jing answered. "For now, we celebrate!"

"Hooray!" the members of the Guo Clan cheered as all three triplets survived and had more than one element attribute. There was no greater cause to celebrate. The entire clan celebrated, congratulating the son of the patriarch for such fine children. It seemed their hopes were not displaced. Unused to such attention, Guo Yang sneaked out to gaze at the  two moons.

"Humans are a noisy bunch," a voice hissed, revealing the owner to be the giant snake magical beast. "Exalted One, why choose human rebirth instead of ascension?"

"I was afraid. Snake magical beasts are hunted as material by humans and considered a delicacy for those damn avian. I...would have been a much greater prize if I ascended to the Immortal Realm. Humans are a weak, but safer race," Guo Yang answered with a whisper. "Do you know? I no longer fear the cold, just as I did once. Before, I embraced the cold through my water affinity. Now, I fight it with light. The human body is quite...different than a snakes. It depends so much on spiritual energy to grow a tougher body while magical beasts are born with it already awakened."

"Would you now make the same choice as you did before?" the snake asked.

"I don't know. It is too soon to determine that," he replied. "I lost my snake physiology and cultivation in exchange for a human form and a new attribute. Magical beast meat has to be cooked before consumption. Humans don't kill, but help the weak. They have laws that bind them and protect them. It is....a new experience."

"Indeed it is. I have been living among humans for over forty years and it is still strange to me. They progress too fast, changing the very landscape to suit their needs," the snake said.

"Too many practitioners have tried to kill me to trust or love them. If not for my fear of the unknown the Immortal Realm brings, I would have already ascended a thousand years ago. Humans change, but their greed for power only intensifies as they advance their techniques and civilizations," Guo Yang sighed and slept under the moon for the first time without feeling discomfort or cold.