26 – The Eve of Battle

This was not what I was expecting. Looking around once more, I am now in some kind of painted world. On top one of those vertical mountains. In front of me is what looks like a man in daoist robe. But instead of a face, there’s words written on it saying, ‘Great Thundergod Step - First Step’

As soon as I finished reading, the man turned away. Looking towards another vertical mountain quite far away. Big purplish thunders gathered on his foot and with what looked like a casual step, he landed on the next vertical mountain like a thunder striking ground. Some vague instructions on how to do the same streams into my mind. Very vague instructions. So this is like a VR training sim? Neat. But why does this book have it while some book doesn’t? There must be some difference so maybe I will ask the old man later.

“Can you like, lie it on me again?” I try to ask to this place in general

But I get no answer. Hmmm. This application is shit. But oh well. Here goes nothing. I bend forward and take a running position. Circulating my Qi according to the instructions to my right foot and leapt forward.

“Wuh!” was the sound I made as I failed to leap far enough. My heart stopped beating as I saw the rapidly encroaching ground. The landing was not pretty as the momentum drove my body skidding, the snout of my skull head scraping the ground forward like a plow.

“Ow. Why is there pain?” But I blink and I return to the top of the mountain.

The words on the man's face turned to ‘second try’. Then he demonstrates how it is done one more time. I immediately locked in to see what was missing. He took a step and landed on the next mountain. Was it just more Qi? Was that all I'm missing? I think I blinked. Not bothering to ask for a repeat demonstration and try to do it again. Now, how much Qi must I spend? On the last jump I consume equal Qi of just one Railgun bullet projection. So maybe try with two? Or double it again? Let’s double it again. I repeat what I did with quadruple Qi. Then leap forward.

BOOM!

I got the experience of what it felt like to slam into a mountain from the sheer momentum. I blink and I am back at the top of the mountain again. The entire body is still in pain. I move once and various cracking noises follow. As I groaned in pain,  I saw the faceless man lean forward but turn his face to the side, hand beside his ear as if to hear my suffering better. Are you kidding me? Then as if he caught me staring, it immediately resumed the default stance. The word on his face turned to ‘Last try’. I don’t know if I should be offended by this… whatever this is is enjoying my suffering or not. 

Moving on, alright this tutorial guy only gave three demonstrations. Noted. I watch unblinking as he demonstrates once more. Comparing it from how I did it. He took a step and landed on the next mountain. I don’t know. I don’t think I get anything from that. So maybe I have done this correctly? Just need to adjust the power and angle then. Alright, let’s do this. Let’s use the equal of three railgun bullets of Qi. I leapt forward. Vision zoomed forward. Not too fast as before as I can track where I am going.

CRACK!

That was the sound I made as I landed. Not the sound of thunder striking ground but ankle crushed from trying to hold the sheer inertia of sudden deceleration. Then

“WAAAAA!” I scream in pain as I held my crushed foot

Fucking! Piece of… was the pain necessary!? Mah legs! Then I saw the tutorial man hopped! Hopped! Jovially to my side. Then squatting to my eye level on the ground. The words on his face turned, ‘Always use the Thundergod Steps technique on both legs’. Oh you motherfucker! The pain is for this thing’s amusement!

“Ok, I can do this. Wooooo.” I whistle as I try to use biomancy to heal my legs. Shuddering from each crack as my crushed foot slowly heals back into shape. After a while, I can stand once more. I looked at the tutorial man. The words on his faceless face change once more into ‘Great Thundergod Step - Second Step’. 

Immediately he moved to demonstrate. His casual stance has now changed into a more serious one. Then he leapt once. Then twice. Then more. Like thunder moving through the clouds then struck the farthest vertical mountain and reducing it to rubble. Hmmm, so this movement technique can be used offensively too. Neat. However,

“I think I am done for today.” I decide to end it for now

But the tutorial man appears beside me. The words on his face change. 

“Heh. Coward.” The two words was written clearly on his face

“Fuck you! I can do this! Fuck you!” I point at the tutorial man and curse him. I know I am getting baited but ain’t no way I am leaving after that. 

