A temple inside the Hunlua Clan

The temperature inside the temple had reached an unimaginable heat, blurring the vision of anyone that dared to enter it. The interior was richly decorated with golden and red ornaments on the walls and the ground was covered with red jade tiles that formed different images: humans, dragons, phoenixes and other demonic beasts, strangely connected, as if they contained a secret.

A bright orange flame at the end of the inner hall lit up the whole space. This flame was the foundation of the Hunlua Clan and their clan’s biggest treasure: the Earthly Fortune Flame. It marked the beginning of the Hunlua Clan and was cultivated by their first ancestor, shining brightly ever since. As long as this flame burned, the Hunlua Clan was sure to prosper.

A person sat amidst this flame, eyes closed. The high temperature of the flame did not impact the figure at all. It was a burly man with a raging aura, not inferior to the fire he was sitting in. He was just like the flames: unrestrained and wild.

This man was the current Patriarch of the Hunlua Clan, Dyetz Hunlua. He was an expert at the Dantian Grade, the fourth major cultivation stage, and was said to be the strongest person in the entire Hunlua Clan.

Only because of this man was the Hunlua Clan able to achieve their current status in the world. His presence alone was enough to deter other forces from challenging the Hunlua Clan.

Suddenly, without warning, the giant flame at the end of the temple hall flared and expanded, turning chaotic, as if a storm was raging inside the temple. At some point, it was close to collapsing, nearly snuffed out.

In the exact same moment, Dyetz was roused from his meditation and opened his eyes. A pair of dark gray eyes was revealed. Once in a while, a tiny flame seemed to flicker in his eyes, granting Dyetz a certain ferocity.

After Dyetz opened his eyes, his whole countenance changed, from calm and concentrated to utter shock. He abruptly stood up and stared at the ceiling of the temple. His gaze pierced the walls and he looked into the distant sky, clearly searching for something that greatly irritated him.

After some time, he found what he was looking for: a devastating storm ravaging the Fallen Snow Mountain Range that blocked even his senses from peering further into this disaster.

„Such a strong natural phenomenon. What is going on there?!“ Dyetz muttered, large beads of sweating running down his face. Without him noticing, he was already quivering and clenched his fists until the nails were burrowing deeply into his own flesh.

Only the sound of his blood dripping to the ground could be heard. The picture, which was revealed in front of Dyetz was shocking to the extreme and he couldn’t help but shiver intensely. The storm clearly contained something forbidden, something that shouldn’t exist in this world.

Even in all his years cultivating the dao, he had never seen such a scene of utter destruction. Nobody in this world would be able to survive such a thing. And he only recognized the outermost aura of the storm, as his senses couldn’t peer any further.

Would Dyetz see what was happening inside, with the clashing wills of madness, righteousness and destruction, as well as the combination of the Heavenly Lightning, the Sinner Incinerating Flame, the Winds of Death and the Drops of Calamity, he would probably die from shock.

Those scenes all came straight of those legends about Immortals, Demons and Devils, they shouldn’t exist in this world.

Even if I had been only in the periphery, I would have died countless times over… Dyetz ruminated, still not over it. But why does it seem familiar? The more he lingered around the storm with his senses, the more he was sure that he knew what this phenomenon meant, but no matter how hard he thought about it, he just couldn’t remember. His senses though, were glued to the storm, completely stunned.

After some time, when he saw the clouds dissipate, he relaxed slightly, relieved that the dark omen was finally over, but after he saw what was revealed behind those clouds, he nearly collapsed once again, his face drained of any color.

He even forgot to breath for a moment: a huge chunk of the Fallen Snow Mountain Range was completely gone, nothing remaining of the forest and mountains or the demonic beasts that inhabited them. Only a gargantuan crater remained, a silent witness to the heaven-shaking battle that took place.

What… What the hell happened?! How could something like that occur? Who or what has so much power to completely eradicate such a huge area? Never, not even in his wildest dreams, would Dyetz have thought that a mortal without any spiritual energy whatsoever was responsible for this calamity.

What he did not see though, was the little person sleeping peacefully in the deepest part of the crater, the very reason for this destruction. Perhaps Dyetz did not see it because the shocking scene in front of him was too dreadful and clouded his perception, or perhaps his senses simply couldn’t perceive that person.

Only a long time later, did Dyetz begin to recover slightly and sit down again. The scenes of complete annihilation still constantly flashing before his eyes.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget what he witnessed. On some occasions, he contemplated whether he should go and investigate, but in the end he only sighed, as he couldn’t overcome his fear. I would only dig my own grave. The ones responsible are on a completely different level. I am not even fit to carry their shoes! It was bitter to admit, but Dyetz was sure he would die for sure if he stuck his nose in something that he shouldn’t, thus he refrained from going.

