White Tiger Cultivator

Chapter 1: Second Chance

The place where souls of the dead gather is unknown. People believe in reincarnation and hope to be reborn into a better life. Some souls, driven by deep ambitions and regrets, retain fragments of their past lives. These souls often bring great change, good or bad, directly or indirectly, like a stone skimming across a lake, each ripple influencing the next.

However, some souls linger in the Mortal Realm, choosing their own bodies. The Keepers of the Dead search for these rebellious souls, ensuring the Heavens dictate their next life as per Heaven’s Decree. One such soul, hailing from Earth, ventured into the unknown, seeking an intriguing world. Over millennia, its memories faded until only fragments remained, its original purpose long forgotten.

After countless ages, the soul found a planet similar to Earth. Earth? The name felt familiar, but the memories associated with it were lost. The spirit, now just an orange soul flame, descended to the planet, invisible to the living. It searched for days but found no suitable body. Possessing a living body would draw the wrath of the Keepers, who would annihilate its soul. It needed a body, freshly dead.

The spirit longed for a life of luxury, though it no longer remembered why. Perhaps its former self had desired such a life? It recalled vague images of an empire resembling ancient China, a world straight out of a xianxia novel. China? Xianxia? Television? So many names, but no memories to connect them. Time was running out; the soul’s memories were fading fast.

Finally, it saw a young boy in princely garb being bullied by other children. The boy, who seemed to be a prince, did not fight back. His silk clothes marked him as nobility. Ah, it was jealousy. The people of this world were just like those on Earth. The boy, unable to cry out, was mute. He leaned over a wooden bridge, reaching for something green shining in the lake below. The other children grabbed his legs and tossed him into the water. They laughed until they realized he couldn’t swim. Panic set in as the boy sank.

The spirit watched with anticipation as the boy flailed helplessly. This was its chance. The boy, maybe ten years old, with black hair and lightning-blue eyes, would soon die. The spirit’s excitement grew as the boy’s struggles ceased. But before he drowned, the boy spotted the source of the green shine—a small, golden pearl with the image of a white tiger inside. In his final moments, the boy swallowed the pearl and died.

The spirit rejoiced as the boy’s orange soul flame rose and vanished in a pillar of light, invisible to the living. Quickly, the spirit entered the boy’s body. The soul flame expanded, igniting life within the boy. His veins, arteries, bones, and organs grew tougher as the spirit took control. The boy’s eyes, now vibrant with life, opened.

But something was wrong. The spirit, now in the boy’s body, swallowed the golden pearl, and a searing pain erupted inside. Was it going to die? It had just gained a new body! Refusing to accept this fate, the spirit willed the body to endure. The boy gasped for air as he surfaced, trembling from the pearl’s foreign energy, before collapsing unconscious on the shore.

---

The spirit groaned as it began to hear voices. It was alive! Against all odds, it had succeeded. The body ached from the bruises the former host had endured. The spirit relaxed as a warm energy spread through its new body. It was a body! It couldn’t believe it. It had gained a new life. Now, it would have to play the role of an amnesiac, as it had no access to the body’s memories.

“My boy! Who did this to my boy?” a woman’s voice cried, her scream piercing the spirit’s ears.

“Please be calm, Your Highness. The second prince needs his rest,” an elderly voice replied.

“Royal Physician, will my little brother be okay?” a younger male voice asked.

“He still gets bullied, and he’s already past ten years!” a young female voice added as the spirit’s vision cleared from pitch black to hazy.

“Don’t worry about those brats who tried to kill your brother. I’ve sentenced them and their clans to death. They’ll be executed by my soldiers before the day’s end,” a mature voice declared. “No one harms my son, Lu Shu, and lives! I, Emperor Lu Yi of the Yan Dynasty, will not allow it!”

“He’s awake!” the empress cried as she saw Shu’s eyes open and look around in wonder. “Shu! Do you recognize me? Do you know what happened?”

“He’s mute, Mother,” a teenage boy reminded her.

“Where am I? Who are you? And who... am I?” the spirit asked, laughing inwardly despite knowing it was wrong. It was just so happy to have a body.

“You... you can speak! Shu can speak!” an older girl exclaimed, pointing at him.

“Mei and Xing, take your mother and leave,” the emperor ordered as he stroked his black beard in wonder. “My dear Empress Rong, please go for now and handle the nobles. I need to assess Shu.”

“I... I’ll be back, Shu,” the empress said tearfully, hugging her dazed son before leading her other children outside.

The spirit, now Lu Shu, sat up, his lightning-blue eyes darting around the red wooden room before settling on his father. He had a family now. This was good. He just hoped his life would be more fortunate than the body’s former host. Emperor Lu Yi, over six feet tall, wore a golden robe with a black dragon embroidered across the front and back, adorned with small lotus flowers.

“Lu Shu, do you really not remember?” his father asked.

Shu tilted his head and said, “I don’t remember much. I can only recall being pushed and drowning. I remember holding my breath and screaming, but no one could hear me. How can I speak?”

“I don’t know,” his father replied, a sad smile on his face. “It is a fortune in disguise. While you may have forgotten us, you have gained the ability to speak! Your bullies will soon be dead. I must go, but I need to know one thing: how do you have a spiritual pulse in your body?”

“Spiritual pulse? You mean spirit energy? I... I don’t know,” Shu answered, though he suspected it was related to the pearl.

“So you don’t know. When a child turns ten, their body might awaken spirit energy through an external source. It’s risky, and many don’t survive. Those who do often become Mages, while those who focus on physical prowess are known as Practitioners.”

“So I’m a Practitioner now?” Shu asked.

“Yes. You are a Spirit Shaman, the lowest of four tiers. Think of each tier as a higher life form. Each tier has nine stages of cultivation. The tiers are Spirit Shaman, Spirit Knight, Spirit Master, and Spirit Sage. In our Yan Dynasty, the most powerful Practitioner is a Spirit Master of the first stage. Our empire is small and peaceful compared to the larger empires, but we are still larger than kingdoms with our seven provinces,” Emperor Yi explained. “I don’t know your cultivation stage, but this is a good thing. When you turn thirteen, I will send you away to one of the sects.”

“Why? Did I do something wrong?” Shu asked.

“No, my son. I must send you away because you are the second son. As you grow older, your presence in the palace might inspire those who dislike your brother to form a faction around you, claiming you as the rightful heir. A civil war would be inevitable if I didn’t send you away. I’m sorry, but your circumstances have improved—you would have been exiled otherwise,” the emperor sighed, sitting next to Shu. “The throne is a heavy burden that others don’t understand. They see the power but not the responsibility it entails. In the imperial library, there are books our ancestors used when they were Practitioners. Perhaps your memory will never return, but that might be a blessing. You suffered much before they tried to kill you. Whatever money or items their clans had will be given to you in a spatial ring. I must go now. I’m glad you’re alright, my son.”

Shu watched in wonder as his father left. So much for a new family. He would be on his own soon enough. A fragment of his past came to mind, and he sat cross-legged on his bed, hands on his knees. He was going to do what was called cultivation. Perhaps that was what his new father had spoken about.

As he shut his eyes, he felt the golden energy swirling inside his body. A faint, golden glow emanated from him as he continued to meditate, gathering spirit energy from his surroundings. His body grew warm, the sensation spreading from his chest to his limbs. It was an amazing feeling, and Shu was lost in it as he continued to cultivate.

Later that night, his father returned with General Meng Ce, a Practitioner and one of his army’s generals. The general was surprised to see Lu Shu meditating calmly. Rumors of the weak second prince were well known—he was described as a timid mute, too afraid to fight back. But here he was, gathering spirit energy.

“What do you think, General Meng Ce?” the emperor asked.

“Your son is indeed a Practitioner, Your Majesty. He must be given a Practitioner weapon and begin training if he is to join a sect,” the general bowed. “I can teach him what I know,

but I dare not cultivate further to become a Spirit Knight. The Heavens punish higher life forms for meddling in Mortal Realm affairs, and I like being a general. I can teach him the basics, while you provide a Practitioner weapon and a few techniques from the Imperial Vault. We have much to do. Most top sects only accept those in the middle of the third stage of cultivation. Few sects have elders who are Spirit Knights. I suggest Your Majesty research them before the three years are up.”

“Will three years be enough?” the emperor asked.

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty,” the general replied. “The first two stages of cultivation are the fastest, laying the foundation for his future. By the third stage, his spirit pulse should be strong enough for us to see his spirit form. It’s usually a weapon or a beast of some sort. With his background and Your Majesty’s resources, he should reach that level in time.”

“Very well. I leave my son in your hands,” the emperor said. “Tomorrow, we will do as you suggested. Choose the best Practitioner weapon and assist him as much as you can, General. This is my only way to repay my son for sending him away and denying him his birthright as a candidate for the throne.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the general bowed deeply and followed the emperor out.

Chapter 2: New Society

Before dawn the next morning, news of the execution of three clans and the discovery of the Spirit Pulse in the second prince had spread throughout the Yan Empire. While people died every day, the deaths of three clans did not cause much stir; however, the discovery of the second prince’s Spirit Pulse did. Princes were candidates for the throne! The once weak-willed, mute second prince had been deemed a cripple by many. How could he be a good prince if he couldn’t even speak?

The palace and the nobility were in a state of fear. Each of the three clans had been powerful in the empire. It might make sense to kill the bullies and their immediate relatives, but the entire clan? No one wanted to cross the second prince of Yan anymore. Many people in the capital had sneered at and thrown things at the worthless prince. He had been considered a handicap, but now he had become a Practitioner. Becoming a mage was a dream for many, elevating one to the status of a lower noble. To become a Practitioner? Even armies would stop in their tracks to let you pass if you were a Spirit Knight.

Mages were highly valued in the Yan Empire, famous for its armies of mages. However, Practitioners were fewer in number but often more formidable than any mage. Why? Because Practitioners led dangerous lives, pushing their limits to increase their cultivation. They became accustomed to death, realizing that taking others' items could be a shortcut to power. Mages, on the other hand, lived in luxurious, heavily guarded sanctuaries or academies, practicing their magic without fear.

