Escaping Fate

by Tinalynge

  The woman had a confused expression on her face, but she quickly nodded her head and gently placed the green snake on the ground before she let herself out of the courtyard. She moved towards the barracks where the experts were living. She needed to find quite a few experts. She was worried whether or not the higher ranked experts were available but she hoped for the best.

  It took Yong Meilin an hour to gather the experts that Xu Min had asked for. As she entered the courtyard, she saw that Xu Min was once more fully focused on training just one slash. Yet as soon as the door opened and Yong Meilin entered with the experts behind her, Xu Min felt a smile slip onto his face. He suddenly had the hope that if he could absorb the energy of a Six-Star Expert, then perhaps he could also absorb it from a Seven-Star Expert. If he could do this, then he did not have to wait long. He would already be ready to face off against the Zhong family leader. If he could absorb all his energy, then he could without a doubt get his revenge without waiting too long.

  Yong Meilin had seen Xu Min get excited before. She had seen him like this whenever he spoke about cultivation or if he had just mastered a new attack or technique. She had seen his eyes filled with astonishment when he had seen the medicinal pills for the first time. She had seen him filled with determination whenever he had been training, but looking at him now she saw something that took her by surprise. Looking at the young man, she found that there was hope within his eyes. A heart-wrenching and painstaking hope that seemed to fill every fiber of his body. Seeing him like this, Yong Meilin could not help but wonder about what exactly had changed the young man to become what he was. For the first time, he seemed a boy his age. He did not have the aloofness that seemed as though nothing could faze him. Instead, he was now very human, filled with a naive hope for something that Yong Meilin could not understand.

  “Thank you all for helping me out,” Xu Min said politely as he bowed to the many experts in front of him. His actions caused all the guards to be slightly confused. They had not been told what it was that Yong Meiling needed them. Seeing the most hated individual within Ri Chu City in front of them was not making things easier.

  Although they disliked Xu Min, no one said a word. This was a part of their job and they wished continue without any problems. “The internal Three-Star Expert, please step forward,” Xu Min called and a young man stepped forward. Although he looked to be only around twenty years of age, Xu Min could easily guess that this man was at least double his age. Knowing that the man was older caused Xu Min to once more bow at the expert.

  “I will need you to produce one of your martial art skills. Do not attack, just call forth the martial art skill.” The expert frowned slightly but he quickly did as he was told. Xu Min unsheathed his sword and slowly touched the martial art skill with the tip of the sword. There were not sparring matches, but instead were experiments. He did not need to slash anything, but only be calm and collected.

  As soon as the tip of the sword touched the outside Qi, the face of the expert changed drastically. Xu Min’s face turned excited. The attack was slowly growing transparent and the Qi was being absorbed by the sword tip.

  “I cannot cancel the suction force,” Xu Min said apologetic, “You will have to forcefully cancel the technique,” he said. The expert did not need to hear it twice before he forcefully cut off the link between him and the attack. Breathing out, the expert slowly went back to the group of experts. His face was pale and his eyes were filled with disbelief. It was not just him, everyone around him was shocked at the sight that had happened.

  “The external expert, please come forward,” Xu Min continued and a massive man appeared. This man was so strong and massive that Xu Min was taken aback by looking at him. “I am sorry but I need to make a small cut in your skin.” he started, but the massive man shrugged. A small cut meant nothing to a great expert, “I am unable to stop the suction force from my sword, so in case it manages to suck up your Qi, then we have to wait until you are completely emptied. If that happens, I have a medicinal pill for you. You should sit down and cultivate right away. It will be very beneficial to you,” he said after having experienced how well it went for him last time. The massive man nodded his head. “No worries, just go ahead,” he said and Xu Min did just that. With a gentle hand, he made a one centimeter deep cut and allowed for the tip of the sword to sit in the flesh.

  Chapter 47 - The Devourer

  The moment the sword entered the expert’s body, a humming noise and a shrill shriek sounded out from the external expert. He felt all of his strength leaving his body. The energy was not listening to his orders. Instead, the Qi was absorbed. This left the large burly man l feeble and weak.;an experience he had never known .

  Silence filled the small courtyard. The famous external expert was reduced to nothing by the young man and his sword. Xu Min’s smile grew wider and wider --his sword reassuredly did not fail him.

  After this unexpected scene, the internal expert gulped, realizing t though he had been injured, there was a big difference from forcefully breaking off an ability than being sucked dry. He understood, now, that this boy, although incredibly disliked, actually had the right to be arrogant. Looking at the sword, he surmised that this young man must have a very important background.

  After helping the external expert sit down to meditate, Xu Min handed him a medicinal pill. He then examined the remaining experts. Some of their faces contained uncomfortable expressions. They feared Xu min enacting the same fate upon them as he did the external expert.

  “Next, the Four-Star Internal Expert,” he called out. A rather slim looking young man sighed deeply and stepped forward. Again, the slim looking expert summoned an attack and awaited for Xu min’s sword to touch it. Upon contact, a shiver ran down the spine of the internal expert. However, this time the sword was absorbing energy far slower. So slow that it seemed almost impossible for Xu Min to empty this expert’s energy than the other two.

