Well, I personally wanted to get more into the mood of those traditional CN novel settings; so I went with chinese names tbh xD
Chapter 11: Divine Lotus Constitution “What...is this Divine Lotus Constitution exactly?” Qiao Sui suddenly asked with curiosity. She had heard Elder Gan mention it previously, but while she knew it was something rare, she did not possess enough knowledge to understand what exactly it was. The white-haired youth smiled and explained: “Your Divine Lotus Constitution is a rare body physique that should only be seen once every a hundred thousand years. It’s one of the eighteen Divine Constitutions, and is immensely regarded in the Fen Shui Continent. Users of such constitution possess extreme cultivation speed, being able to absorb the energy in the air around them at a much quicker rate and being able to connect with the mysterious laws around them easier. In other words, these beings are typically referred to as the ‘Chosen Children of Heaven’. None of the people who had a Divine Constitution was an ordinary figure in the martial world.” Qiao Sui’s eyes widened in wonder and shock when she heard the white-haired youth’s words. She actually such a legendary physique?! Qiao Sui sank into her own thoughts as she wondered about her parents whom she had never saw. Could her body have been gifted from her parents? But if so, then that meant her parents must have been quite powerful. Why would her parents have abandoned her when she was still a baby? How did she survive up until now? Why can’t she remember anything earlier than the age of six? Or was her current gift a mere fluke from the heavens? A pain buzzed in her head, as Qiao Sui suddenly felt a light wave of dizziness overcame her. It felt like something was blocking a part of her thoughts… “Are you alright?” A concerned voice rang out in front of Qiao Sui. Returning to her senses, Qiao Sui looked up at the white-haired youth and blinked a few times to clear her cloudy head. “I, I am fine. I was feeling a bit nervous, that’s all..” “Ah.” The white-haired youth nodded before he reached into his black sleeve and brought out a three blue covered manuals. Handing it over to Qiao Sui, the youth said: “Here, take these skill books as well. Since it was fate that we have met this time around and seeing that your talent is quite decent, I shall gift you these three completed volumes: [Supreme Fairy Sword Arts], [Godly Body Refinement Art], and [Heaven Subduing Palm]. While these are mere copies of the original, you must still protect them and be certain to never tell anyone!” Huang Xue did not bother telling her that the three skills' level, which was at...the Astral grade! Knowing too much at this point would only possibly bring more harm than good. “Eh?” Qiao Sui looked on dumbfounded. “But do not get excited. You will only be able to train in the [Godly Body Refinement Arts] for the time being. Until you at least breakthrough to the Jie Hai realm, you will not be able to learn the other skills. And only upon becoming stronger, would you be able to comprehend the later parts in each volume.” The white-haired youth explained. Qiao Sui did not say anything and only nodded her head. She felt like the current situation was too surreal for her to digest at the moment. “Now then, you should be on your way, little girl.” “Uh, um, w-would I be able to see again?” Qiao Sui suddenly asked as she shyly looked at the youth before her. The white-haired young man smiled and replied: “If our fates are interconnected, then we will naturally meet again in the future.” Qiao Sui nodded her head and slowly placed the talisman on her forehead. The talisman was made with a simple function, such that even commoners who be able to use it easily, should they have the luck and wealth to acquire such luxury. Thinking of the destination the black-robed youth had told her, Qiao Sui began to feel a slight tickling sensation run through her body. Suddenly, Qiao Sui opened her eyes, as if she had realized something, and hurriedly shouted: “Wa-wait! What is your na--” But she never got to finish as a white light burst out from the talisman in her hand, engulfing her entire being in a blinding glow before it instantly disappeared from the spot. The white-haired youth stared at where Qiao Sui was at a moment ago, as he mumbled to himself: “I hope those with a Divine Lotus Constitution would not disappoint me…” This youth was naturally Huang Xue. Although he had given out three priceless manuals at once, there was not a trace of regret or care on Huang Xue’s face. While those techniques may cause an uproar across the continent, even in the Three Absolute Grand Sects, to him it meant nothing. And seeing that the girl he had just saved seemed promising, Huang Xue had immediately decided to take a chance and gift her a few skills to help her development. An extra possibility of a peerless expert emerging would be great news for Huang Xue, considering his current situation. Turning around, Huang Xue looked towards the area where Gan Long had landed several moments ago. There was no one there now. During Huang Xue’s small talk with Qiao Sui, the elder had taken the chance to quickly escape into the forest. However, Huang Xue had never lost track of Gan Long’s presence, even without facing the latter. And being severely injured, did he really believe he could escape from an Immortal Sovereign practitioner? Huang Xue walked leisurely towards the direction of the forest where he detected Gan Long’s moving Qi presence. His body flickered and disappeared from the spot. When Huang Xue first went to look for Gan Long, he had secretly traveled to the Eternal Sword Spirit Palace, which was situated in the middle of a vast desert. The grand sect was extremely large, covering an enormous piece of land and more, and inside the Palace, it was extravagantly decorated with trees and man-carved rivers. However, he soon discovered that the elder was not there and was supposedly away on a trip. This had made it a bit problematic for Huang Xue, considering the size of the continent and the various corners of the land. However, he did not relent his pursuit and opted to secretly investigate around. He did not reveal his true appearance to anyone during this process, transforming his face several times in order to gather information. Surprisingly, from Huang Xue’s previous memories, it seemed face changing was an unknown art in the Continent of Feng Shui. Rather than it being an issue about power, it was more that this concept was simply not introduced in this world. As such, it was very probable that only Huang Xue would be able to utilize this little art... At the same time, Huang Xue had consumed several miracle pills that were used for recover a person’s young appearance and body. Coupling the medicines with a secret body refining art that Huang Xue knew, he was able to revert back to his body’s earlier years. His current appearance was that of a sixteen or seventeen years old. The only thing that remained relatively the same was Huang Xue’s snow white hair, which he did not bother changing. It gave his appearance a unique point. Moreover, the main reason of Huang Xue’s bodily transformation was to help hide his identity from the other two Absolute Grand Sects. He needed to stay low for a while as he go about his plans...