I should just mind my own business and hope that it does not mean calamity to my clan… He closed his eyes again and tried to meditate, but he was unable to return to calmness. Dyetz sat in the temple for a long time, gradually settling down from his shock. The flames on the other hand, never returned to their previous tranquility, violently swaying without rest.

Similar scenes happened all over the Fallen Snow Mountain Range. Every high-grade cultivator in the vicinity had this kind of reaction and inner fight. In the end, nobody dared to investigate further. The phenomenon was too much of a deterrence. Even countless hidden experts left seclusion because of this shocking event and were completely frightened by this dark sign.

They all came to the same conclusion: The world that had been peaceful for a long time, would no longer remain quiet.

---

The moment Yasha opened his eyes, he was greeted by a barren world, devoid of any life and bereft of colors. If not for his clothes that retained their color, he would have thought that he suddenly became colorblind.

But it was a still fact that left him completely shocked, as no matter where his eyes went, all he saw was gray. The vegetation, clouds, stones, hills and fields — everything was gray and desolate.

Just where am I? Confusion and fear spread through Yasha’s mind as he tried to process everything that had happened. He once again recounted the events from his encounter with the strange voice, to his near-death experience with the White Shadow Panther. But no matter how hard he thought about it, he could not recall how he ended up in this strange place, or what had happened after he lost consciousness.

He already pinched his face countless times to reassure himself that he was not dead, but he did not wake up or anything else, so he was clearly alive and awake.

Yasha sighed. In the end, the only thing that really matters is that, somehow, I survived. My next objective is to find out where I am and if this place is dangerous. This was the number one rule in his life: caution in the face of the unknown. If not for this rule, he would have ended up dead countless times before in the wilderness of the Fallen Snow Mountain Range.

After several failed attempts to stand up, he finally managed stand properly, after which he dragged his body to a nearby forest to find cover and rest a bit. After everything that happened recently, he already grew numb to all the pointless questions that constantly haunted his mind and his survival instinct kicked in, pushing him to ignore the pain and to assess the situation around him.

This was a skill he acquired through all his training in the Fallen Snow Mountain Range, so his first priority was to hide and rest.

It did not take long until Yasha found a well hidden cave and after confirming that no magical beasts or other dangers were nearby, he entered the cave and leaned against the cold stone walls, smiling bitterly.

On his way through the forest, he was certain that he was somewhere he never was before and he did not encounter any living being on his way here. In this place, it seemed like time stood still. Yasha heard nothing and felt no wind, everything was desolate and lifeless, a completely dead world.

While resting, Yasha stared on the ground and soon noticed a tiny puddle of water in front of him, looking directly at the reflection. Huh?! The familiar face he expected and knew all his life did not appear.

Instead, he saw an unfamiliar silhouette in the water. Am I seeing things again? He rubbed his eyes and stared at the reflection once more, only to see the same unfamiliar face from before.

The reflection stared at him with red eyes, glowing like bright torches, especially in this colorless world. In combination with the perfectly pure, snow-white hair, fair skin and slightly pointy ears, he looked like a completely different person.

Only now did Yasha realize not only his face had changed. His whole body and hair seemed to have changed. At first, he thought that his skin only looked that pale because of the world around him, but after he saw his face in the reflection, he realized that he had transformed completely. He then continued to stare at the reflection, unsure of what he should be doing next.

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This nightmare seems to never end… Exhaustion spread through every cell of his body and Yasha had to lean against the wall to not fall down, barely keeping himself from collapsing. Although he had already experienced much for his age, it did not mean that he could perfectly adapt to every situation. He was still the 16-year-old boy that just wanted to find his place in the world.

Taking a deep breath, he rubbed his temples and tried to calm his tense nerves, barely managing to not freak out. Yasha then cautiously took a deeper look around the cave, but after some time he returned empty-handed. At least, he now knew that the way he entered, was the only entrance to the cave and he did not find any other hidden dangers, making him relax a bit.

Yasha decided that the best thing he could do now was to rest. In his current state, it was pure suicide to explore this unknown place. Not bothering to find a comfortable position, he simply leaned against the cold stone walls of the cave and closed his eyes, immediately falling into a restless sleep.

An unknown time later, Yasha opened his eyes. Even though he did not sleep well, this short moment of peace allowed him to sort his chaotic thoughts, making feel better. He then immediately stood up and cautiously left the cave, making his way through the forest, constantly scanning his surroundings for anything dangerous.

Due to his cautious movement, quite some time passed until Yasha finally managed to find a way out of the dense forest. The moment he stepped out of it, he was surprised yet again. He found himself on an open field with a gargantuan mountain filling his field of vision.