Mages skilled in healing magic were the most guarded and sought after in any nation, functioning as walking infirmaries. Magic had no limits; many schools existed, and even raising the dead was possible. This allure made many people prefer magic over awakening their spirit energy. Why risk death when one could live a life of luxury and peace? However, mages ultimately bowed to Practitioners, an undeniable fact. Although the emperor felt regret that he couldn’t send his son to a mage academy to heal his muteness and make him a mage, he was pleased that his son had become a Practitioner.

Prince Xing was also glad that Shu was no longer mute. With Shu being sent to a martial sect, any would-be assassins would think twice before taking the risk. Princess Mei was also relieved. Despite her dislike for her brother, she loved him and envied his ability to choose his own path. As a princess, her fate was to be married off to strengthen the imperial family’s ties to another powerful force. No one knew how Shu had suddenly gained a Spirit Pulse or why he had lost some of his memories. Lu Shu had changed, and so had people’s views of him.

As Shu’s Spirit Pulse fully stabilized and formed upon reaching the third stage of cultivation, his affinities remained unknown. After he awoke and had breakfast, he was summoned to the throne room and learned more about the world of Practitioners from his new father and General Meng Ce. As far as Practitioners were concerned, there were various paths to immortality, determined by three things: their combat style, their inner spirit, and the elemental spirit energy flowing in their bodies.

Needless to say, a Practitioner had to know how to fight bare-handed. This was the fundamental form of combat, while weapons were merely extensions and alterations of their combat style. Some focused on strengthening their physical power, some on increasing agility and speed, while others emphasized defense. The weapon chosen should reflect the Practitioner’s bare-handed style. A Practitioner with a focus on strength should not use a weapon dependent on speed, such as a dagger, as it would be counterproductive.

The second aspect was what the Practitioner’s Spirit Pulse would turn into upon reaching the third stage of cultivation. During the first two stages, the Practitioner learns to detect and absorb spirit energy into their body. As the spirit energy condenses, it forms a shape upon breaking through to the third stage. Spirits are categorized into beast, weapon, and armor types, with armor spirits being the rarest and most powerful.

The larger the spirit, the more powerful the armor spirit. Upon reaching the Spirit Knight stage, Practitioners could materialize their spirit on their body, boasting the best physical and spiritual defenses. Very few people are born with the innate talent to form a complete armor spirit at the third stage. Practitioners with armor spirits were highly coveted by armies and sects worldwide. They had one unique advantage: the ability to use any spirit technique, regardless of elemental energy.

Elemental energy refers to the spiritual form of elements. Practitioners who trained in fire techniques could not practice water or ice techniques because they are conflicting elements. The elemental energy within the Practitioner’s Spirit Pulse would attack each other, leading to death. Therefore, conflicting elements cannot coexist in a Practitioner’s body. This is why armor spirits are so coveted, though they are also the most likely to be hunted by enemy sects or jealous peers.

The second type of spirit is the weapon type. Like armor spirits, Practitioners with weapon spirits can materialize their weapon spirits. However, weapon spirits are primarily offensive. As they progress, they can summon many copies of their weapon spirit, becoming a walking army of flying weapons. Weapon spirits depict the Practitioner’s fighting style and are the most numerous and diverse. They are more flexible and absorb spirit energy more easily, allowing them to advance through stages faster. While they might not learn all techniques, they can choose elements to study. The downside is that weapon spirits rarely evolve, and Practitioners with weapon spirits tend to have less potential.

The final type of spirit is the beast spirit. Although not as rare as armor spirits, beast spirits are the most tyrannical. The elemental spirit techniques they can learn are predetermined by their spirit. The more powerful and magical the spirit, the stronger it is. Beast spirits take the longest to cultivate to the next stage due to the massive amount of spirit energy they contain. They have the strongest and fastest bodies, with superior agility and reflexes. Although Shu was unaware, he had a white tiger beast spirit due to the golden pearl he swallowed. This pearl was also a variant, but that’s a story for another time. Beast spirits have the unique ability to create their own techniques based on their spirit.

After learning about Practitioners, Shu was allowed to tour the capital until nightfall, when he would enter the vault with General Meng and begin his new life as a Practitioner. The emperor wanted everyone to know that his son was no longer a mute and would become a Practitioner. He wanted them to be cautious in the future.

Once Shu became a powerful Practitioner, it would be clear he would ally with and defend the Yan Empire from rogue mages and Practitioners. Even enemy nations would hesitate to challenge a powerful country backed by a Practitioner. Mages were practically inconsequential compared to a skilled Practitioner. While mages might not be able to challenge the ruling house or army if they were a Spirit Knight or above, killing everyone else was fair game in the eyes of the Heavens. People flocked to powerful nations for security and peaceful lives.

Currently, Shu was touring the capital and browsing through stalls. Four Spirit Shamans at the sixth stage of cultivation escorted him, with ten others hiding in the shadows. People smiled and bowed politely when they saw the second prince, not wanting to suffer the same fate as the executed clans. Shu smirked slightly, noting the fear in their eyes despite their polite manners. He wondered how many of them had wronged the former host of his body. He noticed a young girl, about his age, approach him with her arms folded.

She was quite pretty, with long black hair tied in a ponytail resting on her right shoulder. Her big brown eyes had a cold demeanor, and she was tapping her foot repeatedly, as if she had been waiting for him for too long.

"Uh, were you waiting for me?" Shu asked, signaling the guards to move behind him. Being a former wandering soul, he was exceptionally sensitive to spirit energy and sensed a powerful Practitioner nearby, watching him and the girl.

"You don’t remember me?" the girl asked, her arms still folded.

"I’ve lost some of my memories," Shu replied. "I don’t remember anyone really."

"Well, I’m Ivy Shao, and you agreed to let me give you a makeover," she said with a triumphant smile. "You were bullied because you looked weak. I’m going to make you look like a prince."

"I am a prince, and I don’t want a makeover. Sorry," Shu said, trying to walk around her.

"Hey! I said I’m going to give you a makeover. Ugh, just let me do it," Ivy insisted, blocking his path.

"You must come from a powerful martial art sect," Shu said, looking past her towards the direction of the hidden figure. "I don’t know what I was like in the past, but I feel as if I’ve been reborn. I won’t allow others to bully me like the old me did. You want to give me a makeover because you’re bored. You’re empty inside and need some form of entertainment. I’m not that entertainment. You’re beautiful and come from a powerful family. I’m sure they wouldn’t want to see you like this."

The hidden figure shifted uncomfortably as Ivy said, "Fine, but I’ll see you change with my own two eyes! Where you go, I’ll follow. You’re training to join a sect in three years, right? When it’s time for you to select a sect, I’ll join it too! I won’t let a friend of mine be looked down on by others!"

Shu stared at her silently and asked, "What do you know about this world? Why do some people look different?"

They looked

around and saw people with a variety of skin tones: some with blonde skin, others with black, dark brown, light brown, sand-colored, or pale skin. Some had names that didn’t sound Chinese. Whatever Shu thought China was, it seemed that the ethnicities of his previous world existed here, carrying some of their names. One boy’s name was Jafar, while another’s was Alexander.

Here's the proofread and revised version of your chapter:

"I-I don't know," Ivy said. "They just travel from across the world, like I did. I'm not from the Yan Empire, so my clan name comes second. Will you not let me give you a makeover?"

"Heh. You still insist on that. I suppose I should allow you. The former me would have," Shu said, staring at the sky. "This world is truly dangerous. Practitioners and mages exist, and I assume magical beasts and demonic cores do as well. I need to change my mindset if I want to survive. It’s different now. I am no longer on the run, nor can I escape into the sea of stars."

"What? What are you talking about?" Ivy asked, while the hidden figure watched, startled. This was not the boy the hidden figure remembered Ivy meeting. His change was too sudden, too different.

"It's nothing. I will see you later. I have to begin my training soon if I want to survive," Shu said, nodding at her before leaving with his guards, leaving Ivy confused and mystified as the hidden figure revealed himself.

"Lady Ivy, that boy is not the same one you met," an elderly man in black and gold robes said as he appeared behind her. "He was even able to detect me. Not even a Spirit Knight can do that. Moreover, how could he have such a strong Spirit Pulse? Something happened when he drowned."

"Was it a hidden expert, grand uncle?" Ivy asked, looking at the elderly man.

"I don’t know. In any event, I do not sense any demons or intelligent magical beasts here. This empire is one not ruled by another being in the shadows. It is truly ruled by a human, but the blood of the royal family... I can detect traces of a bloodline I do not comprehend. They’re descended from something. Something not human. How else can they rule their own kingdom and have such powerful mages among their bloodlines?" the man said. "This is only my conjecture, but I believe this empire was founded by a demon ancestor, not an immortal ancestor as their records state."

"If the descendants of such a being are all so powerful, why were his family members all born as mages and not him?" Ivy asked. "He was born ordinary and had no talent in mana. Yet, he is no longer a mute and has become a Practitioner."

"Mana and spirit energy are two different things. Mana is uncommon and builds slowly as a baby matures. At the age of ten, the child can choose to be a mage or a Practitioner. They are two different things. The talent to be a mage is inborn. The talent to be a Practitioner is made. Spirit energy appears in the body through an outside source, such as an expert or a very powerful artifact," the elderly man said, shaking his head. "Why do you insist on his company? Tired of playing with the other girls here?"

"He is interesting," Ivy said, revealing her true feelings to her uncle.

"He does not remember you or your past friendship," the man said. "Come. My business in this empire is done. We must return to the clan. Are you really going to join the same sect as he?"

"Yes. If he is what you claim him to be, then his future will be very interesting," Ivy said as they disappeared into the crowd.

Deep below the palace was a hidden sanctuary where the few ancestors who had become Practitioners lived. They cultivated in secret and were the silent pillars of the empire. They cared little for the Mortal Realm but would protect it if their assistance were necessary. The emperor entered a white stone tower. Inside, statues were placed in a circular formation all the way to the top of the tower. On the base floor were fourteen ancestors in pure white robes with hoods over their faces. One man, in pure black clothes, was meditating on a throne at the end of the floor. They were arranged in a pyramid formation facing the door: the weakest five were closest to the emperor, with a row of four behind them, a row of three behind them, and a row of two behind them. The man in black was the most powerful and exuded a baleful aura, as if he were not human.