Chapter 12: Atone For Your Sins At the same time, Huang Xue had consumed several miracle pills that were used for recover a person’s young appearance and body. Coupling the medicines with a secret body refining art that Huang Xue knew, he was able to revert back to his body’s earlier years. His current appearance was that of a sixteen or seventeen years old. The only thing that remained relatively the same was Huang Xue’s snow white hair, which he did not bother changing. It gave his appearance a unique point. Moreover, the main reason of Huang Xue’s bodily transformation was to help hide his identity from the other two Absolute Grand Sects. He needed to stay low for a while as he go about his plans... However, cultivators are possessors of strong memory, especially the higher one goes. Some of the old generation may recognize Huang Xue’s appearance when he was younger. As such, Huang Xue had permanently altered a few, minor facial bone structures to be more shapely, while adjusting his dantian and breathing to give off a completely different body aura. This way, not even those ancestral-level figures would be able to recognize Huang Xue anymore! After recovering his youth, Huang Xue had just about finished his investigation and found a lead to where Gan Long may be. There had been quite some rumors in the Grand Sect about this elder’s sick practices, but no one had said anything due to the Gan Long’s status as an elder. In other words, those who knew could be considered accomplices in breaking the law that was set down across the martial arts world by countless factions and powers. It was a universal agreement to not dabble in inhumane arts like using humans to refine pills or consuming fellow cultivators to increase one’s ability. To do so was considered breaking the ‘laws’, bringing the entire world upon themselves! For long distance travels that was more than five thousand miles, Huang Xue traveled through spatial tears for convenience. While it consumed a larger portion of his power, this method was much quicker. This was how Huang Xue was able to travel to the Yuan Empire so quickly. And to keep a low profile, Huang Xue had decided to move around through space rather than simply flying through the sky that was heavily guarded in some areas. As such, he was able to easily locate and arrive before Gan Long. And upon seeing that someone was in danger, Huang Xue had promptly lent a hand. The attacker was the one he had been searching for anyways. A blurry figure danced through the dense forests, appearing and disappearing around the grassy areas. Meanwhile, several miles ahead another figure in cyan robe, covered in a red glow, was rapidly flying forward, weaving in and out of tall trees. A crazed look was on his face as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. Feeling the looming presence draw closer behind him, Gan Long pushed his entire Qi energy inside his body to max. He desperately wanted to escape this god forsaken place as soon as possible! But was it truly possible? “Stop running and accept your punishment already.” A solemn voice sounded beside Gan Long. Swirling his head around, Gan Long instantly felt his blood run cold when he saw the white-haired youth leisurely ‘walking’ through the air beside him. Although Gan Long was already flying as his highest speed, he was still unable to outrun the other party! “Senior, why must you pursue me so? I admit I was wrong to practice the taboo arts, but if you let me off this time, I swear I will not take revenge. Instead, I will be forever indebted to you..” Gan Long said, trying to persuade the other individual to let him go. As cultivators, he naturally knew that while the other person looked very young, it was actually not their real age. The amount of power the white-haired youth wielded had already proved so. And even if the other party was indeed a mere youth, in this world strength ultimately determines the seniority! Age is merely a number for the weak. “Haa...even at the end of your road, you still are unwilling to own up to your sins. If so, enough talking. Go down.” Huang Xue gave a sigh before his eyes flashed a dangerous light. *Pch!* *Pch!* Before Gan Long could say something, both of his legs suddenly exploded! “Ahhhh! My legs! My legs!” Gan Long howled in pain as his body lost its balance, falling straight down towards the ground. Right before he hit the dirt ground, Gan Long managed to envelope his body in a Qi armor to protect him from the impact. While there were Qi attacks, there were evidently defensive usage of energy inside one’s body known as Qi armor. This was often used to defend against another cultivator’s Qi attacks, as a regular body would easily fall in front of such mystical might. Normal attacks become ineffective in front of Qi armors. Clutching the one of his bloody stumps where his leg used to be, Gan Long looked up at Huang Xue, who was slowly descending, with hatred and madness in his eyes. “You bastard! To think you actually dared injure an elder such as I to such an extent! Do you not fear my Eternal Sword Spirit Palace will hunt you down until the end of your days?! You are dead, dead you hear?!” The sudden shock and pain of having both legs unknowingly destroyed caused Gan Long to descend into despair and utter insanity. Even with his regenerative ability as a peak 9 Cycle Heavenly Wang, he would still be unable to completely regenerate a missing limb! Unless a Empyrean Hun-level cultivator or God-tier alchemist was willing to help him, Gan Long could only live out the rest of his life as a cripple...if he was even able to live through today at all! “Your sins run deep, and yet you still dare mouth off so arrogantly before me. Finishing you off would be too kind of me. I shall allow you to experience a taste of Hell first before you go down there.” Huang Xue coldly said as he hovered above the bloodied elder. Reaching out with his right hand, Huang Xue began to draw strange symbols in the air, each stroke leaving a glowing trail in its wake. When Gan Long saw this, his eyes became wide and he could not help but shout out: “Y-you were also an Array Spiritualist?!” Huang Xue did not reply as he continued to form complex symbols in the air. In the Continent of Feng Shui, cultivators who were able to pierce into a new dimension of comprehension in the arts of symbols and formations were known as Array Spiritualists. They were practitioners of the Formation Dao, one of the Sheng Daos. Because of the difficulty in advancing in this aspect, as it required one to train both their mental and Qigong abilities at the same time, there was a scarce amount of Array Spiritualists in this world. However, there were many powerful factions who desired such practitioners. After all, not only were Array Spiritualists able to lay powerful formations that could attack, defend, and create all sorts of mystical effects, they were able to call upon other worldly beings for assistance. They were even able to control monsters known as Evil Beasts, which were found in every corner of the world. These beasts were ferocious monsters that often leave a path of carnage in their frenzied wake. Cultivators tend to engage in combat with such beasts in order to strengthen themselves or help defend a city from their onslaughts. In general, while evil beasts were ranked similarly to cultivators, the former was stronger in cultivators due to their origin of birth in the wild and the wild nature imprinted in their genes. At the higher levels, there were even evil beasts that possessed the ability to speak in the human tongue! Thus, for Array Spiritualists who were able to take control of such beings, it would mean another huge increase to their battle power. To do so, they often captured them using what is known as a ‘Gate’. This is a special formation portal that only Spiritualists were able to construct, allowing them to control evil beasts and summon monsters, or even otherworldly beings, from other domains. While the Continent of Feng Shui was large, in the cracks of space and time, there were naturally a countless number of existing small worlds called ‘domains’. Some of those domains were inhabited by humans while others were filled with foreign races. However, any one of those domains contained inhabitants that were generally much stronger than the people who lived in the continent of Feng Shui. This was why, for Array Spiritualists to be able to summon such beings at their command, was greatly valued at strong groups. To any faction, more power usually entailed greater benefits for them! Thus, the status of an Array Spiritualist was exalted and quite rare as well. Not everyone could be one after all. Furthermore, these spiritualists were graded into Ranks, from 1 to 12, with higher ranks representing greater level of strength and quality of their ability in regards to formations and the likes! The standard cultivation is not in line with an Array Spiritualist’s ranking system. Meaning, a strong cultivator may not necessarily have an equally like Spiritualist rank, and the opposite holds true as well. It would all depend on one’s affinity, mentality, and talent in the arts of formation and symbols! In just a few strokes, Huang Xue completed the formation in the air. As a God of Dao, he was naturally adept in Dao of Formation, the art of creation and destruction. To be able to utilise the energy between Heaven and Earth to form complex laws known as 'formations'. While his body may have changed, Huang Xue’s knowledge was still there. As long as his body had enough power, he could easily conjure up several high level Daos and techniques on his will. This was one of the major benefits in comprehending several Dao paths! With a light tap of his index finger, Huang Xue sent the mini glowing circular formation towards Gan Long, who was on lying on the ground. Seeing this scene, Gan Long panicked as he tried to move out of the way, but in his current condition was just impossible. In the end, constructing a Qi armor and using booth of his arms in front of him to defend against the nearing formation construct, Gan Long embraced himself for a deadly impact. However, the glowing circle had easily bypassed through Gan Long’s Qi armor as if it was air! Without time to react, the formation had already landed on Gan Long’s defending arms. At first, there was no sensation. But immediately, it was as if every pore inside Gan Long’s body was on fire as the elder felt his body burning with severe pain! Soon, he began to feel his body turning extremely cold as his skin turned a grayish pale color. Gan Long could not help but start shivering. Yet in another moment, he began to felt a sharp stinging sensation on his body before blood spurt uncontrollably from his orifices. In the next moment, his body began acting up as waves after waves of indescribable pain assaulted his body. But the most horrifying thing was that Gan Long could vaguely feel something was minutely healing his injuries, just enough to keep him alive amidst this torture! While Gan Long suffered in silence, with all his teeth having been broken from clenching down too hard in pain, a cold voice resonated from above him. “With this [Liquescent Body Formation], it shall slowly drain your own life force and continuously heal your body, keeping you barely alive to feel this ever-changing pain! Once your life force is done with, it will slowly melt your body until not even your ashes shall remain. This is the consequence for your unlawful sins.” Gan Long shakily lifted up his head only to find that the white-haired youth had already left. He furiously shouted out amidst his burning pain, but what came out of his mouth were only muffled cries as he awaited an agonizing death...