What is this strange feeling? A peculiar feeling filled his body as he looked at the mountain. Part of the confusion and fear from before instantly vanished, while he eyed the majestic mountain in the distance. Aside of this feeling, there was a beckoning or a whisper around him, enticing him to come closer to the mountain.

This is so weird. Why does it feel like I found the place I had to find? I don’t even know where I am, so where does this familiar feeling come from? More and more strange occurrences kept happening and Yasha felt like his mind would collapse soon from all the stuff happening around him.

He closed his eyes, tried to calm down yet again and regulated his breathing and after he opened his eyes, he steadily walked forward, straight in direction of the mountain. He came to the decision that since he had no idea where he was, it was best to follow his instinct, which told him to go the mountain.

The mountain looked like it was close, but Yasha felt like he walked for a few days until he finally reached the mountain and the closer he came, the stronger the beckoning became. In reality though, Yasha long lost his sense of time, so he had no idea how much time really passed.

Yasha soon entered the close vicinity of the mountain and saw a wooden gate at the foot of the mountain. Parts of the gate were wrapped in bright red fabric. In this otherwise gray and desolate world, the fabric almost looked blinding, creating a stark contrast. It looked extremely weird and did not fit into this world at all. The gate executed an air of ancientness and time, as if it has lived through the times and stood there for an eternity.

Yasha spotted a small pathway that led further up the mountain and the whispers around him turned even more intense, nearly chaotic. It looks like it was the right decision to come here. Maybe I can find a way to return home further up the mountain or at least find a clue to find out where I am. He only hesitated for a second and then he stepped through the gate.

Suddenly, Yasha was enveloped by an invisible, formless pressure, crashing down on him. It pushed the air out of his lungs and caused his bones to emit unpleasant creaking sounds. Fuck, what is happening now?!

His first instinct was to turn around and leave this cursed mountain, but he found himself rooted at place. There was an invisible wall behind him, preventing him from moving backwards. The only way was to pass through the gate.

Not having time to curse, Yasha pushed for the next step. He wanted to pass through this gate as soon as possible, hoping that this pressure magically vanished further up the mountain. This one step took all of his strength and he felt like his bones would break at any moment.

Fuck, just what has to happen for this shitty day to end? I have enough of this bullshit. Just let me alone! The previous surprise turned into boiling anger, accompanied by a strength Yasha never felt before. He then laughed and resisted the pressure with his will and newfound strength. One step at a time, he slowly moved forward.

With every step, the pressure increased manifold. The creaking turned into crunching, a clear sign of bones breaking and his sweat turned slightly red, as his blood vessels started rupturing one by one.

Nevertheless, Yasha persisted and stubbornly walked forward. Every distracting thought was pushed to the back of him mind. Only an enormous will could prevent someone without the least bit of cultivation to persevere.

Perseverance. Not giving up. These were two of the most important principles in Yasha’s life. Because he could not cultivate, everyone looked down on him and regarded him as trash. In a world dominated by people with strength, other than sheer willpower and endurance, what could drive someone as Yasha to not give up? To try again and again? To search for ways to change his fate, to train relentlessly?

Time continued to pass and after a long time, Yasha finally reached the last step. But it was not getting easier. The pressure at the end reached unimaginable heights.

Now, at the last step, Yasha stopped again. His minds emptiness slowly turned into hazy mist, getting him to the brink of fainting. At the same time, his knees started bending under the formless force. His heartbeat slowed down and his blood flow came to a stop.

The will inside his head cried out loud trying to prevent the boy from fainting, but the pressure was too great and Yasha finally reached his limits, unable to break through them anymore. Yasha closed his eyes, lost his balance and slowly fell towards the earth.

But before he could fall further down, an exhausted sigh echoed though the mountain and reached Yasha’s ears, shaking his will. A refreshing gust appeared that prevented Yasha from falling. It was like the loving embrace of a mother, taking on all the pressure of the world just for her child to live a carefree live.

It was the same voice that pushed Yasha down this path with no return and that guarded him during his awakening.

“Little boy, sadly I cannot help you much, but you have to get through this trial, so don’t give up...”

The cry inside his body got louder and louder. Like an awakened beast, a new kind of power rushed through Yasha’s body filling every part of it with absolute strength.

Yasha opened his eyes, revealing a pair of fierce, red eyes. His heart beat like a drum, commanding his blood into an unstoppable river. With all this new found strength Yasha crossed the last step, finally managing to walk through the gate.

In the same moment, the mountain-like pressure vanished, as if it never was there in the first place, fading into oblivion.

With the sudden disappearance of the pressure, a wave of exhaustion washed through Yasha’s body and he directly collapsed. With blood and sweat soaked clothes, he layed on the ground, trying to catch his breath, while his mind tried to process what had happened.

