Within the ancient underground ruins, Wilo leaned backwards and rested against the walls of the passageway.
A flurry of figures sped past her, intent on exploring the mysterious ancient ruins.
Soon enough, the so-called Iron Ant Team aside from Rein gathered around her position. The members gazed at an approaching group led by Beincen’s irksome countenance.
“Now is the time to remove these pests!” Beincen declared as he set his sights on the Iron Ant Team. He needed to isolate and surround the troublesome Rein. His words certainly raised the hackles of Rein’s companions.
However, Beincen’s own helpers from the Sun Sword Sect were absolutely flabbergasted by the Larne scion’s words.
The leader of the assisting group, Yidahr, glanced at his surroundings-- a somewhat narrow passageway that could collapse in a battle. Not to mention, the rush for potential ancient treasures inside the ruins that would bring benefits to him and his sect.
“I apologize, Larne scion,” he said as he denied his current services to Beincen. “There are unknown benefits as high as the Dingien Peak within these ruins. This is a waste of time.” He quickly added, “You yourself should seek out benefits within these ruins, and raise the status of your House. These ants can be dealt with at another time.”
With that said, he immediately led the other two representatives from Sun Sword Sect deeper into the ruins, leaving Beincen gobsmacked with no opportunity to speak his mind.
“The Sun Sword Sect representative speaks true,” Naohr softly said. “We should seek out treasures as well,” he urged with a hunger in his eyes. Beincen eventually continued on his way with clenched teeth.
Another set of recognizable faces soon appeared before the Iron Ant Team-- the members of Lyne’s team. Her four underlings had prepared to face off against one and perhaps even two lower-realmed outer advancers. Unfortunately for them, four strong outer devils had appeared, and they became mired in a sea of aurae tendrils, unable to provide Lyne with any assistance.
Frankly, not even the three powerful Xuere Clan outer advancers were able to protect Lyne and prevent her capture from the Harvest Devil, Ailehr.
Nunan swept her gaze across the Iron Ant Team, somewhat suspicious that a traitor might lay within their ranks. However, she had no time to waste on half-baked accusations, and sped past with Zehz, Bohr, and Karsutz following her lead.
Meanwhile, Rein remained in that safe enclosure within the Endflower’s body, as he observed another heavenly tribulation.
This tribulation took the form of a locust swarm that sought to devour the Endflower’s flesh whole. The locusts gnawed upon the Endflower’s vines with endless appetite, and only fell after extended exposure to the poisonous mist surrounding the plant demon.
This tribulation was capped by a final thunder strike that sent a pernicious charge of heavenly lightning deep into the Endflower’s body.
The vine-formed humanoid opposite to Rein once again reached forth and guided this remnant strain of lightning into Rein’s body. Again, the lightning dragon within Rein’s veins devoured the invader and gained an even more orange hue.
The Endflower, having the common trait of plant demons, rapidly regenerated its body in a flash before the dark cloud above rumbled and delivered the next tribulation-- a flurry of tornadoes that sent blades of wind aurae everywhere, dissecting the Endflower’s many arms and legs as if its flesh was made of tofu. Luckily, the size and weight of the Endflower kept it secured to the underground cavern.
Rein was rather amazed at the Endflower’s continued endurance and regeneration. Though dissected, the separate parts of the Endflower’s body quickly reconnected and healed in the blink of an eye.
Rein ruminated on his observations. He began to believe that the remnant heavenly lightning that he absorbed must have the special function of preventing the Endflower from utilizing its heavenly recovery powers, like an insidious poison in a body. No wonder the Endflower had so easily agreed to delivering said remnant lightning strain into Rein’s body.
Again, a final lightning strike finalized this tribulation, and Rein’s lightning dragon turned a vibrant orange hue within his veins as it belched in fullness. This signaled that his lightning source had taken all that it could from heavenly lightning. He would need different sources to strengthen the draconic lightning within him in the future.
When the next tribulation began, Rein was ready to escape the clutches of the Endflower. After all, he had no desire to find out the Endflower’s plans for him once he was of no more use against the heavenly lightning.