  “Just cut it off now,” he commanded while waving at the internal expert.Additionally Xu min noticed that the suction forced diminished significantly as well after he cut the external four star expert. Now, he could cut the suction force just by removing the weapon from the wound.

  Since the first moment of the expert’s appearance,, Xu Min frowned. . Comprehending the situation, Xu Min understood his sword though wonderful was not capable of miracles; there were limits.

  The sword could still devour some energy of the Five-Star Expert. Nonetheless, it absorbed such miniscule amounts It did not matter. His attemptto absorb energy from the Six-Star Experts was nearly impossible,.

  Finished with his experiments, the sign of hope within Xu min’s eyes disappeared..He was just testing the sword’s capability, but truly believing the sword effective against a high ranked Seven-Star Warrior was plain idiotic of him.. He shook his head and mocked himself for his stupidity.

  With the experiments at an end, Yong Meilin quickly made all the experts swear never to tell anyone their experience in the courtyard and followed them back to the barracks.

  While walking away, Yong Meilin kept looking back towards the courtyard. She anxiously pressed her hand on her chest, mirroring her worried facial expression. Seeing the fear in Yong Meilin’s eyes gave truth to the rumors the experts heard. They all sighed deeply,slightly disappointed, but deep down all wished the best for her.

  Contrastly, Xu Min had already stopped thinking about the experts. His face seemed serious not so much because he was worried but rather from deep concentration.He was now cultivating and trying to absorb as much energy as he could. This would make his cultivation soar rapidly.. He needed strength but not just for his revenge. Soon, He would be participating in a tournament which he needed to prepare for. .

  Taking deep breaths and releasing them, Xu Min completely cleared his mind for meditation.. The current cultivation would not be good if his emotions controlled him. However, the more Xu Min tried to be serene the more impatient he became in his goal to become patient.
Forcibly collecting himself, he tried to enter into the state he had earlier that day, a state where his entire body had become one with the world around him.

  Already succeeding once, Xu min entered the cultivation stance easier and managed to gain more energy than before. His immersion with the world even rivaled the medicinal pills he took before. Suddenly, exactly when Xu Min felt he was absorbing the energy, the sword in his hand started humming again. The heavens and the earth’s essence swirled around him like they were specifically drawn to Xu Min. The sword absorbed the essence similar to its absorption of thee Qi earlier. Xu Min was so surprised that he withdrew from his cultivation stance.. The energy from the sword that was pouring into his body had been perfectly refined into Qi. Yet, not just regular Qi, but refined from the heavens and earth’s essence acquired during his meditation.

  Staring at his sword in disbelief but excitement, Xu Min finally understood the devouring ability was not solely meant for Qi. It contained unlimited possibilities. The energy absorbed from the sword was more powerful than his energy alone. Even if he were to cultivate for a full night, he still would not have possessed as much refined Qi as he had now with his sword.

  Astonished, Xu Min slowly but surely stood up and started physical training. His body burst with energy. As soon as he imbued his hand with Qi, a white flame rose from his skin. The Qi was so powerful and vigorous that it turned into a flame. Normally, this did not occur until a was a Five-Star. However, it was happening with a Two-Star Warrior who did not specialize in internal strength but external, making it even more incomprehensible.

  Even Xu Min was shocked. Just from holding the sword in his hand and summoning Qi to his body caused him to become numb. No matter where the Qi was gathered: arms, legs, or hands, the Qi kept transforming to flames. His strength was so outstanding that it could have easily rivaled that of Three-Star Warriors.

  The Qi he collected also helped him to reach the peak of the Two-Star. The sudden boost in power was almost monstrous. Xu Min dared not believe it until he walked towards a set of large boulders placed within the courtyard. What their actual use was, Xu Min had no idea, but he quickly decided that their use was for the sake of training. With the white flame around his arm, he resolutely punched the boulder with all the force he could muster.

  This Boulder was as tall as Xu Min himself and even wider than three of him standing together. With this image one can imagine how magnificent the Boulder was. Nevertheless, as soon as the flame covered palm landed on the surface, cracks appeared deep within the stone. Moments after, it shattered into a thousand pieces, a feat no other than a Two-Star Warrior could accomplish.

  Contemplating for some time, Xu Min withdrew his energy once more. He took a stance he had repeatedly tried before; he wanted to see if there would be any change., A massive pearl white hand appeared in front of him. Thrusting his arm downwards, the pearl white arm replicated Xu Min’s movement.. WhileXu Min’s arm touched nothing, the pearl white hand slammed down directly onto the second boulder, causing a massive explosion. The ground trembled and the boulder, incapable of withstanding such pressure, turned into sharp stones shooting outwards. Some of them even grazed Xu Min, scratching and slighlty wounding him.