from wuxiaworld What is xianxia? As for Xianxia, the characters forming it are ‘Xian’ and ‘Xia’, which literally means ‘immortal hero’. Xianxia is a newer genre and is essentially a ‘fantasy-fied’ version of Wuxia, with magic, demons, immortals, people who can fly, etc. The biggest contributor to the Xianxia genre is actually not martial arts; rather, it is ‘Taoism’, which is a major part of Chinese history. Taoism is both a philosophical way of life as well as an actual religion. Religious Taoism is often blurred together with Chinese folk mythologies, and is chock-full of stories about demons, ghosts, and people learning how to become immortals through meditation/understanding the ways of heaven, and flying in the air and casting powerful magic spells. The legendary Monkey King, Sun Wukong (whom Son Goku of DBZ is based off of) acquired his power through Taoist practices, and the concept of the Yin-Yang is also from Taoism. Xianxia blends lots of these folk stories and magical Taoist legends into their stories in a way which ‘true’ Wuxia stories almost never do.
I was thinking about that as well, but after posting it online now I feel a bit bad to just change it :/
Chapter 13: The One Who Dons The Kabuki Mask (1) Streaking through the orange sky, Huang Xue slowed down as he stood levitating in the air. The sun was settling down by now. His task had taken a slightly bit more time than he had expected. Pondering in mid-air, Huang Xue thought of how he should go about dealing with his next target: the Great Elder Fang De of the Sacred Demon Sect! Since this character was much more prestigious and powerful than a mere elder from the Eternal Sword Spirit Palace, Huang Xue had to plan a bit more carefully. While he was not afraid of the other party’s ability, it was the amount of security that may be placed around them. After all, Fang De was still a Great Elder in status. Moreover, Huang Xue was confident that this person should still be within his residence. As a Great Elder of a grand sect, they naturally had a much heavier duty than ordinary elders. They were often tasked with guarding the Sect’s ground at all times, thus these powerful elders seldom traveled out. After thinking for a while, Huang Xue reached out his right hand as he gathered the energy around him towards it. Soon, the energy formed a glowing ball before twisting and shaping into what looks like a mask. In another moment, a white mask with streaks of sophisticated red lines on either side of its cover, looking to be a Kabuki mask, was created. Once a cultivator reaches the Empyrean Hun realm, they would gain the ability to transform condensed Qi into materials for a certain amount of time. (Author: “Kabuki Mask” = https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/projects/202/18158421.548d844ce2704.jpg ) Huang Xue nodded with satisfaction at his handy work as he donned on the Kabuki mask. After readjusting his aura a bit to mimic that of the Gan Long whom he had killed, Huang Xue waved his sleeve as a rift opened up in the middle of sky. With his hands behind his back, Huang Xue leisurely walked into the gap as it closed behind him without sound. It was time to pay this Feng De fellow a short visit… *** In the middle of an endless azure ocean, there laid an awe-inspiring piece of colossal land. There were several constructs of tall buildings and halls, similar to that of the Godly Supreme Hall. However, many of these architectures were strangely shaped, with some being in the shape of a bone, another as a large skull, and yet another one that had a scaly exterior. Many youths wearing a black robe, with an eye-catching white fan-shaped crest imbued on their chest, were walking around as they chatted among each other. At the center of the white fan were three circular black dots. These people, each wearing the unique crest, were all famed disciples of the Sacred Demon Sect! Among these several buildings, there was one particular large piece of area located at the far western end. On this land, the front yard was filled with green grasses leading up to a grand looking mansion. This was the personal residence of the Great Elder, Fang De! Inside the mansion, at the uppermost floor, an old man with a hair full of silvery gray hair was drinking from a cup of warm tea. The room the man sat in was incredibly large, seeming to be more like a ballroom hall rather than a simple resting area. It made one feel a sense of loneliness if one were to look around the large empty room, held up by big red pillars. The seated old man had a sinister appearance to him, with his sharp eyes, small patch of gray moustache above his lips, and his pale skin seemingly void of blood. However, there was an unexplainable sense of charm to his quiet demeanor as the elder sat there in his silky brown robe, looking out the circular window beside him. The evening sun was dropping into the horizon as the residue light barely illuminated the white fan-shaped emblem on his chest. This person was the Great Elder Fang De of the Sacred Demon Sect. Fang De looked out at the slowly dimming sun as a trace of moodiness floated across his eyes. No one, but himself, knew what the he was thinking. At this moment, a knocking came from the closed-door across the room. A male’s respectful voice then sounded from behind the doors: “Master, an elder from the Eternal Sword Spirit Palace wishes to speak with you.” The Great Elder Fang De did not turn around and asked: “Is it Gan Long?” “Yes.” The male voice replied. “Let him in through the formation connecting to my residence.” “As you wish.” The male voice replied, before soft rustling sounds of wind being disturbed could be heard behind the door. Silence ensued for several moments before a soft noise sounded again from behind the closed wooden door. Afterwards, a man’s aged voice called out: “Great Elder Fang De, I am coming in.” The door promptly opened as a Kabuki masked figure, dressed in pure black, entered the room. Taking off his mask, an elderly face was revealed. Finally turning to receive his guest, Fang De looked at the mask on the other person’s hands and asked: “Why did you wear a mask?” Gan Long scratched his head helplessly as he answered: “There has been a few inspections going on in my Sect recently, so going out have been a bit difficult. So I had to wear a mask and conceal myself when I go out nowadays.” Fang De nodded as he gently stroked his gray moustache. “So? Why did you want to see me this time? You should understand clearly that it’ll be quite bad if we were seen together. Our two Sects have not truly paired up yet. We still need to our Sect Masters’ approval.” “I know that, but…” Gan Long began before he was cut off the great elder. “If you’re worried about the elders on my side, I can tell you that I have already gathered eleven of them in my hands. I just need to give them a few more push and they will come to my side. After all, our grudges against your Sword Palace is not a small matter that can easily be put aside. Rather than worrying about my part, have you managed to convince one of your Great Elders yet?” Fang De asked as he looked at Gan Long. “I...I am still working on it…” Gan Long replied as he slightly lowered his head in shame. “Hmph. You better convince one of them soon enough. Otherwise, if you’re caught, don’t say I didn’t warn you. At that time, do not expect me to ‘recognize’ you.” Fang De snorted in disdain. “So, right there is only us two that is working together, correct?” Gan Long asked timidly. “There may be others working in secret, but as far as I am concerned, you and I, in addition to eleven possible members later, are in this together. Once we work together to fully suppress the Godly Supreme Hall, that is when our cooperation shall end. As you saw last time, the killing of those Godly Supreme Hall disciples and elders are merely the first step!” Fang De said as a murderous light glowered in his eyes. Glancing at Gan Long, who now seemed to be in deep thought, he asked: “Why did you ask? You should already know this, unless you discovered a few others who are possibly aiming for the same thing? Hey, what are you thinking about?” Gan Long looked up as a smile slowly bloomed on his wrinkled face. “Oh, it was nothing. I was just thinking since I’ve already got the things I wanted to know from you, I was debating on how I should go about killing you. But in the end, I think taking off your head would be fine. I should at least thank you that way for giving me this bit of information.” “Huh?” Fang De looked on in surprise as he processed the other individual’s words. He felt like he had heard wrong, as someone like Gan Long would never dare utter something so senseless as what was previously said… But suddenly, Fang De noticed a flash of light flicker in front of him as his body maneuvered itself sideways on reflex. There was a dangerous feeling constrained within that light! Just as Fang De avoided the attack, the table behind shattered into smithereens. Quickly regaining his balance, the Great Elder Fang De stared hideously at ‘Gan Long’, who had a slightly surprised face. The sudden attack earlier had nearly heavily injured him, or even killed him! Vicious aura exploded from his body as Fang De locked onto the black-robed elder in front of him. “Surnamed Gan! Have you gone mad?! To dare attack me at my Sacred Demon Sect, you truly have a load of guts! Were you sent by your Sect to act as a spy?!” Fang De immediately roared as he glared at ‘Gan Long’. The earlier near-death experience still lingered fresh in his mind. But it was the fact that he had been caught off guard by someone weaker than him, that had made him so angry. He refused to believe that a mere Heavenly Wang practitioner could have almost killed him, even if it was a sneak attack!