"Lu Yi, ninety-third emperor of the Yan Dynasty, greets the ancestors," the emperor said, bowing on both knees and lowering his head. "I bring news about my youngest child and second prince, Lu Shu. He is no longer a mute and has obtained a Spirit Pulse."

"He is truly not a mage? The first in twenty-two generations?" one of the white-robed ancestors asked.

"How is that possible? His blood is too diluted with human blood. He could not even be a mage, as I did not detect any mana in him when he was born," another said.

"It was true until yesterday. I know not how it happened, but the Great Ancestor's Blood stirs inside him," Lu Yi said respectfully. "I fear for his life. The Great Ancestor has many enemies and escaped here to the Mortal Realm, but they have many followers. Should they discover his lineage…"

"Lu Yi," an ancient voice rasped, silencing the room as the black-and-gold-robed man spoke. "Is his Spirit Pulse golden or red?"

"G-Great Ancestor! It is truly an honor to hear your voice. It is red. His Spirit Pulse is red. I made sure no one, not even my royal physician, inspected it. One of the Great Ancestor’s distant descendants, General Meng Ce, will be training him under my orders."

"Yes. I believe he came here once. Not a member of my direct bloodline, but a Practitioner all the same," the Great Ancestor said. "Has he been given a Practitioner weapon and spirit techniques?"

"He is to select them tonight from the imperial vault," Lu Yi answered.

"Good. Be sure to give him this ring and warn him never to take it off. It will cloud the perceptions of all people in the Mortal Realm, like the fourteen here. No one will know of his demon lineage. They will believe that his Spirit Pulse is golden, like a human’s," the Great Ancestor said, tossing a red ring with three eyes in a triangular formation on top toward Lu Yi. "When he reaches the third stage of cultivation, bring him to me before he leaves to join a martial sect. He must know, these have, about his true lineage. Many of my descendants chose to ascend to the Mortal Realm. I... will leave in a few years to return to the Immortal Realms. My wife should be finishing her closed-door training soon. She is a human, so her cultivation is much slower than that of her children and our many, many descendants. I am afraid to admit that she has the worst talent in cultivation I have ever seen. How many centuries have passed, and she is still on the ninth stage of Spirit Sage cultivation?"

"I will do as you command," Lu Yi replied and was stopped before he left.

"Our Yan Empire is small, but matters of the Mortal Realm do not matter. Once your son, Lu Xing, ascends the throne, you will stay at the palace and resume cultivating at your Spirit Master stage. Once you break through and become a Spirit Sage, you will come here and tell your son about us. However, he is never to know about Lu Shu. The fewer people who know, the better it is to maintain secrecy. To have a Practitioner of my bloodline with my blood stirring within him is truly rare indeed."

"It will be done. I thank you for the privilege," Lu Yi bowed and left the tower, sighing with relief once he exited the hidden sanctuary and sat on his throne. He was always intimidated sitting among the most powerful people on the planet, even if they were his own ancestors. The world might have forgotten them or believed them dead, but he always consulted them when it came to the safety of the Lu clan. So what if their empire had shrunk and was no longer one of the most powerful in the world? True power lay in the Immortal Realms. The more powerful the descendants, the more likely it was that the Lu clan would rule in the Immortal Realm.

"For now, I must give the ring to Lu Shu and take him to the imperial vault," Lu Yi muttered as a messenger informed him that Lu Shu had arrived an hour later. "But what should he learn? What category will his inner spirit be?"

"Summon Lu Shu and General Meng Ce! They are to meet me in front of the imperial vault!" Lu Yi ordered, and several servants and guards knelt and obeyed his command. The emperor sighed and left for the imperial vault, wondering what had happened and how the Great Ancestor’s Blood had influenced Lu Shu’s awakening.

Chapter 3: Imperial Vault

"Father," Shu said, clasping his left fist with his right hand and bowing lightly.

"Imperial Emperor," General Meng Ce said, mirroring the gesture and kneeling on one knee.

"Good. You two are here. Behind me lies the imperial vault. Shu, you will select three techniques and a Practitioner weapon. As for a breathing technique to aid your cultivation, we will discuss this once we enter," the emperor said, looking at the royal guards. "No one is to disturb us. Kill anyone who approaches the vault."

"We hear and obey," the knights chanted in unison.

The emperor entered first, followed by the general and Prince Shu. It was the first time the two had been inside the vault, and they were naturally surprised. Gold coins piled twenty feet high filled a hallway that stretched as far as the eye could see. Only General Meng Ce knew why the hall was so vast—the hidden sanctuary of the ancestors lay many yards below. Still, he never expected the royal family to possess so much gold. Weapons and armor were scattered across the floor, along with precious metals and jewelry, as if they had been tossed aside like trash.

"Oh, come now. Don’t tell me you’re all surprised?" the emperor asked, noting their expressions. "The Yan Empire is the oldest empire in existence. Naturally, we would have more wealth than any other nation in the world. Land? Power? Money? None of these matter if you pursue immortality, like myself, or combat, like General Meng Ce. I dare say the Lu clan has more wealth than all the dragon hoards in the world combined. Yet, it means nothing because our family values magical weapons, magical armor, and magical artifacts. It’s a pity most mages don’t pursue immortality and settle for so little. True power lies in the heavens."

"For a vault, this is beyond messy. It’s like the inside of a mountain," Shu observed, looking around. The vault resembled a hollow cave with large hills of gold in the distance. Stone roads led further in. "How exactly do I choose what I want?"

"That, my son, is your problem," the emperor laughed. "You and General Meng Ce must search for them yourselves. Feel free to take as much gold and jewelry as you desire from this room. This is just the smallest mountain hollow. There are many more. Remember, I Lu Yi, am the ninety-third emperor. Once you reach the Spirit Master stage, you stop aging and can manipulate your appearance up to ten years younger than you were before. I lost count of how many decades I lived as emperor before your mother and I decided to have children. Let’s just say alchemy has its uses to prevent unexpected surprises from late-night activities. HAHAHA! Money doesn’t matter much, but it does in the Mortal Realm. Be sure to collect enough to bribe yourself out of trouble. I’m sure there’s a storage bag somewhere under those hills of gold coins."

"Thank you, Father," Shu said.

"Oh, almost forgot something of the utmost importance," Lu Yi said, giving Shu a crimson ring with three eyes. General Meng Ce looked at Shu, astonished. "Never take the ring off, Shu. During the first two stages, people might have suspicions, but it’s not certain until you reach the third stage. Never remove it. Also, take this scroll. It contains a demonic breathing technique called the Eclipse Indestructible Body technique, used by the Practitioners of the Lu clan. HAHAHA! Only those with high levels of pure demon blood can use this technique. It’s what made our Great Ancestor famous and forced him to escape here, to the Mortal Realm."

"Eclipse Indestructible Body technique?" Shu repeated as he took the ancient scroll from his father. "Demonic breathing technique? Aren’t I human?"

"Yes, you are. It just so happens that your many dozens of great-grandfathers include a Golden Earth Fiend," Lu Yi laughed, while General Meng Ce’s face turned pale for a moment. "The purity of your blood is so unnaturally high that your Spirit Pulse is actually demonic red instead of human gold. The ring will make your Spirit Pulse appear gold to everyone except you. Only someone at mid-stage Spirit Sage or higher can tell the difference. The ring also holds another ability you might discover later. The breathing technique will greatly aid your cultivation and make your body indestructible, though this depends on the power of your opponent. Inside the vault, there are demonic weapon techniques. Only a demon can use them, so be sure to select one."

"So the Great Ancestor is a demon?" Shu asked, turning to the general.

"A Golden Earth Fiend, to be exact. But yes. I am also a descendant. When a descendant of the Great Ancestor reaches the third stage as a Practitioner, he is granted an audience with the Great Ancestor. All I can say is that all your questions will be answered then. For now, let’s look for a blood demon weapon technique once you pick a Practitioner weapon. Most mage staffs and other trinkets are replaceable and destructible, but Practitioner weapons are chosen for life and break upon the owner’s death. The weapons you pick here might have belonged to our ancestors or Practitioners they killed," the general said sadly.

"Blood demon weapon techniques?" Shu asked.

"Techniques like those are named for their requirement of demon blood," the general shrugged. "Just to clarify, demons are stronger than humans of the same rank. Magical beasts are also stronger, and dragons are the most powerful, considering themselves a separate category of Practitioner life forms. Humans are the weakest but the most numerous and cultivate the fastest. Don’t be surprised if someone reaches the next stage faster than you. It’s because you have more potential than they do. The more talented one is, the harder the work required to break through to the next stage. Your breathing technique could be considered an innate defensive skill, so we just need you to learn a weapon technique and a bare-handed technique. Your weapon technique should be your trump card. We’ll collect some gold and jewelry while we’re at it. We might be lucky enough to find demonic cores and some magical artifacts."

"Like a treasure hunt. Cool," Shu grinned, putting on the crimson ring. "I should try to find a storage bag. In the Mortal Realm, money and power determine your future. Plus, having one will obviously help me carry so much money and items that even a caravan would hesitate to transport. The only problem is, I don’t know what it should look like."

"Ah, storage bags? Good choice. A spatial ring would get in the way," the general laughed.

Shu laughed too as he found a storage bag after searching through eight piles of treasure. General Meng Ce nodded as Shu began filling the bag with large amounts of gold and jewelry. Then, he and Shu left the area and followed the roads deeper into the vault. General Meng Ce cried out in alarm as they encountered small mounds of demonic cores.

"Those are demonic cores! You’re in luck, Shu. Quickly, eat them," General Meng Ce urged.

"Uh, isn’t eating them a bad thing?" Shu asked. "Won’t my cultivation increase too quickly?"

"Ah, right. You only became a Practitioner yesterday and lost some memories," the general laughed, slapping his forehead. "Okay, while it is true that eating demonic cores increases your cultivation, this only applies once you are at the third rank when your spirit condenses and reveals its true form. Until then, demonic cores are used to increase your foundation—in other words, to boost the amount of spirit energy you possess. Not only that, there are lion wine barrels here!"