  Xu Min grinned upon hearing loud voices outside the courtyard. One guard after another rushed towards the main house; they were wondering what caused such a loud tremor and if the Yong family was safe.. The attack was almost equivalent to a Three-Star Internal Expert. Feeling greatly satisfied, Xu Min decided not to cultivate any more tonight. He needed to stabilize his newfound strength. If he was too greedy, his hubris would come and take revenge, surely wanting too much would have its consequences.

  A smile formed on Xu Min’s lips as he closed his eyes and entered his unconsciousness. Deep within, he found his Qi to call forth and train. Flames appeared and disappeared on one part of the body before reappearing on another. Xu Min was doing his best controlling the extreme and ferocious energy flooding his meridians.

  This newly acquired energy was strong, far stronger than before. As a result, he had issues rapidly switching energy from one limb to another. Xu Min understood he needed to control this new energy or it would be ultimately useless for him. Bent on mastering the energy, Xu Min hardly noticed the days passing.

  While Xu Min trained, Yong Meilin spent her time within the courtyard. She would try to train a little on her own, read a book, ensure food and water was prepared for the young man, and entertain Cao Cao who was incredibly bored whenever Xu Min arduously trained.

  Time rushed by and before Xu Min realized itt the tournament had arrived. However, what Xu Min did not know was that the tournament had been the talk of the city; everyone spoke of nothing else. The families holding the tournament was notified that Xu Min, the young genius from the Yong family, accepted the invitation.

  Everyone knew Xu Min captivated the heart of the city’s favorite Yong Meilin. Furthermore, everyone was curious as to the mysterious young man’s skills. Was he truly a genius or perhaps just an arrogant young upstart?

  No one truly knew anything, but everyone was curious. This tournament usually received a lot of attention as it allowed the city to find the younger generation geniuses. This time, though, it was even more interesting.

  Yong Meilin aware of this did not feel any need to tell Xu Min. In her heart, he was invincible. He trained harder than anyone else and showed insane amounts of improvement just when she had watched him.. In her heart, he was already the champion.

  Xu min was completely unaware of everything occurring while he was training. When he opened the door,he saw multiple guards were awaiting him, sternly staring at him.

  Clearing his throat, Xu Min scratched his head awkwardly as he wondered what he was supposed to say. Fortunately, he did not have to say much as Yong Meilin’s grandfather appeared on the road in front of them.

  “It is time,” he said quietly, “Do not let us down!” He mumbled something afterwards, but the train started moving with the three of them in the front. They began their journey towards the tournament.

  Chapter 48 - To the Tournament

  As the guards heard the family patriarch’s words, they all glanced at Xu Min. However, none of them dared to say anything. Although all the guards had complex emotions towards the young man, they just silently observed him.

  “Okay, let us set out!” The patriarch shouted. Right behind him was Xu Min, walking slowly without saying anything. Around his neck was the invisible snake and by his side was Yong Meilin. As well, Master Dong Liang walked beside the patriarch.

  Xu Min felt quite comfortable with the present t situation. He was eager to battle; because his current strength equaled to three-star warriors and even his stances matched internal experts, he mainly wanted to fight the experts of the other families.

  On Xu Min’s back was his infamous sword, the sword which devoured the different energies of the world. With both Cao Cao and his sword by his side, Xu Min knew he almost impossible to defeat. Even still, Xu Min deep down desired to win only by his strength. He wanted to increase his personal strength. For him, he needed to know that he, alone, improved his strength. Nonetheless, this was just the first step down revenge’s road.

  Leaving the Yong family compound was quite easy. However, once they stepped onto the outside roads, many citizens were curious to see Xu Min. Only the city’s elite families could attend the tournament since it was being held at the Tang family’s family compound. Commoners were not allowed inside.

  Seeing all the commoners astonished Xu Min. Now, he realized how important the tournament was to the city and victory for the Yong family. Understanding the gravity of his situation did not deter Xu Min. Smiling, he looked forward to the tournament even more. He knew the opponents there would not be easily beaten, but he also knew he stood a chance to beat them. His sword’s strange devouring ability alongside his sudden boost in strength strengthened his certainty he could rank in the top three. Truly, though, Xu Min would on
ly be satisfied with being first place and gaining the trophy.

  Xu Min spent hours after hours advancing his swordsmanship. The master alchemist trained him, and he was allowed all the sparring partners he desired. As a result, Xu Min had been treated as though he was his weight worth in gold. Because nothing was taken away from him and everything was given to him, he felt the pressure of all the expectations which weighed on his shoulders.

  ‘Don’t worry Xu MinIf you can’t handle it, just let me know. I can easily overpower these puny little human cultivators,’ an arrogant voice sounded within his mind, which made a smile appear on Xu Min’s face. ‘Yes Cao Cao, if I can’t handle them then I will be counting on you,’ Xu Min answered the snake in his mind, ‘Nonetheless, I should be able to deal with the humans on my own now.

  How will I ever be able to defeat the Zhong family leader if I am defeated by these weak cultivators?