Chapter 14: The One Who Dons The Kabuki Mask (2) “Surnamed Gan! Have you gone mad?! To dare attack me at my Sacred Demon Sect, you truly have a load of guts! Were you sent by your Sect to act as a spy?!” Fang De immediately roared as he glared at ‘Gan Long’. The earlier near-death experience still lingered fresh in his mind. But it was the fact that he had been caught off guard by someone weaker than him, that had made him so angry. He refused to believe that a mere Heavenly Wang practitioner could have almost killed him, even if it was a sneak attack! ‘Gan Long’ smiled as he turned to face Fang De. “Oh? You are pretty good. To dodge an attack at such a close range, a Great Elder’s identity is truly not as useless as I thought. However, it is shame that you still have to die today.” Fang De felt his anger rising as he growed in a low voice: “Then I would like to see you try!” *Whoosh!* Fang De took a step forward and his figure blurred before arriving in front of ‘Gan Long’. His right arm was already pulled back, ready to unleash a palm attack, when ‘Gan Long’ suddenly reached out and flicked Fang De’s head. In a split second, ‘Gan Long’s hand was already in front of Fang De’s forehead, fingers arched in preparation. ‘Gan Long’s’ hand had moved in an instant and at such a speed that Fang De was unable to even see its trajectory! Upon a direct impact, Fang De felt his head jerk backward as if his forehead was pounded by a giant hammer, sending his body flying crashing into the wall behind him. Right afterwards, sounds of footsteps could be heard rapidly approaching the Fang De’s room. ‘Gan Long’, who was obviously Huang Xue in disguise, had a faint smile on his face. “It’s getting a bit noisy now, maybe I should’ve set up a concealing formation earlier after all?…” Huang Xue muttered under his breath as he walked over to Fang De was getting up from the floor. Huang Xue had obviously held himself back when he attacked, believing it would be enough. But it seems like this Fang De fellow was quite sturdy... “Master! Are you alright?” “What was that loud noise, master? Is something wrong?!” “Master, did something happen?” Voices of concern rang out from behind the closed-door, but Huang Xue paid them no attention. Fang De glared venomously at the approaching ‘Gan Long’, and angrily yelled: “You lot, scram! There is nothing wrong here! I will be out in a few moments!” The Great Elder was thoroughly enraged now. He had initially attacked with his physical body due to the contempt he felt for his weaker opponent. There was no need to show any of his true cards. In the end, to think he was actually pushed back by a measly elder-level person! But at the same time, he was still silently contemplating the entire situation. For an elder like Gan Long to even last a second in front of him was already an impossible feat, much less push him back! This was something fishy going on here! Thinking up to this, the anger inside Fang De’s stomach was quickly suppressed, as his eyes narrowed with shrewdness and suspicion. As a Great Elder-level figure, he had many experiences. He understood losing to one’s emotion in battle was a fatal mistake. “...Who are you?” Fang De asked he stood alert now, his aura slowing climbing up. Huang Xue smiled but did not reply to the other’s question. Instead, he said in a casual tone: “My next move should finish this up...” However, this time Fang De did not get angry at Huang Xue’s words. Instead, he began to revolve the energy inside his Dantian as he gathered the power Darkness Dao inside his palms. This was a strong Dao of the Mo category, wielding the ability to draw strength from the darkness element in the world. At the same time, the air around Fang De trembled and distorting, as ten 4-meters tall arched gray doors emerged from the airy ripples. Berserk energy and signs of life were rippling behind the closed sinister-looking gates. With the appearance of such portals, the originally spacious room now seemed much more congested than before. “Oh? Those are...Spirit Gates?” Huang Xue looked on with interest as he watched the Fang De prepare himself. Spirit Gates were one of the main strengths of an Array Spiritualists. Only Spiritualists of at least Rank 3 would be able to use such function. And using these Gates, a Spiritualist could either summon a being from another domain or an evil beast him/her had tamed! Generally, it is very difficult to create Gates, and even the level of Gates vary depending on its size. A one meter sized Gate was the norm, while larger Gates usually meant that stronger beasts could be kept inside, or that the Array Spiritualist could summon even greater beings from another smaller world! These door sizes varied from person to person, and usually had to do with the strength of their soul and their affinity with in the Dao of Formations. To be able to release ten 4-meters tall Gate at once already showed that this Fang De was indeed no ordinary person! Even a normal Rank 8 Array Spiritualist could barely bring out ten Gates of such size. A single meter increase in size is more than enough to create a large gap in power, especially between competing Spiritualists! “If you don’t want to answer me, that is fine. I don’t know how you did it, but after I destroy your body and rip off that face, we’ll see then if I’ll be able to find out who you are!” Fang De growled. “All of you, come out!” A shout rang from the Great Elder before the ten doors floating near opened. A second later, hideous broad evil beasts crawled out from within. Some of them looked like giant giants, while others looked something akin to mutated centipedes. There were even two humanoid things, though their scaly features and green skin tone revealed them as anything but human. Each of the evil beasts gave off a pressuring aura, the amount of bloodthirsty aura in the room was so great that many elders and core disciples within five miles of radius were attracted to the Great Elder Fang De’s mansion. Huang Xue could feel several strong auras approaching his location. He slightly frowned. “Hmm...this is getting troublesome. I better finish this quickly...damn! I really should’ve set up a concealment formation beforehand…” Huang Xue thought in his mind. Initially, he had been thinking of getting a bit of information from Fang De before killing him and leaving. But in the end, he had underestimated the sturdiness of his target. After being a God-level expert for quite some time, he was now having trouble taking mortal cultivators in much regards… “Let me see just who you are!” Fang De suddenly shouted as he thrust a black glowing palm towards Huang Xue. “Saint Demonic Arts 3rd Layer: Doom’s Nirvana!” There were small stars seemingly revolving around his energy attack --a characteristic of Empyrean Hun cultivators! At the same time, the sky above mansion instantly darkened and dark clouds swirled about, faint thundering sounds could be heard rumbling above. The mansion itself also began to gravitated upward due to the energy leaking from Fang De’s attack; black tiles flew up into the air as the entire room Huang Xue and Fang De was in began to crumble upward. A peculiar scene of an old man in brown robe rushing in the air towards a calm Huang Xue, as the several evil beasts surrounded the latter, each in already punching towards the latter with their claws and widened jaws ready for a feast. The monstrous growing aura burst forth from the breaking mansion, knocking back several nearby elders and core disciples who had come to investigate. All the core disciples and a few weaker elders spurt out a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot, while the other stronger executives barely managed to resist. Even the residue might from a Empyrean Hun practitioner was simply frightening! And when such a being attacks, the sky and earth changes before his might! As Fang De’s palm attack and the evil beasts strikes were about to reach Huang Xue, time seemed to have slowed down as a strange silence seemed to have settled. The evil glowing palm and claws moved closer and closer… But just as they were about to land on Huang Xue’s body, a young man’s voice suddenly resonated out in an otherworldly tone: “...Since you like levitating things so much, let me give you a helping hand...” A ghastly pressure immediately filled the entire room before a blinding golden light illuminated all that was in this space. Fang De felt his body become numb when he felt the pressure that was like a mountain pressing down upon him. The pain was excruciating. The glow on his outstretched palm had already completely dissipated. Or more accurately, Fang De could not feel it anymore...he felt like all his five senses were quickly leaving him. Even his divine sense was useless now. Fang De’s sense of the world had instantly plunged into absolute darkness. By now, every living thing was laying on the ground amidst the dazzling light, unable to move and unable to see…a strong feeling of death loomed over them...