There was this strange voice again that spoke to me in the clan. After everything that happened, I really don’t know if I should have trusted those words… How does he even keep appearing out of nowhere? Maybe I should try to contact it somehow. That voice must know something about this strange place.

Before he could think any further, he was interrupted by the same ancient voice from before.

“Little boy, do not seek answers, you are not ready to know yet. With time naturally everything will become clear.”

It was a strong voice, radiating profoundness and wisdom. But at the same time, it was clearly exhausted, and contained deeply hidden grief, sadness and frustration.

Hearing the voice speaking directly to him and clearer than ever before, Yasha was surprised and also happy. Remembering what the voice told him the first time, he knew how to speak with it and he formulated a thought, “Thank you, senior, for helping me earlier. Without your help, my body and mind would have collapsed under this pressure.” He stopped for a second and collected his thoughts, thinking carefully about how to proceed, “I know you said that I should stop asking questions, but I feel like you owe me some explanations on what is happening to me and why you know so much about me…”

A short moment of silence ensued, after which the ancient voice replied. The word were filled with even more bitterness, “First of all, I dare not receive your thanks. I should be the one to apologize to you instead... I know you have many questions and I wish I could explain more things to you, but my time is short and limited. All I can say is that you must go forward and follow the mountain path a bit until you reach a stone statue. Touch the body of this statue and you will receive some answers. You will then be sent out of this world and when you reach the outside world, your wounds will be completely healed. Remember, you should stay true to your heart at all times, engrave your way into your heart, never look back and always push forward, otherwise you will loose everything.“

Towards the end, the voice became quieter and quieter, “Your life will be especially difficult without the help of someone of your blood. The world will no longer remain calm... I am truly sorry, little boy...” The last words were so quiet, that Yasha was unable to understand them.

For some reason, and even after all that happened, Yasha felt like he could trust it. He was surprised about it, because he normally wasn’t the person that easily trusted others. It was some kind of rare, absolute trust. Something you would have in a friend, who would walk to hell only to save you.

After this, Yasha tried to contact the voice again, but without success. It seemed like the previous conversation never happened.

Why does it always speak in riddles… Yasha was frustrated, because the voice obviously knew something about him and even seemed to know him, but it didn’t want to tell Yasha anything.

In the end, he stopped ruminating about those questions he knew he would not receive an answer to and dragged his broken body forward to look for the statue the voice mentioned.

The steep pathway led trough a thick, gray forest with withered vegetation all around and it did not take long for Yasha to reach the statue.

The statue was huge and executed a peerless will of slaughter and madness. It faced the sky, ready to kill his path through the heavens. It was the second object in this world which had different colors, making it especially eye catching.

The statue was made of different kinds of stones and illustrated an Asura with black scales, blood red eyes, and long black hair. It had six arms, in each hand it held a different weapon. Even though the statue reeked of blood and madness, it didn’t affect Yasha in the slightest. It was quite the opposite, Yasha felt attracted by it and immediately felt a strong affection towards the statue.

In that moment, Yasha forgot everything around him and everything that had happened. Without any further hesitation Yasha walked towards the statue and placed his hand on the cold stone. With that touch, the world around Yasha distorted and everything turned black.

After Yasha vanished, the whole world began to rumble. The earth quaked and the previous tranquil mountain now resembled an ancient volcano, ready to explode at any time.

With a screeching noise, a majestic rune began emerging on the statue, at the exact place where Yasha’s hand touched the stone. It was as if a sculptor was carving the runes directly into body of the statue, finishing his life’s work.

But it did not stop here. Thunder boomed in the sky and lightning snakes danced in the sky. The apocalyptic scene continued, only to be replaced by the same eerie silence as before from one moment to another. Only a mysterious chanting remained, echoing through the desolate world.

„What is it,

That I seek,

All my life,

I wondered what to be... “

„Since creation,

Eternal carnation,

My heart bleeds,

Ready to exceed. “

„Earth crumbles,

Heaven turns blind,

The stars fade,

Is this my fate? “

„Unending pain,

Agony dictates,

Amaranthine torment,

Leaving me in misery. “

„One fading light,

Alone in the darkness,

But still bright,

With starkness. “

„The foundation,

Against my damnation,

I shape my own will,

Ready to kill! “

„Looking back,

Without regrets,

I can finally rest,

As I reached my goal. “

„But was that my goal?

What is beckoning me?

Will I ever be at peace?

It seems fate has different plans... “

At the very apex of the mountain stood a person, his hands behind his back, facing the vast emptiness and darkness around. Hearing this chanting, the person mumbled some words, unable to contain his sadness, “Those words... I see. It has finally begun. The prophecy was right in the end. After eternal slumber comes eternal slaughter. What path will you choose, Yasha? “