Shu looked at the scattered barrels around the demonic cores as the general continued, "You’re a minor, so I would normally prevent you from drinking wine, but this is lion wine! Countless magical treasures are used to create a barrel of this wine. Gods. I never knew the Lu clan was so rich. Look at how many barrels there are, just lying around like discarded treasure. Well, as your father is the only Practitioner and the wine is useless except for taste at the Spirit Master stage, the barrels were forgotten. Your father, His Majesty, said there are other rooms, right? You should keep these barrels. Drink a cup of this wine a day; it should help enhance your cultivation quite a bit. Don’t worry, it’s not addictive like regular wine."

"Uh, okay?" Shu said, beginning to store the barrels of lion wine into his storage bag before walking to the demonic cores.

"Before you start eating the cores, know that all you’re doing is increasing the amount of spirit energy you can use. This no longer applies once you reach the third rank, as almost all of it will enhance your cultivation and allow you to make breakthroughs relatively quickly. Don’t rely on eating demonic cores to advance, as it limits your potential. Breaking through on your own will help you understand how to do so in the future. Only eat them this time. If you get more in the future, trade them for something more useful," the general warned. "Keep eating the demonic cores until you see cracks of red spirit energy on your body. I will see it as gold, but stop when you see the cracks. This means your body has reached the threshold for containing spirit energy. You’ll experience immense pain, but it’s the best time to perform your breathing technique and begin cultivating that spirit energy."

"So you want me to stop eating cores when I’m on the verge of blowing up just to perform the breathing technique my father gave

me?" Shu asked incredulously.

"Yes, Prince Shu. The longer you perform your breathing technique, the better," Meng Ce answered. "Having so much spirit energy in your body will cause some damage, but it will also increase the amount of spirit energy your body can hold. You see, the Eclipse Indestructible Body technique is an ancient demonic breathing technique. Every Practitioner descended from the Great Ancestor knows it, but not everyone can use it. When your body is on the verge of breaking, that’s when you must first use this breathing technique. It will ensure that your spirit energy is within your blood vessels, veins, and arteries. Your Spirit Pulse will become much more powerful. Your body will truly become indestructible to almost any assault. When someone tries to pierce or cut your skin, a white energy will appear over the area of contact, like a third layer of skin."

Shu stared silently and picked up one of the demonic cores. It looked like a crystal orb with the image of the creature it came from inside. Curious, Shu opened his mouth and swallowed it. His eyes widened in shock as he felt a rush of adrenaline surge through his body. Spirit energy seemed to gush from his stomach and spread into every fiber of his being. It felt warm and incredibly pleasant. Smacking his lips, Shu swallowed core after core to maintain the pleasant sensation.

As he ate the demonic cores and let the spirit energy spread through his body, the general quickly removed the lid from one of the barrels of lion wine Shu had missed and placed it next to him. Shu coughed a little as he continued to swallow the demonic cores like a ravenous wolf. Small cracks of red spirit energy began to form all over his body. Each time a crack appeared or expanded, Shu howled in pain, feeling as if a sword were being twisted inside him.

"Quick, jump into the barrel and read the scroll!" General Meng Ce roared, and Shu quickly jumped into the barrel.

The general unrolled the scroll containing the breathing technique. Shu’s eyes widened in surprise as the words slowly transformed into wisps of white energy. Once he finished reading the scroll, the white energy entered his body. As he read, the wine in the barrel was gradually drained by the cracks in his body. His wounds healed, and Shu found the wine level low enough that he could sit down and meditate. The general nodded as Shu began practicing the technique. The scroll served merely as a vessel for the energy; the information to practice it was embedded in Shu's memory the moment the energy entered his body.

Shu felt as if his eyes were burning as he continued to practice the technique. Slowly, the white energy began to expand outward once it penetrated his organs and bones. It settled on top of his body like an extra layer of skin before disappearing as if it had never existed. However, Shu knew it would appear to protect him as it had become a part of him. The spirit energy within his body began to condense, and Shu could see red spirit energy flowing within him, settling in the center of his chest. He began to faintly glow with a red aura around his body. General Meng Ce saw that it was a success as Shu’s sky-blue irises turned into a faint, glowing gold before closing again. As expected of the breathing technique created by the Great Ancestor, a Golden Earth Fiend.

Shu trembled in shock as he felt the familiar golden energy he had sensed before. It wasn’t his own spirit energy; it was from the golden pearl he had swallowed earlier. The pearl inside his body seemed to absorb the red spirit energy. The more he practiced the Eclipse Indestructible Body technique, the more spirit energy he absorbed into his body, with some of it being absorbed by the pearl. It seemed to crack as he continued absorbing more. Curious, Shu wanted to see it open. To General Meng Ce, it appeared as if Shu glowed with a faint gold aura, temporarily lost in wonder while cultivating spirit energy.

After an hour, General Meng Ce said, "The Second Prince is so dedicated. He has been practicing the technique for well over an hour now, but why is some of the spirit energy vanishing?"

Shu was lost in wonder as he continued pouring spirit energy into the pearl. It cracked and cracked as spirit energy flowed into it like the bottom of a waterfall. It was no demonic core, so Shu kept wondering what it was. The pearl awakened his Spirit Pulse and cured the mute disability of his body. It had to be something special—probably a magical artifact of sorts. Shu finally saw the pearl burst, and an unknown energy erupted from it, permeating through his entire body.

General Meng Ce fell on his butt in alarm as the barrel burst and Shu roared like a tiger with his arms stretched out. The image of a white tiger appeared behind him, and the pure power and vibration from the roar shook the entire vault. General Meng Ce could not believe his eyes as he saw the fifteen-foot tiger, with water circling around it, appear for a few seconds while Shu roared. As soon as he saw the tiger, he knew what Shu’s spirit would become. There was no doubt now. Whatever caused the tiger to appear must have been related to whatever awakened his Spirit Pulse.

General Meng Ce realized that Shu’s spirit was a White Ocean Tiger, one of the highest tiers of beast-type spirits below magical beast spirits. Shu would be able to learn elemental spirit techniques of darkness, lightning, and water. Shu did not have an armor-type spirit, so he could not learn light, earth, or fire spirit techniques. It was an interesting combination—water and lightning worked well together. When the clouds darkened, it signified a storm, and lightning storms always brought rain.

Shu lay back on the ground while the general was preoccupied with his thoughts. Shu was very tired but excited, brimming with spirit energy. He wrinkled his nose as he smelled something unpleasant. He looked down and saw his lower body covered in impurities, black liquid expelled from his body. Shu left the general in the vault as he washed off the impurities and returned with fresh clothes.

"Is something wrong?" Shu asked.

"You have affinities for darkness, lightning, and water. There is no mistake that your spirit will be a White Ocean Tiger, as it has the water affinity. I don’t know what happened to stimulate your Spirit Pulse, but it must have been a very powerful magical artifact. White tiger spirits with an affinity for water are rarely seen," the general said. "We’ll find you a bare-handed dark spirit technique first, preferably a speed-oriented offensive skill. Then, we’ll find a water spirit technique using whatever Practitioner weapon you find, if such a technique could be found here. I must warn you, water spirit techniques that are offense-oriented are rare, and most people don’t use them."

"What about lightning?" Shu asked.

"Lightning? Don’t even think about trying to control that element. It is much too powerful for someone below the fourth stage of cultivation to begin training in. It consumes too much spirit energy, and your Spirit Pulse has not stabilized yet," the general shook his head. "If you truly wish to learn it, you might find a technique here. However, you must promise me that you will not practice it until you reach the fourth stage. Some elements are too powerful to practice early on. Truthfully, darkness is also dangerous, but you are not completely human. Your Spirit Pulse is demonic and harmonious with the element of darkness. Just as demons can practice dark spirit techniques at the first stage, humans can practice the light element if their spirit has the affinity and they discover it early on. Do you swear not to practice lightning until you reach the fourth stage?"

Shu nodded and said, "I swear. Is it normal to have three elemental affinities?"

"Yes. The most one could have is six, but that is very rare. Most people settle for only four. The more elements one practices, the less proficient they become in each. It’s different from a mage. Mages study spells, but Practitioners study the very elements," the general answered. "If you decide to train in lightning, keep it as a secret. It is as rare as light and darkness. Best to use it as a trump card. Convince people that you do not pursue lightning by never using it."

"I understand. There is much to learn," Shu said quietly.

"Indeed. However, a Practitioner should not rely solely on elemental spirit techniques to win. Learning fighting techniques must take priority. While having an affinity is beneficial, one should first understand their body and master martial arts. Otherwise, what is the difference between you and a mage?" the general warned. "Come. Let’s get you those techniques and a Practitioner weapon."

"Okay, General," Shu grinned and followed the general deeper into the vault.

Chapter 4: A Cursed Sword

"Can a Practitioner only use one Practitioner weapon?" Shu asked as they continued their search.

"Yes. However, the Heavens are kind. Just as mages can choose to keep using their staff or switch to a new weapon, Practitioners can change theirs as well. It’s different for us, though," the general said quietly.

"How is it different?" Shu asked.

"We can combine Practitioner weapons into one another. The true form remains the same, but there is one crucial thing to note," the general said, pausing to meet the prince's gaze. "Your Practitioner weapon can develop a unique ability. The more Practitioner weapons you absorb into the one you own, the higher the chance it will evolve and gain a special ability. It’s another reason Practitioners kill each other. They do so not just for the items in the spatial ring or storage bag but for the chance to evolve their weapon. The world of Practitioners is one of training and death. Absorbing any Practitioner weapon is worthless unless it belonged to someone you killed personally."

"That's cruel," Shu remarked, his face pale.

"That is life. If the ability to cultivate spirit energy is a gift from the divine beings of the Realms, then the ability to evolve the Practitioner weapon is a gift from Death," the general agreed. "No one knows how Practitioner weapons are made. They just randomly appear on the planet from rips in space. People say they are weapons forged and dropped into the Mortal Realm. We are meant to pick them up and kill each other for the amusement of the weapons' makers in the Realms beyond the Mortal Realm. Whether it’s true or not, no one knows."