A rising heat began to fill the cavern as nine suns appeared overhead, scorching the Endflower’s full body into a blackened crisp. This was the moment when Rein forcibly separated the vines around his enclosure with his tempered arms, betting on the plant demon’s focus to remain purely on surviving its test.
He could but trust that his hardy body would survive the beginnings of this plant demon’s tribulation.
Rein’s strengthened oranged-hued draconic lightning source imbued his internal body with energy as he activated ‘Frog Leg Release’, and he shot forth as a pinpoint arrow towards the entrance into the ancient ruins.
Fortunately, the beginning of the tribulation was survivable, and he entered the safety of the ruins after a few heartbeats. Looking backwards, Rein couldn’t help but wonder as to why the Endflower had made no attempts to stop him despite the weak start of this tribulation, only to find the vine-formed humanoid gazing at him mysteriously with no emotion upon its blank face. How eerie.
Rein rushed farther in, and frowned when he found the Iron Ant Team awaiting his arrival. He never expected them to delay their exploration of these ancient ruins for him. Suey immediately wrapped her hands in a watery shell and began pressing her hands all over Rein’s body.
If not for the cooling sensation he felt upon contact, Rein would have thought her to be acting frisky again. His skin had, in fact, been inflicted some damage from the ‘weak’ start of the Endflower’s tribulation, much like a mortal suffering sunburns.
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“Thank you,” he sincerely expressed his deep appreciation for the others’ patience and their belief in his return, while a part of him was still befuddled by his ease of escape from the Endflower.
“No need to thank us,” Xeeseir waved his arm as he returned his attention to the passageway walls. The symbols upon it are identical to the ones in the underground cavern. “We’ve been attempting to parse some information. Wilo has studied this ancient language.”
How amazing. Wilo’s display of knowledge repeatedly surpassed Rein’s expectations.
“Ancient dwarven language,” Wilo informed Rein as she raked her eyes across the symbols through her wooden mask. “I’ve examined the text on the walls. This should be an abode of a royal clan of the extinct dwarves. The Molten Stone Clan.”
Molten Stone. Rein repeated this name in his mind. A memory of a vision flashed through his mind. Molten stone form of the dragonknight Zelli, the female dwarf within Gent’s vision. What a crazy coincidence?
“History states this clan to be the most prosperous of the dwarves, building countless vast heavenly structures across the many realms,” Wilo softly said. “I daresay the treasures inside should be numerous and wondrous.”
Rein felt a pang of guilt at having caused the Iron Ant Team’s delay.
Without further ado, the Iron Ant Team jogged deeper down the passageway in search of unknown ancient treasures.
__________________________________________________________________________
Back in the underground cavern, the Endflower suffered its worst tribulation as its body was bathed under nine suns. Plant demons are well-known to be weak to intense heat, and the Endflower is no exception to this rule. The final tribulation of all plant demons always have some punishment imbued with fire aurae-- this is known far and wide.
Despite having dispelled the insidious strains of heavenly lightning into Rein, the Endlofwer could not maintain its rate of regeneration as its body was lit aflame, gradually diminishing from a hundred feet to a tiny ten feet span in body.
The Endflower thought its demise to be imminent, only for the nine suns above its head to vanish, its powers spent. Only one final heavenly lightning strike remained.
A thunderous white flash shattered the sky to decide the life and death of the Endflower. The Blissful-Endflower screeched and cackled in defiance with its half-formed human throat imitation, and massed its remaining vines above its head.
The lightning bolt burnt these remaining vines to curled lifeless appendages, and the humanoid form of the Endflowers blackened in a path towards death. Yet, at this very moment, the Endflower withdrew a golden wooden needle with a shaking hand formed of vines.
If the Iron Ant Team was still present, they would be shocked beyond belief. This wooden needle is, after all, identical to Wilo’s in all aspects with the exception of its golden shine.
The Endflower stabbed this golden wooden needle into its withering flash, and life coursed through its body again as the needle melted into its body.
Vines then wrapped itself around the humanoid form in a cocoon. In a short twenty heartbeats, the cocoon unraveled to reveal a lovely young woman with warm pink skin, poisonous red lips and flowing chestnut hair.
