by Ivory Scott
"Hahaha," House Lord Osiris laughed boisterously as he stood up straight. "Excellent, Joseph. I believe in you, kid. Okay, honored pack, we're leaving. Ke Si, Slaughter, you two stay here," commanded House Lord Osiris, as he disappeared into the portal of darkness with the rest of the elders.
"Practice hard kid. We shall explore the palace a bit," said the only female elder of the Five Elements Wolf Pack, Charlotte Slaughter, grabbing Ke Si by the hand and dragging him out of the room. This dumbfounded Jodye Trill momentarily. Could these two be...?
'Ke Si, you bastard dog,' little Jodye gnashed his teeth in frustration. Why did it take so long to grow up, anyway?
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Outside the room,
"What is the meaning of this exactly, young lady?" asked Ke Si in confusion. He had rarely seen Charlotte behave so strangely.
"Just now I received some intel that the group that was following us is beginning to surround this location," Charlotte's face was solemn, "They seem to be aware that the Fort Master has departed."
"How could that possibly be?" Ke Si was utterly stunned. The Fort Master was a powerful mortal pharaoh! How could the enemy possibly detect his movements? Unless... "Could it be that there is a spy?"
"Maybe," Charlotte didn't deny it, as these words were indeed logical. However, she was familiar with this cult, and she had a different idea, " it is certainly the only conclusion that makes a lick of sense. Unless, of course, there's someone by his side that they CAN track through... special means."
Ke Si's face turned sinister, and dark shadowy smoke started to leak from his body, "Special means indeed. Fuck, how could we overlook such a big issue? I should have long made the connection."
"Less of this, let us go now! We have to find your kinsman and stop them from tracking us again!" responded Charlotte sternly.
"What about the young master? I cannot simply," Ke Si was thoroughly uncomfortable with the idea of leaving Jodye behind while this place was under siege.
"If I am aware of the enemy, do you think that she is not? Has she even showed concern towards this?" asked Charlotte matter-of-factly.
"This..." Ke Si knew exactly who this 'she' that Charlotte was referring too was. He tense nerves suddenly relaxed. He placed his hand on his shoulder with determined eyes, "Indeed. Fine, we will go now."
A midnight shadow force field instantly covered Charlotte Slaughter and Ke Si as they both disappeared from the palace. Many masters in the underground bazaar had their brow twitch as a dominant force passed through their perceptions like a ghost. Some of the more astute masters in this underground world.
"Go to the dawn," instructed Charlotte Slaughter. Moments later Ke Si and Charlotte walked out of the shadow of a rock pillar.
In front of them was a beautiful sight that one would never imagine seeing underground. It looked like an upside-down country as there were even exotic trees and other foliage growing with the stalactite on the cave ceiling. There were rolling hills, winter peaks, and fertile valleys. Below was a multi-layered mist, with the first layer being white.
In front of the duo was a large cliff face, that stood 800 meters above that mist. It was impossible to see the bottom beneath the cloud. This was the region known as Dawn. It was also the path that pharaoh used to travel between the different Wards. Standing near the edge of the cliff was a camp of at least 50 warriors wearing bone armor. In the center of this encampment, Ke Si was able to feel a faint bloodline resonance.
"Pu Si." Ke Si's eyes were dreadful as he could only imagine what these evil bastards had done to his clan mate, "Pu Si was the shadow vassal of Layla Goldwolf. Could Layla have been captured by White Demon Temple?"
"I've got three agents in their camp. That priest is rumored to be at the Void Philosopher Realm, but the rest are two top elite level Sage, five senior expert level Saints, and a bundle of other junior experts," reported Hell's Daughter Charlotte Slaughter.
"Even if he is at the Prism Rank, we will not allow him to cast anything significant," replied Ke Si calmly, his level-headed response greatly reassuring Hell's Daughter, "He is likely entirely focused on the task at hand. As long as I catch him off guard, does it even matter that he's a rank higher than us?"
"Good, take out the priest. Then I will handle the rest."
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Ultimately, Jodye decided it didn't really matter to him what they were doing. Even if they had disobeyed a direct order to sneak around like two high school children, and also if Charlotte had already promised herself to him. He would get over it.
Jodye Trill stood up and looked around the room, ignoring the intrusive gaze of the now standing Sek Si, which seemed to be permanently trained on himself. This was apparently a large and magnificent cultivation room within the palace. It had a meditation platform that could use the formation inscribed on it to draw in energies of the heavens and the earth. It also had a stone room where one could practice martial arts, or more specifically, Sage Arts.
There were also a couple of saunas and restrooms on this wing of the palace, and in the sleeping quarters. There was even some wine, juices, and fruits, all of which contained potent spiritual energies. Everything he needed was within reach, and there were plenty of things he couldn't identify at all. He immediately decided to take these things with him once he left.
This felt like a paradise to the current Jodye Trill, whose only thought was to grow and get stronger. Once he had sufficient strength, he believed his parents would let him roam around outside the estate. After all, this was Jodye's first time ever leaving his home since coming to this world!