"Does it end after your weapon gains an ability?" Shu asked.

"No. Practitioner weapons are insatiable. No matter how many you absorb into it, it will still hunger for more. It is said that fragments of the souls you killed remain inside the Practitioner weapon as it absorbs them. What is known for sure is that a Practitioner weapon develops two types of auras after a while," the general said.

"An aura? How does that happen?" Shu asked.

"It depends on whether the weapon was owned by someone before. If it was and an aura had formed, it will remain, but it will not have the abilities it had with its former owner. This does not include any special characteristics the weapon has when wielded. There are two auras: one is a celestial white aura, and the other is a baleful black aura. The celestial white aura forms after healing over ten thousand people. The baleful black aura forms after killing ten thousand people, innocent or otherwise. Essentially, good is celestial and evil is baleful. People call weapons with celestial auras holy artifacts, while those with black auras are considered cursed artifacts. There is a reason for this," the general said.

"Holy and cursed weapons? How interesting. What's the real reason? Does something happen when one wields them?" Shu asked.

"Holy weapons emit a feeling of hope to people within a certain range, while cursed weapons emit a feeling of fear. If you choose a Practitioner weapon with an aura, you will see fragments of scenes from when the weapon was used. Nothing too significant, really," the general shrugged. "However, if you do find one here, chances are no one will recognize it. No one knows when the Great Ancestor returned to the Mortal Realm and created the vault. There’s no problem if you pick a cursed Practitioner weapon. Keep looking; you might get lucky. However, I was told by my mother, a distant descendant of the Great Ancestor, that some areas are blocked off. Inside are very powerful but dangerous magical items."

"Oooh! Forbidden. Sounds fun," Shu grinned. "I might have no choice if I want a water spirit technique. Let’s find one! Maybe I'll see a very powerful weapon there."

"I wonder if it’s a child’s curiosity and innocence or reckless stupidity," the general thought as he followed the eager prince. "At least we don't have to dig through those mountains of gold. I can’t believe I’m getting sick of seeing so much gold."

After passing four hills of gold, they saw a door with chains on it, featuring a large circle at the center of the two doors with a rune in the middle. Shu was about to approach it, but the general stopped him, saying that the rune meant fire. Disappointed, Shu kept searching. They found similar doors, but none were meant for water. Shu skipped the doors of darkness and lightning as they were not his goal. Finally, they found a door marked simply: Blades. Shu was excited, as whatever chamber was inside had to do with Practitioner weapons.

"Beware, my descendant, who wishes to claim the treasures beyond this door. Inside are Practitioner weapons I stole from the bodies of my enemies in the Immortal Realm. The only reason they are sealed inside is simple: each of them was wielded by someone I recognized as strong," the general recited from a pillar next to the door. "I also obtained scrolls containing their techniques as I scoured their souls before killing them. Some even have items used by their owners. Should you choose to take a weapon from within, know that there is a minimal but possible chance that someone will recognize it. Heed my words—Golden Earth Fiend. Note: You are not worthy of knowing my name. You’ll know it when you ascend."

"Oh. So these weapons were wielded by individuals recognized by our Great Ancestor? There’s also a skill. Sweet! Two birds with one stone," Shu smiled and placed his hand on the rune. The chains fell, and the doors opened.

"Uh, that was easy," Shu muttered.

"These are just simple enchantments meant to look fanciful. Besides, the Great Ancestor said that the Practitioner weapons were merely ones someone might recognize. There was no need to seal them. He just separated them from ones we might find later on," Meng Ce said. "Go on in and choose. Once you leave, the doors will close, and the chains will be repaired as they were. What weapon are you aiming to use?"

"A sword," Shu said, as fragments of his past life showed a blurry child waving a wooden sword.

"A sword, huh? Okay. Good choice. While you choose a weapon, I’ll look for a dark spirit technique. This will shorten the time we spend here. Honestly, I’m getting sick of searching through hills of gold. Creating hills of corpses is more appealing. At least they don’t look the same all the time," the general said, and left Shu at the doorway.

Shu walked in and saw a completely white hallway stretching as far as he could see. Along the walls were shelves with two rows each. On the top row were the actual weapons with brief descriptions of their previous owners. Below each weapon, a single scroll contained one of the spirit techniques used by the weapon’s previous owner. However, most of the techniques did not use the weapon itself. Only a few of the second-row shelves had additional items with descriptions of how they were used.

Shu paled with respect and fear. Seeing so many weapons, his ancestor must have killed countless experts. If Practitioner weapons could be absorbed, these weapons must have been deemed worthless to his ancestor. Who knew how powerful his ancestor's Practitioner weapon was? Shu regained his composure after a while and continued browsing the shelves. He finally stopped in front of a long sword with a black and cerulean blade. It was cool to the touch and had a simple cross-guard and hilt. The cross-guard was silver, adorned with swirling lines from the center to the ends on both sides. The hilt was completely black.

"This sword is called Rain Slayer. It was found in the belly of a thousand-meter Rain Dragon Ape. Its scales match the blade’s color. Perhaps whoever made the Practitioner weapon fashioned it from the body of a Rain Dragon Ape? Anyway, the last wielder of this sword was a fool who bought all the tea from a place I liked. Discovering I had to wait a whole year for their new stock as it was their most expensive product, I tracked down the fool and beheaded him after scouring his soul for a technique. Let it be known that I, a Golden Earth Fiend, was wise enough to steal a technique instead of killing the fool on the spot," a silver plate described below the sword. "He had an interesting lightning technique and a bizarre trinket. I destroyed his body but left his head on the ground. I consider it an act of gratitude for buying all the tea. He must have belonged to some powerful family, as even I was not allowed to buy it all. Rain Slayer has a baleful aura. Should you bind yourself to it, you will catch glimpses of the lightning technique. It should help in mastering it."

Shu stared silently at the sword before reading the silver plate next to the scroll below. It stated, "Hello, junior. If you’re reading this, then you have decided to bind Rain Slayer and make it your Practitioner weapon. Not bad. I would have liked to learn the technique, but I have an earth affinity. Note that lightning and wind are conflicting elements with earth. Pity a descendant of mine doesn’t have earth. This technique is called Black Cloud Desolation. It had a dumb name, so I renamed it. This is a better name, junior. The technique begins by creating a small black cloud next to you. It then expands, with other black clouds appearing and connecting to each other. You literally become lightning as you enter the cloud and can appear from any part of it. You

can also throw lightning at your foes. The cloud increases the power of your lightning. The only way to defeat this technique is to destroy all traces of the cloud to force you out of hiding. This is just the first stage. Like any technique, you can develop it and make it your own or choose to learn it all. Choosing to learn the entire technique will narrow your vision but allow you to attain higher levels faster. Choosing to alter it and make it your own will let you develop it further into a one-of-a-kind technique. I suggest you choose the latter. Why be traditional when you can revolutionize and stand out? Choose wisely, junior. It’s your life."

"I should follow the Great Ancestor’s advice. Spirit energy-generated lightning. Cool. Now let’s look at the trinket. Hope it’s good," Shu sighed with awe and looked at the plate underneath a black and cerulean bracelet.

"This bracelet is simply called: Dragon Monkey Bracelet. It is a magical artifact that everyone should possess: an item that converts your spirit energy into an element. If you don’t know how to convert your spirit energy into an element, this bracelet will do it for you as you pour your spirit energy into it. If you already know how to convert spirit energy into elements, the bracelet magnifies its power. This bracelet is not uncommon; most low to high noble families have one with similar effects," the plate below said. "The bracelet has a special feature I added. I made the Dragon Monkey Bracelet, as someone above a Spirit Master can easily create such magical treasures, out of the scales and a piece of the skull of a Rain Dragon Monkey. Activate the special feature if you feel your life is in danger. Your arm, up to the shoulder, will transform into a limb of a Rain Dragon Monkey. If you don’t know what a Dragon Ape looks like, imagine a giant monkey a hundred and fifty feet tall with dragon scales and teeth. Its tail is also covered in scales but has no wings. Its ears resemble a dragon’s, but its pupils are not slit like a dragon’s. Thank me, junior. HAHAHAHA!"

"Amazing. What a cool bracelet. It is ordinary, save for the feature, so I don’t have to hide it from others as even low nobles could get one," Shu chuckled as he stopped reading to admire the bracelet.

"I honestly think you should find a different weapon. Junior, there are better weapons with superior techniques and trinkets in the hall. If you’re satisfied with this one, then take it. Just know that while the trinket can be bound by blood and a technique can be learned or not, Practitioner weapons are for life. Don’t be tempted by the descriptions and browse around more before making your final choice," the slate warned as Shu finished reading the rest.

"There are others better than this?" Shu cried, shocked upon reading the words. "That’s insane. However, I now understand how my ancestor could collect so many weapons. With such an arrogant attitude and more than enough power to back it up, it’s no wonder he could so nonchalantly kill someone. I really picked the right corpse to inhabit. The former Lu Shu, wherever you are, thank you. I will live the life you should have lived. Just watch me! Forget about not being a mage; I’m a Practitioner."

Lu Shu grabbed the sword and was stunned as he saw fragments of memories belonging to past wielders. He witnessed them slaying men and beasts. He also saw a black cloud surrounding the last wielder of the sword. The last owner was a noble from some country, launching spears of blue lightning from the expanding black cloud as new ones formed. After a moment, the memories stopped. Lu Shu smiled, feeling he had made the right decision. So what if there were better swords? He found what he needed and was satisfied. He opened the scroll, and it burst into flames as the writing became light and engraved itself into his mind, just as the Eclipse Indestructible Body technique had done.

He dripped blood on both the sword and the bracelet, then put the bracelet on while carrying the sword in his hand. He admired the wisps of black energy emerging from the sword as he held it. Leaving the hallway, satisfied, he saw the general smiling at him and recounted what had happened. The general would have advised the prince to pick a different Practitioner weapon, but Rain Slayer was already bound to Prince Shu. They quickly searched for a sheath and sword strap, and Shu slid Rain Slayer into its new sheath on his back. Shu could barely feel the Dragon Monkey Bracelet on his left hand. He and the general drank a cup of lion wine to celebrate.

