Emperor's Reckoning

Amongst the few breaths of his endowing sleep, mana was gathering right in front of him. The golden leaves rustled in the wind but none was whipped into the air. The gathered mana slowly formed a mist, a fog, that outlines that of a human standing in mid-air. Though the face had no skin and its eyes were filled with mist, the being was exuding wisdom that no mortal had ever old enough to attain. 

"You have piqued my interest indeed, young mortal. Hmm..."

The mist moved closer to Lyon's face before drawing back. It contemplated with a hum before it turned around and looked at the vast meadow. 

"You can ask anything you want, but you wanted to take a nap instead. You have the rare chance of asking my knowledge, but resting is what you seek."

The mist slowly raised higher from above the ground as it went through the branches. Its eyebrows were slightly furrowed as it muttered. "Everyone else is fighting to prove to be the best, the best of the young generation, sitting on a most coveted chair, a throne. With death clearly avoidable to ensure that the Crown winners stayed alive and brought up the value of mortals, they can go all out."

"Testing their blades, honing their skills. Whether it's their arts or their magic, whether it's their aptitude element or their soul. Every cultivator seeks to better themselves. However, you... what is it that makes the woman with a Wargod Physique be so interested in you, so boastful about you? Yet, not a single shred of fighting spirit I can feel from you." 

The mist pondered before it descended down once more and looked at the sleeping young man whose breath was inaudible. The embodiment of peace was planted on his face. 

"You acted as if you don't care about this trivial thing the youth of your generation are currently doing. Hmm... do you act 'as if' or are you exactly like this? Are you more mature than the rest of them or just simply don't care?"

"Hmm... he is sleeping quite fondly, it won't hurt him to swim on his sea of memories. I might know what makes the woman so interested in this fella. I doubted having two opposing forces of Devil Ape and True Dragon would be enough to let her boast about him, in fact, all the previous bearers of Wargod Physique have been famous for its cockiness, however, that lass is different."

The figure of the mist gradually disintegrated as it crept up to Lyon's body.

"That's probably not the best idea."

The mist immediately drew back and formed the figure once more. Its face revealed a state of shock as it looked at the young man with his eyes opened against him. It was sure that Lyon was sleeping and entered the deep sleep mode. 

"You... you are awake?"

Lyon smirked, "I've heard every single thing that comes out of your mutter."

"Ah... please do forgive me. I did not mean to offend you, I'm just merely... curious."

Lyon stood up before he stretched his arms up to the sky. Even though he was talking to a very ancient being in the form of a mist, there was nothing sort of hurry nor nervousness coming out of his facial expression. 

(Though I'm surely not a threat, this is the first time he ever meets me. Surely he must have some sort of nervousness in his system, right? How can someone so young can be so calm around a being like myself) thought the Golden Wise Tree.

"Curious? About me? I'm more curious about the woman with the  Wargod Physique that talked about me."

"Hahaha, sadly, the lass didn't tell me her name nor yours. Her eyebrows creased when I asked her about it. Maybe her name is quite dangerous or important to let other people know. However, I'm just an old tree, what could be so dangerous about telling her name to me?"

Lyon chuckled, "Hahaha, I wouldn't give my name to a talking tree either. However, though wise you may proclaim for yourself, you acted as if you know about the world."

"I do know about the world, the mortal world. There is only but a handful of things that I do not know about it."

"Sure you do."

"Hmm? What's this? Are you saying that you don't believe me? Are you doubting the Golden Wise Tree? Hahaha, young mortal, you are indeed very different than those youngsters."

"Then let me ask you this question then."

Lyon puts his hands behind his back before taking a stroll in the empty meadow. The mist figure followed along beside him before it saw his iconic smirk.

"First of all, you admitted that you have a seen things that are unbelievable happening in the mortal world, the world I came from?"

"Yes, indeed. I'm not boasting but yes... that is indeed true."

Lyon smirked before he halted his footsteps. He turned around and glance over at the mist without holding back his confidence that mixed with arrogance. 

"How?"

The mist creased its eyebrows toward the smiling Lyon.

"What?"

"How?!"

Lyon playfully squinted its eyes before he lazily turned around and continued, "How did you know what's happening in the mortal world while you are stuck here?"

The mist figure stood silent for a bit before it answered with a laugh, "I'm the Golden Wise Tree. Gaining knowledge from the outside world is a trifling matter for me."

"Every kid could come up with that answer after a slight contemplation."

The Golden Wise Tree was abruptly surprised by his reply. It couldn't even remember the last time someone answered so rudely. (Does this young man knows no fear?) thought the ancient being. 

The mist smiled, "You have no fear, young mortal. Did you know—"

"You are dodging the question, that's not so wise now, is it. Besides, you always call me,  young mortal as if you are not a mortal."

Lyon smirked as even he could see the anxiety the mist had shown before he teased further, "I guess it's not a trifling matter, huh?"

"You are the Golden Wise Tree, you boast your wisdom, however, you are not the Golden  Truth Tree. Since you are a wise ancient being, sometimes, no, most times, a lie can be considered a type of wisdom."

The mist figure was taken back by his thoughts before Lyon turned away and said, "That's why I ask you not a question, but a request. Since you proclaim yourself old, then your tricks are numerous. The woman with the Wargod Physique was right to not tell you her name. Also, let me guess, your meeting with her was not a pleasant one."

Lyon didn't hear any answer as he walked away from the shades with a smirk on his face. (I hit the jackpot I guess, though I don't know what its hidden agenda is, it's better be safe rather than sorry.) thought Lyon before his eyebrows creased. He glanced over the ground before he quickly jumped away. A sharp root was protruding upward from the place he stood before he landed a few spaces away and looked at the mist that was no more.

Lyon smirked, "I don't know what your hidden agenda is, but I know one thing. That it's bad."

"You really are special, too special! Just like that woman! But the difference is, your cultivation is low!"

The hoarse voice rang inside his mind before the latter chuckle at its dismay.

"That's pretty stupid coming from the one that called itself a Golden Wise Tree! Where did all those wisdom go?!"

"Your arrogance is quite big for someone with a common physique!"

Lyon glanced down before he dodged the set of roots that protruding upward below his feet. He was like a snake that could slither through the pattern that the Golden Wise Tree made against him.

"This is boring, are these all the tricks you got?"

"Die! Die! Die!"

"Alright, alright, no need to shout inside my mind now!"

Lyon actually kicked one of the protruding roots before the latter was shredded. 

"What?!"

The ringing of disbelief made Lyon smiled before he opened his right hand and closed his eyes.

"Feast the blood of your enemies!"

THUMP!

"Scarlet!"

The red blood sword made its appearance once more in Lyon's hand.

"Heh," Lyon smirked as the branches above him started to move and approached him. 

"I was wondering when will those branches move, haha!"

Instead of dodging away, Lyon's eyebrows turned like that of a sword before he jumped straight against them. A few red streaks were made in a blink of an eye before Lyon landed with his two feet.

"Huu," Lyon let out a breath before as he took the first step forward, the branches that were moving against him had all been cut, three times each before dropping on the ground.. He smirked as he set his eyes on the giant tree trunk in front.