Chapter 15: The One Who Dons The Kabuki Mask (3) Outside the mansion, a moment of peace abruptly ensued when Fang De’s aura stopped leaking out. But in the next second, an enormous pillar of light exploded upwards, completely enveloping the entire mansion itself, and spreading outwards. Along with the expanding golden pillar, an ineffable aura spread out. While some of the elders,who had hurried over from other parts of the Sacred Demon Sect ground, had managed to take all the fainted core disciples and elders to safety, there were a few unfortunate elders who had stepped too close to the mansion. Those were the ones who had stood right inside the yard before the explosion of light. But even before the energy had reached them, they had spurted out a large mouthful of blood before all their orifices began bleeding. They quickly died, being unable to withstand the new pressure --which seemed almost infinitely stronger than the previous one emitted by Great Elder Fang De! The pillar of golden light spread outwards until Great Elder Fang De’s entire living ground, his courtyard and mansion in their entirety, was swallowed up by it. Soon, the golden pillar began to slowly dissipate along with the terrifying aura… “Hurry! Activate our Sect’s locking formation! Do not let the culprit get away!” An elder, who seemed to possess some authority, shouted angrily. “Right, quickly notify the other four Great Elders! Gather the other elders from all sections of the Sect as well! Quickly, go!” “Everyone get into formation! We must defend our Sacred Demon Sect from our attackers!” “Intruders! All elders, assemble at once! Hurry!” Cries of alarm rang throughout the Sacred Demon Sect as several hundreds of elders gathered in the sky above the school ground. This was the first time, in nine hundred thousand years, that something so major as this had occurred in one of the Absolute Grand Sects! There had been no entities who had dared threaten their Demon Sacred Sect before. All hundreds pair of eyes were locked on the cloudy area, which was now filled with void --the place where Great Elder Fang De’s mansion had once been. As the billows of dust gradually settled down, a floating black-robed figure wearing a kabuki mask slowly came into view. There was not a single undulation of aura coming from the person. If not for the elders scrutinizing the entire field with care, they may not have noticed the figure hovering within the smoke! “Who are you?! What have you done to the Great Elder Fang De?!” One of the elders shouted. However, many already knew the answer to that. Being caught up in such a horrifying explosion, perhaps not even a Great Elder would survive… The lonely figure did not reply, instead he lifted up his head and emotionless-ly gazed at the mass of elders. Some of the elders who made eye contact with those dark shrouded eyes behind the mask suddenly felt as if they were vulnerable, as if the other person could see through their entire existence. It was an unnerving sensation. “This is strange...I thought that there was another person in the mansion with Great Elder Fang De before, but now that person’s Qi aura has vanished.” A male elder in cyan robe suddenly said as he surveyed his surrounding using his Divine Sense. “Is it not the aura of that person down there?” Another male elder commented. He was still far away when the pillar of light appeared and had just arrived here. “No, this person’s aura...is very different. It’s not the same one I felt in the mansion at that time.” The cyan robed elder said solemnly. Hearing this, all the other elders grew glum as they realized the seriousness of the situation. If there were two different auras present, that would mean that there are two intruders. Or possibly more who had infiltrated their Sect ground. To have more than one unfamiliar stranger enter their Sacred Demon Sect since its founding...this was a great humiliation to one of the great grand sects of the continent! “What should we do with that masked person?” An elder in blue robe spoke in a raspy voice. He had noticed that while some of the elders were engaged in a short talk, the intruder had not moved from their initial spot at all. It was like the other person was saying they were not in a hurry to escape… Looking at the elders surrounding him in the sky, Huang Xue had a relaxed smile behind his mask. He was surveying the large crops of cultivators who had gathered around the entire time. And judging by the auras that the groups gave off, many were already in the mid-stages of the Heavenly Wang realm, with a few emanating Qi levels at the late stages! To have so many top practitioners gather at one place, it was a sight that could be considered rare among the rarest! “Is this the general strength of the elders here? The layout of this Sect ground is pretty complex as well…” Huang Xue thought to himself as he observed the areas below him through his divine senses. Suddenly, he picked up four strong auras that were rapidly approaching his location. Three of the auras were approaching from the northern direction. These energies were at the level of the Empyrean Hun realm. But the last Qi aura, coming from the south, that Huang Xue felt was on a whole new level. If Huang Xue’s guess is correct, this should be a presence that belongs only to...a Divine Zhu cultivator! “I have already imprinted the layouts of this Sacred Demon Sect in my mind as well as gotten a more decisive grasp of the level of strength it possess...it should be time to leave?” Huang Xue thought as Qi energy began revolving within his body. He had initially wanted to attract over all the powers within the Sacred Demon Sect to see the level of competency, which was why he had used more energy than he had needed to deal with that Fang De fellow. However, it did not seem like everyone was present. Though, this still gave Huang Xue a great deal of insight into this grand sect’s might... This was also not the time for a death match with the Sacred Demon Sect. The purpose this time for Huang Xue was merely to examine this sect’s overall strength and its surrounding geography. These were things that may later come in handy in the future. Even if Huang Xue possessed the power to annihilate the Sacred Demon Sect, this was not his current goal and would instead bring a huge disturbance to the orders of power in this world. And if he were to die, suppose Huang Xue would finally be able to free his soul then, but he would still be left with his curse and without a body to accomplish his goal! Thus he must strive to survive at all cost, before the curse fully takes over! Moreover, his death would most likely later cause the Godly Supreme Hall to perish immediately --taking along with him millions of lives. While those lives that may be lost would be cultivators and therefore would not affect his Karma, it’s the idea that people’s lives were unnecessarily extinguished because of him, that did not sit well with Huang Xue. If he had a problem, he would solve it himself without using other people. Of course, unless they were willing to give up their lives for him --but who would wish to do that for an elder, ancestor or not, whom those young cultivators barely even knew? Now that Huang Xue had achieved his temporary goal, his body suddenly glowed with a golden light. The elders who were watching all cried out in alarm: “Watch out! He’s going to use his Dao energy!” “Prepare yourself! Do not underestimate him!” *Whoosh!* *Voosh!* The air immediately began vibrating with all sorts of Dao energy as it lit up with hundreds of different glows. Flames, water, darkness, wind, thunder and other elements enshrouded the sky in dazzling colors. However, amidst the unleash of the Qi energies, Huang Xue did not give them time to completely prepare as his figure blurred from where he was standing. Before the elders could react, a large sound rang high above them. *BOOM!