"Take this," the general said with a smile, handing Shu a black scroll. "This is a movement technique known as the Phantasmal Sky technique. It allows you to wrap yourself in dark spirit energy and leaves a trail of shadows as you move at extreme speeds. At higher levels of mastery, you can even fly, which is only possible at the Spirit Master stage and beyond. If you find yourself in trouble, you can easily escape using this technique. Most importantly, you can still perform basic martial arts techniques and sword strikes with it, as it uses almost no spirit energy. Most movement skills are like that, but few are as useful as this one. You don’t need a movement skill that consumes more spirit energy than this one."

"Thanks," Shu said, opening the scroll and absorbing the information into his mind. "By the way, why do all the scrolls burst into flames after reading them?"

"Ah, that’s to prevent misuse. The more people who know or use the technique, the less formidable it becomes," the general explained as Shu put the wine barrel away. "That’s why martial arts sects and powerful families rank their skills and only allow their disciples to learn up to a certain rank based on their position in the sect. Just imagine the catastrophe a child your age could cause if he attempted to perform a skill meant for someone at the Spirit Master or Spirit Sage level. Even mages have restrictions because they exemplify why rankings are necessary in the first place. Many empires and nations have vanished from the map due to the negligence of a young mage trying to use a spell beyond his capability."

"I understand," Shu nodded. "Let’s find that forbidden skill. I can’t wait to learn it and begin my training, master."

"Heh, you brat. You finally said something great," the general laughed, ruffling the prince’s hair. "Let’s go, my young disciple. I’m also eager to see how much you will grow. You chose a cursed sword and have a demonic Spirit Pulse. Your future will definitely be anything but normal for a Practitioner."

Chapter 5: The adventure begins

Lu Shu and General Meng Ce were glad that their visit was nearing its end. Every now and then, they would store some gold into their storage bags out of boredom as they searched for a chained door containing forbidden water techniques. They had come across a few more doors, but they contained magical items or forbidden techniques for other elements. Finally, they found a door with the rune for water on the front, connected by four chains that kept it shut.

"Beware those who seek the power beyond this door. This is different from the other forbidden chambers, not because you could die, but because you will change. Inside is a technology from another world. The chamber contains a tank that houses a god. It's not really a god, but an entity not found in our world. I brought it to the Mortal Realm with five others. Four were stolen due to the inadequacy of an emperor from my bloodline. He was killed, and his name was forever forgotten. The fifth entity was taken by one of my descendants, who has already ascended from the Mortal Realm," Shu read from a plaque next to the door.

Shu continued to recite the words aloud: "These gods are living spirit techniques. Who knows what the scholars of this planet did with so many Practitioners to create these living spirit techniques? If you wish to obtain it, all you need to do is jump into the tank. The tank is big enough to fit twenty tigers, so you should be able to fit in, whoever you are. Once you go into the tank, the technique will embed itself in your mind like any other scroll containing spirit techniques."

"Part of your body will change," the general continued. "It is because the water spirit will fuse into you, just as Practitioner weapons absorb other weapons. Your physical capabilities, such as speed, strength, and reflexes, will enhance significantly as you absorb a piece of that god's power. Just so you know, many such entities exist in different shapes and forms. There will be others like you. Don’t get a swelled head now. Think of it as a symbiotic parasite. It gets to live outside the specially made tank while you gain access to new abilities beyond what you should have. The exact changes, even I don’t know. The choice is yours to accept this forbidden technique. You should only do so if your main elemental affinity is water. Good luck, and hopefully, you stay alive. I don’t know if the descendant who took the fifth living spirit technique still lives in the Immortal Realms. I also don’t know if the thieves who stole the other four remaining living spirit techniques are still alive or still in this world. If they are, they will try to get their hands on you if they discover your power. Like any great power, it is best to keep it hidden. Only a fool would reveal all that he is capable of. There is a time to show off your power and a time to keep it hidden. For your sake, I hope you know when to do so."

"I'm not exactly human, am I? I have nothing left to lose, and water is my main elemental affinity based on what you said," Shu sighed.

"Are you really sure you want to do this?" the general asked. "Not even the Great Ancestor knows the extent of the change or what the technique actually is, as it did not state anything. Even though it is tedious, we should find a different forbidden water spirit technique. We don’t even know if the spirit technique will be worth it."

"We came this far. Best to see it through to the end. Who knows how long it will be until we find another door, or even if another forbidden technique exists? Besides, I’m curious. Just what is a living spirit technique? The power of a god? Part of my body won’t be mine anymore? I’m dying to find out if it’s true and to what extent," Shu said, trembling with excitement. "Water is more of a defense-oriented element. Only people with high enough spirit energy are able to use ice spirit techniques, as they make their water cooler and convert it into a solid shape. However, I have the bracelet. It can do that for me."

"All the more reason not to learn it," the general warned. "You could just learn a water spirit technique that already utilizes ice."

"No. This is why I must learn it," Shu disagreed as he placed his hand on the rune, causing it to shine and unlock the chains as the door opened. "There is no risk without reward. The Great Ancestor kept the water spirit technique and the five others because they were useful. I don’t know about the thieves, but one of my ancestors who obtained the fifth living spirit technique managed to reach ascension. I’m going to obtain this technique and shake the world."

Shu’s faint, glowing gold eyes shined as he entered a dark chamber. The only thing in sight was the giant tank in the middle of the chamber, with stairs leading to the top. Something swirled inside the tank, twisting and convulsing as if to avoid his gaze while he tried to understand what it was. This was a god? No, it was more like a piece of it. Whoever made this must have killed many Practitioners to bring it to life as a living spirit technique. This thing was going to be inside of him. Shu did not waver and walked up the stairs to the top of the tank. He saw a plate next to a mask that stated it would allow him to breathe underwater. He put on the breathing mask and jumped into the tank.

Shu felt an extremely cold rush of water from his feet as he fell deeper into the tank. The hairs on his body stood on end, and Shu saw a bright cerulean light. His vision went dark as he lost consciousness. His body floated under a mysterious force, remaining in the center of the tank. Whatever was in the tank was disappearing into him, the water levels dropping while the glass began to crack. The general rushed in when he heard a large explosion and saw glass and water everywhere. He saw the broken tank with Lu Shu unconscious at the bottom.

Lu Shu’s body had become slightly taller with lean muscles. Streaks of dark cerulean hair appeared among Lu Shu’s black hair. The general closed his eyes and began to search for Lu Shu’s Spirit Pulse. He cried out in alarm as he sensed a cerulean creature encompassing Lu Shu’s skeletal structure. As if protecting him, black clouds appeared all around Lu Shu’s body. The general dodged several lightning bolts as he fled outside the chamber. Whatever it was, it used the Black Cloud Desolation technique to protect Lu Shu. It was as if it were a defensive machination of his subconscious mind.

The general did not want to accidentally harm Shu and decided to wait for Shu to wake up. After an hour, Shu opened his eyes and felt drained of spirit energy. He groaned as he sluggishly got to his feet. He took out the open barrel of lin wine and a cup, drinking three cups before sitting down to meditate and recover his spirit energy. Seeing Shu conscious, the general returned inside, relieved that he was alright. After a moment, Shu sighed as his spirit energy returned to normal. It was then that Shu noticed his body had changed.

"Are you alright? Do you feel anything different?" the general asked.

"I feel taller and more muscular. My body feels strange, but it is not a bad feeling. I also learned the water spirit technique. I’m in luck, as it requires a blade. The name of the technique is Radiant Howl. It requires spirit energy to form on the blade and sends a crescent moon blade of chilling water that could even cut through steel. The first stage has up to nine moon blades. At the second stage, you combine the moon blades into a spiral wave, allowing you to attack in all directions around you. I’m unable to comprehend the next stages after that. Maybe there is no specific form and I have to make it up on my own," Shu said quietly. "I can feel something inside my mind. It’s me, but it’s not me. It’s like it has become one with me. Over time, I’ll probably discover the extent of the changes."

"At least it is not trying to take you over," the general sighed, deciding not to discuss it further. "Let’s head back and prepare for your journey."

"Journey? What journey?" Shu asked as they left the vault, which took around four hours from the door of the forbidden water technique.

"Did you think you were just going to stay and train here? The palace is no place for training. You must train in the real world and gain experience. You and I will be traveling all over the country. You need to experience the world and discover how it truly is before entering a sect. I don’t even know if your father, His Imperial Majesty, is sending you to a sect within the empire or not. Most likely, it won’t be. That means there are all sorts of people who will try to take advantage of, manipulate, or even kill you. That is the world of Practitioners. Most of the time, it is jealousy and envy of others’ luck, prestige, and power that causes them to kill each other. We have almost three years to train you before we visit the Great Ancestor and go our separate ways. You’re young and innocent. You would be eaten alive if I just trained you here in this sheltered environment."

"On an adventure? Awesome!" Shu said. "This is great. I can also see different fighting styles and learn from them to incorporate and improve my own fighting style."

"That’s right," the general smiled. "Remember, spirit energy is only meant to assist you in

fighting. Techniques are also just powerful cards to use. Relying on your own skill and using spirit energy as an assisting tool is the right way to develop and become truly strong. We only have one problem. Your brother, sister, and the Imperial Emperor will definitely approve. The only issue would be Her Highness."

"Because she would try to stop me?" Shu asked.

"Oh, no, that isn’t the case," the general shook his head. "Her Highness would approve. However, she would try to have some of the royal guards escort us on your journey. We don’t need hindrances. You need to be in danger in order to grow. I’ll leave her to you, Shu. Aunt Lu Rong never liked my mom or me. She said our dangerous lives were too much of a bad influence. My mom was a general too. She died a long time ago, but took fifty men with her."

As the general predicted, every member of his family acted just as Shu was told. Lu Xing was happy for him and gave him some maps and bought him extra clothes for the journey. His sister was envious that he went to the vault but taught him how to cook for a couple of days. His father, Emperor Lu Yi, was quite proud as Shu told him what transpired in the vault and about his journey. The emperor advised Shu on areas where bandits were hiding, saying that he should slay them for practice. Shu would have to kill people in the future, an unavoidable act for all Practitioners, and it would be best to get used to it now and become numb to the guilt later.