The only sign of her difference from a human are the few leaves that adorned her ears and temple.
“Ahhh…” She tested her voice, felt elation at the rumbling of her throat, and promptly declared, “A good deal! Fair as can be.”
A pity that her exhilaration was instantly dispelled by a number of figures that blocked the sky, replacing the tribulation clouds that had just disappeared into nothingness.
Many outer advancers, perhaps even stronger, had arrived. Examining their robes, the Blissful-Endflower knew where these humans came from-- the Evergreen Mountains! She had, after all, consumed no small number of their disciples during her rule over the valley above these ruins.
WIthout hesitation, the Endflower warped in the air and transformed into a snake-like vine. Instead of entering the ruins and potentially drawing more eyes, she instead escaped through an incredibly narrow crevice at the bottom of the underground cavern, previously covered by her vast body! This was her final escape route.
The Great Sects’ advancers could not react fast enough to prevent her escape! They had expected the Endflower to be at death’s door even if she survived her tribulation and achieved full transformation.
“Bienze!” A man with the sigil of the Convergence Sect roared. “You’re the only one in the telekinetic realm with a unique ability! Transform yourself and pursue that demon!”
Bienze, a mid-twenties man with shoulder-length hair that contained the ‘rainbow’ shades ranging from blonde to dark brown, rolled his eyes. Even now, the Convergence Sect acted as such towards them, the Uni Sect. He sighed. It was to be expected. The Convergence Sect had severely diminished in influence.
“Hunzkr. You and I both know that mastering transformations can be difficult, a skill that even many gods struggle with. It is only a fortuitous encounter that allowed me to perform a half-imitation…” He added, “I would be foolish to pursue this demon alone in a half-baked form.” The narrow crevice was simply too small of a gap.
“You see this? The Uni Sect are but fearful wimps!” Hunzkr thought that this declaration would diminish the Uni Sect’s influence. Perhaps that may have been true if the Convergence Sect was still in its superior position months ago. Now? The other Great Sect members, with the exception of Sun Sword Sect, frowned at Hunzkr’s words.
Bienze examined the symbols in the underground ruins, and quickly dispelled the failure of capturing the Endflower demon. There was nothing he could do, and deep down, he even felt a tinge of respect towards the plant demon, to survive the tribulation with spare strength while having prepared an escape route that required a narrow transformation to traverse.
“Let us head into these dwarven ruins,” he said to the agreement of the other Great Sect members.
Hunzkr could only follow with displeasure in his heart.
It was then and there that they discovered a bulky man waiting for them.
“Welcome, seniors. Welcome!” Malak hooked his fingers and bowed repeatedly. “I am Malak, a member of the northern desert tribes captured and enslaved by a Minhr Noble. I was sent forth to assist the scion of House Larne from the Green Trout City.” As he said this, Malak swept his eyes across the members of the Sun Sword Sect.
That Sun Sword Sect disciple had sent a flare to call upon his allies? Malak very much believed his superior or perhaps, master, to be somewhat related to Beincen of House Larne.
Malak smirked internally as he observed a flash of recognition across one of the Sun Sword masters present.
“I am happy to inform you all of the exact nature of preceding events,” Malak beamed as he bowed his head again to indicate his continued submission despite his hulking form.
“I know of this man,” a male Sun Sword master waved him over. “Worry not, he will inform us of the necessary knowledge to prepare us against potential foes.”
As such, these masters of the Great Sects came upon the key information of the notorious outer devils that had entered these ruins.
Malak soon received a whisper in his ear. “Lead me to Beincen.” Malak simply nodded in acknowledgement of the order.
He, however, could barely control his inner mirth. After all… this is the true mission given to him by Guihnes. To use both Beincen and Rein to draw out one who, with certainty, hold sway over the secret jade mines of the Great Sects. It could not be someone too powerful.
This master had not used divine sense to communicate telekinetically with Malak’s mind. As such, Malak felt certain that this master must only be in the outer realm. The perfect target for the Hall of Heroes!