* Startled, everyone looked up to see a 5 meters wide hole appear in the glowing, purple sealing formation above them. A look of utter shock and disbelief flitted across the face of each elders in the group. “The...the Heavenly Demon Seal Formation has been broken!” “W-what?! How could this be…?” The Heavenly Demon Seal Formation was top-level spiritual art of Array Spiritualists. It possessed the ability to trap any humans or objects within, and had the unique trait greatly suppressing anyone who did not have the Sacred Demon Sect crest. Dimensional movements within the formation is useless. The attacks are only effective when one is five feet away from the formation itself, but normal martial arts attacks are useless. Not to mention, the formation itself takes pride in its terrifying defense. Even a normal, peak Divine Zhu practitioner, once trapped, would not be able to break free! “Everyone, quickly after the intruder! We must not let him escape!” One of the elders woke from her daze and shouted. Apparently she was still unable to carefully consider the entire situation yet. Just as the elders were about to give chase, a solemn voice suddenly filled with void sounded out in the air, causing everyone to come to a halt. “Do not pursue the person.” The hundreds of elders turned to see a middle-aged man in a purple dragon robe hovering the air. No one had noticed when this person appeared. But the moment the elders laid eyes on him, they all kneeled in the sky and gave a respectful salute. “””We pay our respect to the Sacred Demon Monarch!””” In the Sacred Demon Sect, the Sect Master was often referred to as the ‘Sacred Demon Monarch’, rather than the Sect Master. The word ‘Monarch’ is taken from the cultivation realm of Divine Zhu. Meaning, only individuals at the Divine Zhu realm would be able to become a Sect Master at the Sacred Demon Sect… In each of the Three Absolute Grand Sects, the sect masters all had their own unique sect title to address by! It was a way to differentiate their superiority from the normal Sect Masters. The middle-aged man gave a slight nod and lifted his head to look at the large hole in the formation. His face was expressionless and cold, like an uncut ice. But even at his age, there was a handsome charm to his looks and his dark blue eyes radiated an aura that was hard to resist. The man’s graying hair blew gently behind him, fluttering almost in rhythm to his robe. While the Demon Monarch was observing the destruction, a male elder in green robe respectfully spoke out: “Great Demon Monarch, please excuse this servant for questioning, but should not give chase to that intruder? If words of this were to get out that our grand sect was infiltrated this easily, then I’m afraid…” This person was a diehard supporter of the Sacred Demon Sect, so for him to see his beloved ‘home’ being invaded had caused him to feel extremely agitated, almost crossing his own line of authority… The Demon Monarch did not turn to look at the elder. Instead, continuing to gaze the gaping hole in the formation, he replied in a monotonous voice: “If you all believe you can capture a Saint Overlord-level cultivator, then you may continue your pursuit.” Hearing this, all the elders instantly became alarmed. When it came to their current Demon Monarch, they knew he was a being whom jokes eluded. Whatever he said, they would firmly believe him. This time was no exception either, as each elder became nervous and endlessly shocked. The Demon Monarch continued: “Even without me being near to feel that person’s aura, to be able to break our Heavenly Demon Seal Formation, one would at least have to be in the Saint Overlord realm. This was a design created by our very own Ancestor. And that person did not escape by breaking through the formation, but by ripping a dimension in it...I have seen our Ancestor use such ability before.” Slowly turning to look at the green robed elder, the purple dragon robed man added: “So if you still wish to die, then you may go by yourself, but do not waste the time of everyone in our Sect by having them chase their death..” The green robed elder lowered his head in shame and fear, while the other sect elders felt a creeping dread in their hearts. To think that they were trying to capture a Saint Overlord eccentric with their measly strength...just thinking about that made their face turn pale. One has to know that compared to a Saint Overlord, even if a hundred Heavenly Wang cultivators attacked at once, they would still be hard pressed to even leave a scratch on the former’s body! To reach a Saint Overlord kind of existence, was akin to trying to cross to a different world. They were simply not on the same level at all.
Chapter 16: Ancestor The green robed elder lowered his head in shame and fear, while the other sect elders felt a creeping dread in their hearts. To think that they were trying to capture a Saint Overlord eccentric with their measly strength...just thinking about that made their face turn pale. Fortunately, the other party did not seem interested in fighting with them. If that person did...then perhaps all of them would have been visiting the Yellow River by now! (Author: Yellow River = place where the dead goes, appears as a saying often in Xianhuan, Xianxia, and other Chinese fantasy-genre novels) Suddenly, three black streaks of light shot down from the sky and landed in front of the Demon Monarch, materializing into three kneeling old men. Each elder had long white hair, looking to be in their sixties and wearing a black attire with a white fan crest on their chest. “”“We three Great Elders pay our respect to the Sacred Demon Monarch! We have arrived too late and allowed the intruder to escape. Please issue your punishment for us!””” The three Great Elders said in unison with their head deeply lowered. The Demon Sacred Sect was a very large territory. Traveling from one end to another was not a simple task, even for Empyrean Hun cultivators, due to the many smaller formations one had to get authenticated before crossing. The land was akin to a mid sized country! “No need. Even if you three had come, nothing would’ve changed.” The Demon Monarch emotionlessly said, waving his sleeve in a subtle gesture at the sky behind them. When the three Great Elders turned and saw the large gap in the sealing formation, their face instantly turned a sheet of white. As Great Elder-level figures, they naturally had better knowledge of the inner dealings of the Sect, such as the level of defensive capability their Sacred Demon Sect’s sealing formation had. “My god...someone who’s at least in the Saint Overlord realm had actually infiltrated our Sect?!” A great elder with beady eyes exclaimed in shock. “How is this possible...such an exalted being would swoop so low as to secretly enter our sect ground and attack us...inconceivable..” “Could...it be one of the other two grand sects?” Another great elder, wearing a black dress, asked solemnly. There was a faint hint of dread and weariness in her tone. In this vast land, the only Saint Overlords she knew of were from the Three Absolute Grand Sects. Other regions simply did not possess the power to have such beings, at least not the ones that she knew of. A broad shouldered elder, wearing a blue robe, took a step for at this time and respectfully said: “Respected Great Elders, while we are unable to ascertain who the masked one is, the core disciples of Great Elder Fang De told us that they had last seen an elder from the Eternal Sword Spirit Palace enter the great elder’s room.” “What? Someone from the Eternal Sword Spirit Palace had actually came to our sect without any other the great elders knowing?...Did they say who was it?” The black dressed female elder asked solemnly. To have a person from a foreign sect enter their own school ground, without letting the elders know, was a forbidden practice. That Fang De should have at least notified one of the Great elders, especially if someone from a grand sect had come to pay a visit… The blue robed elder replied attentively: “They say the other person was Elder Gan Long. The aura released by the intruder earlier also had traces of Sword intent in it. Moreover, several other nearby elders have also testified feeling Elder Gan Long’s aura preceding the attack and...it seems that this elder had visited our Sect ground several times before this…” A few eyes twinkled with an intelligent light among the crowds of elders, as some began to curse out loud: “Gan Long? I heard that name. That person has a lot of nasty rumors surrounding him. Why would the Great Elder Fang De meet with such a person?” “That damn Eternal Sword Spirit Palace! Even if we’re on a somewhat friendly basis with one another, did they really think they’re our allies?! To dare send people over to spy and even attack our sect like