Jodye made his way over to the platform and sat cross-legged in the center of it. Sek Si followed behind his every movement, silently, like a shadow, before sitting cross-legged next to Jodye. It was unknown what she thought as she stared at him.
Thus, he had to ask her, "What's the matter? Are you feeling unsatisfied?"
"No, young master, not at all," Sek Si frantically shook her head, slightly in a panic. Her handsome face turned beet red as she mumbled another response, "It's...I'm sure it is just a side-effect of the blood pact. Please continue to do your own things."
Inwardly she was thinking, "Why does my heart feel so unsettled the moment I remove my eyes from him? Is this really the blood pact? How terrifying."
Jodye Trill glanced once at Sek Si, causing her to blush slightly. He noticed that his natural sense of caution didn't seem to apply to this young girl anymore. He trusted her completely, and this was instinctive, similar to how it was with Sylvester Tricko. So many things had happened today, he barely had any time to process everything. Jodye quietly sighed, before flipping his palm, where a shiny blue book covered in runes appeared with a flash of light.
This was none other than the Bright Star: Battle Book, the mental cultivation method given to Jodye Trill by Grandpa Geb!
Cultivation is the understanding of, and the manipulation of the forces of the universe! More importantly mental cultivation was about becoming one with not just your current environment, but to understand that all of us are part of the reality of the universe, we are from it, we merge with it, and will be reborn from it.
The Titanic Rage Law was an immortal body transformation cultivation method that was focused on astral energies and body refinement. It followed the Dao of Supreme Might! It couldn't help refine his spiritual energies, it only converted them into star power, which constantly tempered his blood and flesh, allowing him to gain powerful brute strength and life force!
The Bright Star: Battle Book was different, it could teach Jodye to absorb and manipulate origin energy, as well as extract origin energy from the pure spiritual powers of the heavens and earth. Flipping through the first couple of pages, he was enlightened, as well as t
errified. He had apparently been thinking about things all wrong.
"According to the Bright Star: Battle Book, an imbalance of different energies causes all the energy to turn cancerous. How scary!" Jodye felt his back grow cold with sweat. Hadn't Sly and himself been recklessly absorbing origin energy? Hadn't he subsequently done the same with crazy amounts of spirit source? To think he had almost caused his own death. Jodye felt his back wet with cold sweat.
"It is not quite that easy for energy to turn cancerous, Trill loser. You're far too weak to be concerned with such a thing," commentated Sylvester Tricko, rudely interrupting Jodye Trill's inner monologue. "Anyway, less of that, yes? Hurry up and use your spiritual sense to memorize the mental cultivation method. Pay special attention to the breath control, and the method of energy circulation. These are the crucial elements, everything else is secondary."
"Got it," Jodye Trill spoke out loud, startling Sek Si, who was already meditating next to him. This platform was just too useful, and she didn't want to waste even a second. Unfortunately, this boy enjoyed talking to himself. The boy in question was unaware of disturbing her as if he had forgotten that he wasn't alone.
After an hour had passed, Jodye had already committed the entire contents of the Bright Star: Battle Book to his memory. Though he couldn't comprehend all of it, Jodye discovered that when he used the spirit source of his right eye, he could at least remember the cultivation scripture in its entirety. It was like he was looking at it for the first time all over again. He could slowly study it over time.
For now, Jodye closed his eyes in meditation, and immediately entered his Host Space. Inside the Host Space, he activated his Mind's Eye, causing the outside world to be reflected in the Host Space. He then cast his spiritual force inward and observed the flow of energy in his body, before nodding at Sylvester.
"Hmph. Alright then. Let us begin."
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Sky Fall Legend
Chapter seventeen
The Consequences of being Amazing
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— Underground Bazaar, The Magic Fish Lounge
Jodye Trill was seated in the Ascended Heaven Formation, on the center of a vortex of milky white origin energy. Directly at his back, like a mirror image, was the silent Sek Si, whose eyes were also closed in meditation. Initially, Sek Si was extremely startled by this occurrence. However, after waking Jodye in a panic, she was heavily berated.
Thus, she was now staying calm, though she didn't understand how a boy who had never cultivated his origin energy before now could cause such a scene. She thought there had to be a problem. Jodye simply told her to sober up, and try and take advantage of this array as he was. Sek Si was still unconvinced, but she took his advice nonetheless.
Jodye Trill was currently in a state of complete focus, as Sylvester Tricko and himself collaborated to clear out the path to his first spirit meridian. Through his mind's eye, this looked like he was pouring milky white energy through his palm, up his arm, and into a dark grey wall of impurities separating the power from the light sphere in his left lung.
Jodye was revolving the force circulation method given to him by the Bright Star: Battle Book. One rotation, two rotations, six rotations, and finally after twenty-six rotations and seven-plus hours, Jodye exhaled some torpid air and opened his eyes. He had already connected the spirit meridians in his lungs, large intestine, small intestine, and his stomach to his origin veins! This was already four of his twelve spiritual meridians!