Empress Lu Rong was the biggest obstacle. She and Shu argued for hours about the royal guards. She said she didn’t mind him going into danger, but the general was only one man. If he was too preoccupied, Shu would have to fend for himself during a fight. It took Shu many soothing words and a few lies that everything would be fine. She finally gave in and gave Shu her approval. Shu hugged his mother with a smile on his face and left the palace to where the general was waiting.

They did not leave the capital immediately. The general wanted to teach Shu some military arts. Shu might be outnumbered in a fight, so he had Shu spar with some of the soldiers. Occasionally, they would give Shu pointers and discuss tactics on how to ambush or escape certain situations. Shu wrote down their advice in a journal, and they left after two months of studying with the soldiers.

Due to drinking lion wine, meditating every day, and the events in the vault, Shu was progressing very quickly and had reached the second stage. The first stage was the quickest and easiest, and there was really no bottleneck to consider. Shu and the general no longer wore the imperial robes and armor of the empire but had changed into white robes with cerulean seams.

"The time has come, Lu Shu," the general declared. "It is a little later than the emperor and I planned, but it was a good decision to have you learn alongside the soldiers. Are you prepared? We won’t be coming back for almost three years. If you have any unfinished business, now’s the time to address it."

"I have none," Shu answered. "Let’s go. I’m eager to start our adventure. Who knows how many dangers and wondrous sights we’ll see? I can’t wait."

The general laughed, and the duo left the capital to begin Shu’s training in the real world.

Chapter 6: Confrontation

"Ah, how refreshing!" Shu cried as he and the general rode on white tigers with single golden horns on their foreheads.

"Are you that glad to be on the road, Shu?" the general laughed.

"Yes. Riding tiger magical beasts and roaming the world, how awesome is this?" Shu sighed with awe. "Where did you get these tigers anyway?"

"Ah, the emperor gave them to us. When I reported what happened, as well as your future spirit form being the beast spirit White Ocean Tiger, His Imperial Majesty felt that riding these tigers was appropriate. Besides, Shu, you are his son," the general answered. "Make no mistake, these tigers are not our magical beasts. You see those black and silver collars on their necks? Those are special magical items. Putting them on a magical beast, no matter the strength, makes them absolutely obedient to their master and prevents them from harming you in any way. We have been declared as their masters, so the rule pertains to us. A Practitioner can have up to three magical beasts, but it is too early for you, young master. I am also ordered to prevent you from having one."

"Eh? Why?" Shu asked, startled.

"Every member of the main imperial bloodline is a direct descendant of the Great Ancestor. He will bestow upon you your first magical beast. It is a known fact that the very first magical beast will be the one closest to you and the one most people will associate you with. Don't worry. While the tiger you ride can die, it does not die permanently because of the collar. It is not your magical beast and can be brought to life, by your command, after two days. As long as you live, the tiger beast cannot die a permanent death. That is its payment for wearing the collar," the general said.

"That's great. If my Spirit Pulse is that of a White Ocean Tiger, I should have a magical beast tiger," Shu laughed as he patted the tiger's side as the tigers walked down the road. "So where are we headed?"

"This path takes us to Wightwood Forest. Inside the forest, there are many magical beasts of low spirit energy levels. They will be good practice for you. Life-or-death battles will naturally increase one's strength exponentially. It is a known fact that a person is capable of performing superhuman feats when their life is at stake and at Death's door. You can train your Phantasmal Sky technique as you chase the magical beasts. The forest is also rich in spirit energy at its heart. There is an ample-sized lake there. It is the perfect place to practice your Eclipse Indestructible Body technique and cultivate. We will stay there for a month before moving on. Every place we find suitable, we will stay for a month before moving on," the general answered.

"Cool. We can explore cool places just by passing them by," Shu grinned.

"Remember, Shu, you are the descendant of the Great Ancestor and your Spirit Pulse is a demonic red. That means your body is pure. You should have the innate ability that makes us demon ancestors. The reason why the Golden Earth Fiends are a feared race is that they have the innate ability to steal the spirit energy of another Practitioner. No matter where one runs or hides, they cannot cloak their Spirit Pulse from a Golden Earth Fiend," the general said. "If someone threatens to kill you, take the spirit energy from their body. Even normal humans and life forms have spirit energy. It is just so faint that they can't even detect or use it. If you take their spirit energy away, they end up worse than a cripple. Remember to use your ability. All you need to do is think, and a purple energy will cover your hand and drain their spirit energy. You must be as close as five feet for it to work. My mother's great-great-grandfather also had the ability. It should serve you well as the ultimate punishment and trump card."

"Whoa. A little excessive, but taking it means I get stronger too, right? Sweet," Shu said. "So do we head straight to the forest?"

"No. There is a town in front of the forest. We'll stop by there first. Then we'll head to the forest. We don't need to head to the town, but you should see it. There's always something fun going on," the general said. "Besides, it will be our last chance to eat normal food before spending a month in the forest. Like the forest, the name of the town is Wightwood Town. You get to see what a town in your empire is like without them stopping to bow to you as you walk by."

After nearly five hours on the road, the town was in sight. Thanks to the collars' effects, the two tigers could be shrunk to the size of kittens. The general stored his tiger in his storage bag while Shu put the now kitten-sized magical beast on his head. The tiger seemed happy not to be stored in the bag and purred as it rested on his head. The horn was barely visible and was just an inch long.

Shu and the general walked through the market area of the town. Shu happily bought a large bowl full of dumplings and ate them as they walked through the market. No one bothered them too much, as the general looked too intimidating. The two looked like scholars, so people respected them and gave them way. The general decided that they should eat at the local restaurant, and Shu agreed, still feeling hungry as he fed the last dumpling to the tiger.

As they entered the restaurant, many people glanced at them. It was rare to see two scholars in such a town close to a forest of magical beasts. The host smiled warmly and welcomed them, allowing them to sit at a table on the second-floor balcony overlooking the first floor. The general could sense some Practitioners and mages in the restaurant. They all occupied a table that also overlooked the first floor and seemed to be at the first stage and the mage equivalent. Only one of the Practitioners was above the first stage, a middle-aged man at the seventh stage of Spirit Shaman. That man clearly had no talent at his age to continue further. He doubted the man had stopped cultivating like the general. Only a fool would stop cultivating if he had the talent and was not a member of an army.

Five Practitioners with three mages. What could cause so many people to travel together? At his eighth stage of Spirit Shaman, they were no threat, so he decided to ignore them. They must be passing through. He had received no reports of anything unusual in the Wightwood Forest besides the high spirit energy. All of them, save for the man at the seventh stage, were undoubtedly below the age of thirteen. Meng Ce suspected that they had just awakened their Spirit Pulse and had been scouted by an academy due to a noble background. It was the only deduction that would make sense.

"Prince Shu," the general whispered. "There are five Practitioners and three mages sitting around a table nearby. If trouble occurs in the restaurant, let them handle it. Don't reveal your clan name. Just call yourself my junior scholar."

"Alright. Hopefully, something does happen. I'm eager to see how they would fight," Shu wondered.

"Only one of them is not a newly awakened Practitioner like you. It is the man chaperoning them. I believe they will know basic spirit techniques, but no elemental techniques. As for the three mages, the spells they could use now would be as strong as a fist, at best," the general sighed as he shook his head.

"Aw. That's too bad. Oh well. I'll have to settle it then," Shu grinned as another host came and gave them the restaurant menu and two bowls of sliced egg soup. The general noticed Shu put the crimson ring on his left hand while he wore the bracelet on his right arm.

"What are you doing? Should you need to use the Dragon Monkey Bracelet, it would not suit your sword arm," the general whispered as they made their order.

"Let's just say that I am ambidextrous," Shu said silently. Shu's body might have some instincts to use the right hand, but the spirit's memories were of a left-handed person. Rain Slayer was adjusted on his back as he placed the white tiger on the empty chair to his left. Rain Slayer's blade was black and cerulean and resembled a katana. It was a good thing that the cross-guard was not that long and barely two inches longer than the blade. There was an irregular pattern on the blade if one looked closely.

"You're ambidextrous? Still, you should keep using your right hand. Most people fight with their fighting style primarily using right-handed stances," the general said.

"I'll be fine," Shu said as he stared at the first floor. "It seems that I'll be showing that to you soon. It seems this restaurant will become quite rowdy."

The general's eyes widened and turned to face the door. He could hear a girl screaming while several men appeared to be cursing at her and following her to the restaurant. He didn't know how Shu could detect them before him, but he secretly praised Shu. That meant Shu was sensitive to spirit energy and would serve him well in detecting and avoiding dangers.

Meanwhile, the others also heard the screams. The middle-aged man and the seven kids who accompanied him all wore the same azure robes with white seams. He was a recruiter who had gone to pick up talented prospects, with four of the seven being from common backgrounds but with enormous talent. He noticed the two scholars also looking toward the direction of the screams and observed them.

One was a young boy around the age of ten, like the seven kids, with shining golden eyes and black hair with some

strands of cerulean. He sensed a Spirit Pulse in the young scholar and realized he was a Practitioner. The older man was even more powerful than him and the children. The scholar also had black hair but with brown eyes. Both had a lean, muscular build. He saw the white tiger magical beast and saw a collar and a shining gold horn just a little longer than the fur on its forehead. These were no ordinary scholars. Just who were they and why would they come to this town?

"Master Gillian, the screams and curses are getting closer," the only female mage of the group whispered.

"Those pigs. What do they think they are doing? Are the town's guards not doing anything at all?" the only other female asked. She was the cousin of the other girl, and they were both nobles from out of the country on their way back to the academy.

"You see these things all the time. Most likely, the people chasing her are Practitioners. What can the guards do? Most guards are not Practitioners. If you are a Practitioner without a background, you either join a sect, get kidnapped and forcibly join an evil sect, or join the army of a nation. Practitioners can't afford to do what they want. They aren't mages," one of the two mage boys, obviously a noble, remarked. "It's not their fault. They would just add to the number of meaningless deaths people see every day."