this! We must not let them off!” “Right! Regardless if it was truly Gan Long or not, it must be linked with the Sword Spirit Palace! We should send some people over to teach a few of them a lesson...they are practically not taking us into account!” “If Gan Long was here and he had actually brought someone into our sect...that other person...could it be Sword Spirit Palace’s Sect Master?” “How could that be possible? Someone as powerful as that ancient elder would not do something like this. Moreover, our two sects have been on decent terms to go against that Godly Supreme Hall...I truly do not know why they would want to attack us at this point. Perhaps they are trying to stab us in the back once the Godly Supreme Hall falls?” The elders began speculating in the air, while the black dressed elder narrowed her eyes as she sank into contemplation. It seems there might be more to this issue than it looked on the surface. To invite over an elder from another sect several times without letting one of them know? That was basically a serious offense to the Sacred Demon Sect! Just what was Fang De doing? Just...what is going on?! “Wait, where is Great Elder Fang De? I heard he was engaged in battle with the intruder? Could he have...” The last great elder, who had scholar look to him, suddenly said, turning his head and surveying the entire ground with his Divine Sense. But nothing turned up. “Gan Long does not seem to be here as well...he must have somehow secretly left with the help with of that Saint Overlord..” The scholarly great elder had a downcast face when he affirmed that Great Elder’s Qi aura could not be detected anymore. There was not even a morsel of residue energy to identify the elder by! The Demon Monarch, who had remained silent and detached, with none being able to read his mind, finally spoke. The moment his words came out, the world descended into complete silence for him. “Fang De is dead. During the attack, only he and a few elders had died, while everything else was left intact. And the person does not seem to be from the other grand sects. The aura is too different...too vicious, yet strangely familiar. Everything may simply be that person’s disguise, thus, there is no need to speculate any further. However, it is true that Gan Long had informally entered our sect several times, and Great Elder Fang De had violated the rules. As it stands, we will still settle this with the Sword Spirit Palace. Now everyone, return and guard your assigned section. Those who were the here earliest and had witnessed the entire event, come with me and give me all the details. No one is to spread this news out, lest you wish for death. I will personally go notify the Ancestor of this matter after this.” The Ancestor? The three great elders and the normal elders in the background all had a look of surprise on their face. No one had heard from the Sacred Demon Sect’s ancestor for nearly three thousand years since she went into secluded training. Many originally believed that the ancestor had perished in battle somewhere far away or was met with a serious problem in her training, so overtime the elders had slowly put the name of this legendary figure to the back of their mind. However, the Demon Monarch seemed to know the whereabouts of the Ancestor! This was unexpected, as even the Demon Monarch rarely mentioned her. His cold demeanor and impassive attitude made it very difficult for any of the elders to approach the sect master, much less derive secrets from the latter. A small spark of excitement and hope began to well up in many of the elders’ heart. If the Ancestor was truly still alive and could return to the Sacred Demon Sect, their full strength would once again return, or even be elevated to a new height! After all, after three thousands years of absence, the ancestor was sure to have reached a new martial realm...
Chapter 17: Essence Flames The sparkling stars hugged the deep midnight flavored sky, with towering minarets dotting the shadowy Godly Supreme Hall ground. All is quiet, save the faint whispers of mother wind and the occasional howls of beasts in the surrounding dark forests. *Ssssss…* At this late hour, a soft tearing noise resounded in the air. A slit could be seen zipping down in the middle of the cool sky, spanning nearly a meter and half long before it stopped and began to ‘open’ up. A swirling black void could seen within the rift, as a young man in black robe leisurely stepped out from within. A pure white kabuki mask was fittingly donned on his face. The moment the youth exited the rift, a violet light shot down from afar the ground and stopped a few feets away from the former, transforming into a beautiful graying haired woman in a golden dragon dress. An oppressive aura was constantly being emitting from her, as she stood guard against the other individual. Looking at the unknown youth, Yue Jing had a faint sense of nervousness. She had hurriedly arrived over when she felt a strange undulation of Qi in the air. At first, she thought it was her Master returning so she had excitedly flew towards the Head Martial Tower, calling off the other elders to remain stationed. But as Yue Jing got nearer, she felt that the aura was not the same as her master. The sudden thought of a powerful intruder immediately flashed across her mind! And from the distance, upon seeing the white-haired youth step out from a dimensional gap in the sky, Yue Jing could feel her heart tighten. To travel through a piece of dimensional space was a defining ability of Saint Overlords...it was not something a peak Divine Zhu practitioner like her could handle. However, Yue Jing was not any normal practitioner. She was the Sect Master of the Godly Supreme Hall, and one of the direct disciples of the famed Song Huang Xue! She had a dignity, not just her own, to protect. So, Yue Jing fearlessly and cautiously went forward. Amidst her panic at the powerful stranger, Yue Jing failed to take notice that the Hall’s sealing formation was not activated. Unlike the Sacred Demon Sect’s formation, the Godly Supreme Hall’s sealing formation would immediately activate when it detects a foreign existence, whom has not been approved, by the Hall itself! Yue Jing stared at the kabuki mask on the youth, which was being slightly overshadowed by the moon reflecting from the back of the latter. Along with the person’s flowing white hair dancing under the moonlight, it gave the youth a enigmatic atmosphere. The black clothes of the youth also gave off a familiar smell, but the foreign aura the person was giving off said otherwise. The floating youth did not say a word, as he reached up with his jade hand and quietly took off his mask, revealing a smooth and elegant appearance beneath. For a brief moment, Yue Jing felt her heart race. She almost thought she was looking at an ancient painting of a celestial, before she snapped away from her daze. While the person in front of her may look young, Yue Jing was well aware he was anything but that... Cupping her hands to the youth in front of her, Yue Jing slightly bowed and asked respectfully: “Honored senior, may I inquire why you have come to our Godly Supreme Hall? If elder wanted to visit, you could have come through our front gate...we would have properly received an esteemed guest such as you.” When Yue Jing finished speaking, she waited for the other person to reply. But a response never came. At this, Yue Jing began to worry that the other party may have come with ill intentions. If that was true, then without her master and senior brothers here...it would be definitely end up becoming a tough battle, though certainly not an ‘impossible’ one. Lifting up her head slowly, Yue Jing saw that the the black robed youth in front of her had an amused expression on his face, which puzzled her. Why was he smiling like that? It is as if he knows me… A second later, the youth finally opened his mouth as a vigorous voice sounded out: “Silly disciple, what esteemed senior are you speaking of? It is I, your master!” “Huh?” Yue Jing looked on in confusion, before she saw the youth flick his sleeves as the aura around him began to change. Soon, a Qi aura that Yue Jing was more than familiar with pulsated around the youth’s body. Yue Jing stared with wide eyes as she exclaimed: “Mas...master? You...this...eh?” There was bewilderment written all over her face as