The outer layer of Jodye's skin was covered in a black sticky substance that smelled disgusting. The boy himself wasn't disturbed. Instead, he was totally excited. The cleansing of impurities meant that he had taken another step forward in his realm!
"Ah, dude, foul," came Xavier Tricko's voice from within Jodye's mind, causing the former to frown.
"Young master, you stink." Said Sek Si from behind Jodye Trill, making him grimace.
"Everyone can't be as handsome as you, my friend," quipped Jodye in response. He received in return an eye roll from Sek Si, who stopped speaking as if Jodye was merely air. Sek Si then swung her jet black hair, before vanishing into a shadow. Jodye Trill hesitated briefly before he shrugged as he got up and walked to the bathroom to wash away this filth.
Jodye wasn't sure whether or not Sek Si could still see him from the shadow realm, but he chose to not concern himself with it. Ultimately, he was still delighted. He had cleared four meridian bridges, linking his origin veins to his spirit meridians and vascular arteries! Unexpectedly, this also caused his astral might to flow smoother through his spirit meridians, which had long been tempered and had flowing astral strength.
Jodye Trill felt he could very easily exert his full strength through his left arm at a moments notice. It was extremely comfortable. He marveled briefly at the beautiful way his origin veins and spiritual meridians weaved and interconnected with his vascular system.
'Was the human body always capable of such magic? Maybe the ancient Chinese had it right all along,' thought Jodye. The more he learned about his spiritual meridians, the more he was reminded of the little he knew about his old world's ancient culture.
Jodye Trill immediately returned to his cultivation practice after a quick bath. Controlling his breathing and guiding his energy using the Bright Star: Force Circulation method, the first meridian bridge he cleared was in his lungs, followed by the large intestine. Jodye Trill immediately repeated this process for his stomach.
"This should be considered Intermediate level Freshman Rank," thought Jodye as he sat on the platform holding the origin gem in his hand. Jodye wore elegant white clothes, and the irises of his sapphire eyes were vertical. [Pharaoh's Law] sat magnificently on his head. He looked like the prince of a nation. Standing up, Jodye decided to evaluate his progress.
A silver aura burst out his body as the phenomenon of the primary heaven and earth forces manifested in the void above. Five white spheres of light, the size of marbles, floated in the air like stars in the night sky. Jodye could feel a connection to these little marbles.
"Indeed, the Intermediate Freshman Rank!" exclaimed Jodye Trill. How many hours had he practiced for? He had already advanced by a sub-rank! Sylvester's ability combined with all these fabulous extremities had given him a great windfall!
"Just this, and you are excited? I was born with strength equivalent to that of your father. What are you?" Sylvester said indifferently via telepathy. Jodye was stunned speechless.
Next, he decided to connect the bridges in his spleen, bladder, and kidneys, allowing his origin energy to circulate even better. Five hours and 40 rotations of the Bright Star: Force Circulation method later, he had accomplished what he had set out to do! H
owever, this time Jodye Trill didn't stop at all.
He had plenty of spiritual force to spare, as after cultivating all day just over half of his mental strength remained. Sylvester could absorb energy like this for only a particular amount time before he would have to rest for a long while, and their compatibility rating would even drop a bit! Sylvester had said this was likely because he was using powers beyond Jodye's realm; thus the soul strain has adverse effects on their compatibility rating.
As such, Jodye Trill didn't want to waste another second. His cultivation practice continued, this time focusing on the meridian bridge in his heart. By clearing this bridge, one could be considered to have reached the advanced point of his current Sage cultivation rank. The chest was a significant bridge because it would connect the energy passages in his arms, to each other and the rest of his upper body.
It was the central hub for his blood and energy.
One rotation, two rotations, six rotations, and finally after 42 rotations of his force circulation method, Jodye's body shook, as he coughed out a mouthful of black blood. This time just under 12 hours had passed! He was discovering that as long as he had origin energy circulating within him, he didn't feel any fatigue or hunger. With the milky white origin gem in his hand, which seemed to release an endless stream of origin force, Jodye Trill felt totally great.
This was the unique trait of cultivators. They could sustain themselves without food for a longer time because they could absorb the energies of the heavens and the earth. The higher their cultivation rank, the less they needed things like food, water, or rest. While he had not reached the point of being able to entirely abandon regular health convention, he apparently was ready to go the whole day without fatigue or hunger.
However, despite his gains, Jodye felt sticky and disgusting all over again. He almost threw up again, once he caught a whiff of himself. Mentally exhausted, the boy wonder decided to meditate for an hour, before finally opening his eyes. Yawning, he got up to stretch his body. Looking around the room, Jodye Trill noticed that Sek Si was nowhere in sight. Perhaps she was still playing in the shadows. Jodye was too lazy to investigate.
"Hm?" Suddenly Jodye Trill's instincts started going haywire, as he inexplicably sensed danger. It felt like a vicious viper had locked on to him, ready to strike at any moment. Jodye recognized this feeling was killing intent! Unfortunately, before Jodye Trill could react, a soft hand covered his mouth from behind, and his surroundings went entirely black.