"We need to see the strength of her pursuers first," Gillian said as he saw the little scholar take out a scroll and read leisurely, as if waiting for them to arrive. "You are all people who will join the preparatory academy of my school before becoming of age, thirteen, and joining the academy as an official student. I can't allow you to be harmed and ruin your potential. If they come here, we will observe their strength and make our move if the scholars don't."

"What? Scholars?" they asked and looked back to see the two scholars in white robes.

"Are they Practitioners?" the noble boy asked.

"Yes. The older scholar is even more powerful than I am. I don't know their true identities, but the young scholar must also be a noble like you. If you look closely, that is no ordinary tiger cub next to him on that chair. It is wearing a special magical collar and has a tiny golden horn on its forehead. It must have been shrunk to avoid making it look out of the ordinary," Gillian said as the seven looked at the boy.

"What are you doing, Shu?" Meng Ce asked as Shu was reading a scroll.

"I'm waiting for them to arrive. I like reading, so I might as well read one of the volumes I took with me from the imperial vault. There were so many cool books there. Some scrolls even had stories inside them. I just had to take some," Shu smiled as he unrolled more of the scroll to continue his reading. "It seems I have caught the attention of the people you mentioned. They already figured out we aren't ordinary scholars. It seems I should have put my magical beast in my storage bag. Too late now."

"Get over here! Stop running!" many men cried as a girl burst into the restaurant. She was about Shu's age and was wearing a pink robe with white seams. Tears streamed down her face as she fell onto the floor and looked back in terror. Fifteen men chuckled menacingly as they walked into the room. They each wore black robes with an image of a white dragon on their backs. They bore identical curved swords and completely barred the entrance of the restaurant.

"Finally! We cornered you, little girl," the leader with a scar down his neck growled. "Your daddy is a long way away. I don't have the skill to kill him, and he left me a little present on my neck as he spared my life. The fool! Did he think I would not want revenge? He's just a man."

"G-get away from me!" the girl cried.

"Oh no, I'm not. You see, I'm gonna have a little fun with you first. When my boys and I are done, we're gonna cut that pretty little neck and stick it on a pike in front of your house. Then, that bastard will know who did it and regret ever crossing me."

"The leader seems to be at the beginning stage of the second stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation," the general murmured. "A bandit group pretending to be a sect. His men have no Spirit Pulse."

"So I can kill them?" Shu asked as he stared up from his scroll.

"Yes. He seems more of the physical type of fighter. I doubt he has soul-targeting spirit techniques. Bandits usually don't know any spirit techniques, as most don't come from powerful clans. Don't use your sword or any of your spirit techniques. Just use pure spirit energy to augment your body," the general advised. "It would be prudent to steal his Spirit Pulse with your innate, demonic ability, but there are witnesses here. You can't do it from as far as five feet. You must block people's vision with his body when you use it. Your power cannot break his defenses and neither can his, but you have the advantage. Kill him before he uses any techniques, if he has any."

"Alright," Shu said as he jumped down and landed on the first floor while the people from the other group were about to assist the girl.

"Master Gillian, the young scholar jumped down," one of them said.

"Don't join him. This is an opportunity to discern his identity," Master Gillian ordered.

"And the winds calmed under the light of the goddess. Her smile made the demons weep and ended the sorrows of the men of humanity's armies," Shu said aloud as he read his scroll. "The demons scurried away in fear, and the goddess became humanity's salvation. They looked upon her face and were at peace. ---The Legend of the Flower Goddess."

"Who the fuck are you? Get away, brat. Get him, men!" the leader of the bandits shouted.

"And so it begins," Shu said softly as he rolled up the scroll, tied it, and covered it with his spirit energy.

The people in the restaurant couldn't bear to look and averted their eyes. They heard a scream but were surprised at the deepness of the voice. They looked back and saw that it was one of the bandits. There was a deep impression on his chest. His bones were caved in, and he was dead. Two of the bandits shouted and slashed at Shu with their swords. Shu merely glanced at them and deflected their blades with his scroll. As their swords were deflected toward the ground, their balance was disrupted as they leaned too far forward. Shu spun around and hit the left side of one bandit's head with the scroll, killing him with the spirit-energy-enforced scroll.

"Is that the best you can do? I expected more from Practitioner pretenders," Shu said as he snapped the neck of the second bandit and stared at the right hand that did the deed. "It seems that Practitioners really do reign supreme against ordinary people. It was too easy. I killed someone. I should feel something, but they wanted to rape a girl. Could it be that my disgust for their intentions numbed the guilt? Interesting."

"All of you, get him!" the leader shouted at the remaining eleven henchmen while he stayed back. "We'll mount both their heads on pikes. He's just a scholar!"

"Come. Attack me and know despair," Shu said softly as he stretched his arms.

The people stared at him incredulously as he did not defend himself or run away as the bandits charged at him. Their eyes widened in shock as they heard a loud clang when one of the bandit swords struck Shu's body. A white energy pulsed around the point of impact. The man's strike did not even blow Shu back. The bandits struck and slashed, but Shu just stayed there, his arms stretched with the right palm facing the sky while his grip on the scroll in his left hand was loose and relaxed.

"A spirit technique!" the leader spat. "That scholar is a Practitioner!"

"And the goddess stared back at the eyes of humanity and held out her hand over them. They knelt as they thought they were receiving her blessing. How could they know that she was about to slay them? For she was not a goddess at all, but a queen of a demon lord. They cried out in despair as they were slain. The demons looked back and rejoiced as they realized who she was. They had won and their race did not die for humans blindly tried to wipe them out for being what they are. They were fools. All fools---The Legend of the Flower Goddess," Shu said as he opened the scroll and continued reading as he continued to be assaulted by the bandits. "They are just like you. All fools."

Shu put the scroll in his storage bag and began attacking the bandits. When outnumbered, find the weakest one and defeat him as fast as possible. The others will overestimate your strength and falter. Shu attacked the weakest to the strongest, always kicking with his legs while grabbing with his hands. No matter how desperate their strikes, the bandits could not hurt him. They could only cry in pain when it was their turn to die.

The general nodded as these were excellent training partners to numb the guilt from killing. It is natural that one would forget the guilt if they saw someone being attacked or killed. They would see the attacker as a monster and sometimes go too far in stopping them. Did it matter? No, because after the deed was done, they would ask the victim if he or she was alright and try to find help; leaving the criminal for dead or letting his body rot as all thought of the criminal left their minds. After all, who would feel guilty for hurting and killing a rapist if the victim was crying and needed help after the deed was done? In the end, they would feel that the rapist deserved what he got and assume a scenario that would avoid making them feel guilt.

"You! You!" the bandit leader roared as Shu stared at him. "You killed my men! You cocky little cunt! I'll kill you! I'll dismember your body and only your head will be the only way people will recognize you!"

"Obviously. Most people recognize others by their faces. How stupid are you?" Shu sighed as he shrugged and shook his head in disappointment. "I was going to let whoever came here live, but then I heard the situation and decided to kill you all. Your men are dead. It's time you join them."

"You can't beat me! I am at the second stage!" the bandit leader roared and drew his Practitioner weapon. "You wanna be a hero! Dream on, runt! I'll kill you!"

"Come and try," Shu said as spirit energy flowed all over his body.

As the bandit leader drew his arm back to swing his sword down, Shu leapt forward. The sudden movement startled the bandit, who could block it and rashly covered his chest with his free arm. Shu had trained with soldiers and had picked up several basic techniques. He also had fragments of his past life. Shu did not punch the man in the chest but grabbed the wrist instead and twisted it. The bandit cried out involuntarily as Shu twisted the man's wrist and held the arm behind the bandit's back. With the bandit's body shielding Shu from the view of the people on the second floor, Shu's right hand was wrapped with purple energy as it went into the bandit's body and absorbed the Spirit Pulse. His hand left the body, and there was no blood or mark on the bandit's back. Shu had successfully taken the man's spirit energy and augmented his own.

"You..." the bandit cried in fear as his face grew gaunt. "How...?"

"Thanks for the meal," Shu said silently as he let go of the wrist and grabbed the top part of the man's head with his left hand while he held the chin with his right hand. The people in the restaurant closed their eyes or averted their gazes as Shu pulled his arms back, breaking the neck and killing the bandit. Shu spat on the floor in disgust and patted his robes to straighten the wrinkles. No one in the restaurant dared to make a noise as he lazily checked the storage bag of the bandit leader and looted it accordingly. Then he smiled at the girl who had fallen and helped her to her feet. He collected all the storage bags of the bandits and gave them all to her, including the leader's storage bag.

"I apologize for the excessive display. I am only a young scholar with an interesting background. You should go home now. Be sure to stay in the company of people you trust and not travel alone anymore. You've seen the ugly side of men, but remember this: your father and most other men are not as ignorant and perverted as these fools. Do not let this incident traumatize you. You were not violated, so there is no excuse for you to brood on this further," Shu said, trying to act like a wise scholar just like the actors in some wuxia shows he watched. Wuxia? Another term he did not remember well. He had read xianxia novels too. Xia meant hero, right? Shu sighed as he wished he had found a body sooner and retained more of his memories.

"Thank you," the girl cried as she shook his hand repeatedly. "Thank you. Thank you."

Shu sighed as he watched her go and gave some gold coins to the owner of the restaurant, apologizing for the mess and interruption of his business. The owner quickly thanked him, as most people don't even pay for the damages or disposal of the bodies. Gillian and his recruits stared at Shu as he joined Meng Ce. Meng Ce had already eaten his food while Shu fought, as if it were the main attraction of the restaurant. Shu sighed and waited for his food to be sent again, as Meng Ce had given his share to his tiger. He patted the kitten tiger and took out his scroll to read once more.

Gillian decided it was safe now to talk to the two scholars. He knew they were dangerous, but he and his recruits were not their targets. He wanted to converse with them to discern their identities and discover more about where they were going and their intentions. He looked at the noble boy mage from earlier, and the boy nodded and walked over to Shu and Meng Ce.