she stared her master. While Huang Xue’s appearance had greatly changed over the past seven days, upon closer inspection, Yue Jing realized that there was faint resemblance of her master’s old looks. Though, she was still a little hesitant.. But as if Huang Xue had expected Yue Jing’s suspicion, he promptly flashed a golden medallion inscribed with complex symbols in front of Yue Jing. This was the Supreme Medallion, which only the Ancestor possessed! The medallion also gave off a unique undulation, making it impossible for anyone to fabricate it! Seeing the golden proof and feeling the familiar aura from the medallion, all of Yue Jing’s doubts vanished like mist. Now that it was clear the person before Yue Jing was her master, she quickly gave a deep bow as she saluted: “Yue Jing pays respect to Master!” “Mn. You may rise.” Huang Xue nodded as he smiled at her. Straightening herself, Yue Jing said politely: “Master, since you have just returned, we should go inside the Head Martial Tower for a rest! Yue’er also have news about the materials you wanted!” Huang Xue’s eyes glowed a little when he heard Yue Jing’s words, as he gave a faint nod and calmly floated towards the top level of the Head Martial Tower. Beneath him, there was only a ground void of presence, with all the disciples either at rest or hard at training within their living quarters. The Hall ground was in peaceful silence. Yue Jing quietly followed right behind her master. Although she was curious about her master’s strange change in aura and his new appearance, Yue Jing knew that as a disciple, it was not her place to probe into the secrets and affairs of her master. After all, everyone had a secret or two that they keep from others --including herself. Arriving inside the sixth floor of the Head Martial Tower, Huang Xue walked over to a nearby black table and sat down on the hazel colored throne beside it. Yue Jing was right behind him as she served a cup of lukewarm tea to her master. While Huang Xue took a sip from the tea, Yue Jing stood obediently on the side. After a few moments of peace, Huang Xue first spoke: “The ‘matter’ has been dealt with. If everything went accordingly, my identity should still be hidden and the other two grand sects should not be working together for a while…” Yue Jing’s face lit up with joy when she heard her master’s words. She had seen her master’s disguise a moment ago, so as an intelligent person, Yue Jing could naturally guess that her master must have used some secret techniques to hide himself! She immediately bowed and said with a voice laced with excitement and reverence: “Yue’er thanks honored master for his help!” Her master had always been someone whom she had placed her greatest trust on. Since the day she was taken in as Huang Xue’s disciple, Yue Jing had grown to heavily rely on her master. This was not to say that she was weak or useless, but rather her master’s constant doting and benevolent nature. The previous Huang Xue had never gotten mad at her, and his usual demeanor was laced with an unusual calmness. Because of that, Yue Jing had truly revered her master from the age of ten when she left her family clan to study under the wings of her master. This was several years before her master had founded the Godly Supreme Hall. And as time passed, her family members and clan had slowly given into the test of time. By the time Yue Jing had become powerful and could finally return to her land, she had painfully discovered that she was the only one left. From that day forth, besides her elder brothers, Yue Jing had viewed Huang Xue partially as a fatherly figure and partially as her grand master. Only towards her master, the one who continued to comfort and teach her when her own world had perished, would Yue Jing let down her guard. Huang Xue waved his hands as he said: “There is no need to be courteous between master and disciple. Oh, right, Yue’er you said that you have the ingredients I’ve asked you to collect?” Yue Jing stood up as she took out from her dress a purple colored cosmic ring. She replied with a smile: “Yes, master. While we are still searching for the things you’ve requested on the second scroll, we’ve managed to gather the materials you wanted on the first list.” Passing the purple ring to Huang Xue, Yue Jing then stood patiently on the side. When Huang Xue received the ring, his eyes glowed with excitement and hope. He promptly exclaimed: “Good! Good! Yue’er, you have done well this time!” Yue Jing blushed as she stood beside her seated master. This was an unusual reaction from Huang Xue. She had never seen her master praise her so openly and so loudly either. Before, it was either a gentle smile or a stroke on her head that conveyed her master’s happiness. But...it was not like she disliked her master being so open like these either… “Mmn, I shall begin refining this immediately. Yue’er, since it is so late already, you may go rest now.” Huang Xue said as he contained his excitement from leaking out. Yue Jing, sensing the subtle agitation and impatience coming from her master, quickly assented and left the room in a streak of violet light. Now, there was only Huang Xue and the purple cosmic ring in his hand left. Sending his divine sense into the ring to survey its content, Huang Xue smiled when he saw that all thirty ingredients that he’d asked for was inside. Not a single one was missing, and being down to the exact kilograms and size! With a flick of his wrist, all the materials within the purple ring flashed out and landed on the carpet floor. Huang Xue lifted his hands as black colored flames appeared in the air, surrounding the various herbs and special stones on the floor. The power that Huang Xue used was not Qi energy, but rather than Essence Flames. These were special fires that alchemists use to refine both objects and medicines. Across the Feng Shui continent, besides Array Spiritualists, another highly received group of cultivators are the Essence Alchemists. This was precisely derived from the essence flames in which they often use to create their work. There was surmised to be around one billion kinds of different Essence Flames, and possibly even more undiscovered ones. These were flames that held varying degrees of hints from the Dao of Pyre, one of the Zhen Daos. As such, only cultivators with an affinity to either fire or earth could possibly practice alchemy. But other than this restriction, there were no cultivation limits on whether a person could use Essence flames or not. Meaning, even a Temporary Di realm cultivator could become a famed Essence Alchemist should they have great control over this art. However, while there may seem to be many Essence Flames, not everyone could get ahold of one. One issue is the difficulty of finding one, as many of such flames dwell within either secretive or extremely dangerous areas. And another issue is one’s compatibility with the flame type. With these two challenges present, they would also mean that becoming an Essence Alchemist was highly difficult, due to the variables of luck and affinity. It was such, that the population of such cultivators was much less than that of Array Spiritualists. As Huang Xue controlled his Essence Flames to swallow up the entire batch of ingredients, he began to carefully mold the materials within. The flames continued to swirl in the air, however it did not off a sense of intense heat, nor did it set the nearby furnitures on fire upon contact. It was as if the black flame was an illusion, yet one could vaguely feel pressure coming from the flame itself! With the large amount of essence flames discovered across the continent, there would naturally be a difference in quality and power between them. As such, Essence Flames were categorized into four classes according to the powerful alchemists across the continent: Natural Class, Rare Class, Ancient Class, and Primordial Class. Natural class were the lowest and weakest type of essence flames a user could get. However, the difficulty of obtaining even a Natural-class essence flame is still high. A rare-class one was regarded extremely highly across regions; and an Ancient-class was considered heavenly treasures in the elite sects and major powers across the world. As for Primordial-class? That was level of flame which could be considered legendary even within the Three Absolute Grand Sects!