The vague instructions are already in my mind too. This one is quite different from the First Step. The First Step is mostly just movement focused. Leaping with one foot and landing with another. Then can be chained for constant movement. The Second Step however is more offensive oriented. Where the First Step ends with landing with the other foot and repeating for movement, the Second Step doesn’t stop there. Instead, compounding the Qi with each step taken. Thus creating ever more powerful thunder with every step. The First Step is like dash, stop, then dash again. But the Second Step is like a dash and sprint at once until stopping. So this should be simple.

Then I took the first step. Leaping up towards the cloud. Then the second one. Zooming forward with another flash. Then another. Then another. The weight of five Thundergod Steps Qi on both of my feet as I land with a loud thunder. Reducing the vertical mountain to rubble. I grit my teeth, clenching my fists up as strong as I can, taking a deep deep breath to not scream. The legs under the knee that should have bent down are now bent upwards.

“Eeeeeeeee” The noise slipped through gritted teeth as the pain was too much. I am a city boy. I never get to experience pain too often. Once again, the tutorial man hopped to my side. He doesn’t make any noise. But his shoulders are shaking like when someone is laughing. The words on his face now reads: ‘It is advised that one should have tempered their body before attempting the Second Step.’

Motherfucker! Give the advice before the attempt you son of a bitch! I move to choke him but he evades and I fall to my side, the two feet knocking each other that made me shudder in pain.

—

Back in the Princess chamber, when Danxing is ‘reading’. The maid sitting beside her eyes the immortal beside her warily. She is huge, twice the size of a grown man. Now sitting slack on a chair, head turned up above the backrest. An open book on her face as she snores. She thinks the immortals are majestic and divine in presence. But other than her size, she feels somewhat like a normal person. But she shakes her head. This is the demonic deer that have killed the West General. She did hear that immortals can be capricious too, so she shakes her drowsiness and keeps watch of the princess. Who knows if she decided to kill her too. 

Behind both of them, Luochen stands. Easily making himself undetectable by everyone. He assesses his adopted son. His mouth can’t help but cringe with a little disgust when seeing him after hearing what the Tianji sect elder have said. He scans his storage ring too and sees that all the pills are gone.

Pathetic. Luochen thought to himself. He raises his fist, slowly extending his index and middle finger. Maybe he should have just killed this son and everyone related to the prophecy. Sword intent ready to behead this… thing. What’s three hundred more years? Heaven favored him. Surely he would have found another and had another child. Better than this mockery in front of him and better than the last three hundred years he wasted playing as a healer.

But then he stopped. He retracted his fingers. No. The last three hundred years are not wasted. Luochen took a breath. It was never wasted. Even if it feels like so now more than ever. He took out one box from his storage ring. Inside is the elixir pill that can be used by mortals. He never gets to name the elixir. Not wanting to anymore. It should be a sign of his achievement, but now it is a sign of what is taken from him. Luochen then put the elixir box into his son’s storage ring. Also the recipe to make it.

Then he rubs the back of his neck. Thinking about what to do now. He can just leave this world. Find the one responsible and take care of it. But that would be irresponsible and his father taught him better. Then he thought of where he last dropped his sword. Should he take it back? Or maybe give it to Danxing following the family custom? He can always make another sword for himself but not for his son. In the first place, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue this father and son relationship anymore. With those thoughts in mind, Luochen disappears from the room as if he is never there.

—

“Where’s the thief?” Asked a middle aged man with gravely voice as he arrives in the hidden grotto

“His right hand got cut off and he ran with what he got. Suffice to say he won’t be taking the agreed payment. More shares for us.” A young man answers with a smile. Continuing on playing Weiqi by himself. Occasionally frowning. The three other loose cultivators are busy preparing themselves. But they often looked at the young man playing Weiqi.

“What’s the matter? Something with your fortune telling? What you are not telling us!?” Shouted one of the loose cultivators. Insects coming out and getting back into his body through various holes on his body. Moving quite rapidly, mirroring the cultivator’s state of mind. But the young man remained frowning and playing. The Gu cultivator stomps impatiently before being stopped by the middle aged man.

“No need to be so harsh. Techniques to divine the future are always hard to come by. Even more so after West Xia exterminated most divination sects. Just give him time. Better prepare yourself. The young sect leader should be returning soon.” The Gu cultivator grit his teeth but return to where he sat before. But the middle aged man made a note to remove the Gu cultivator later. Of all things, they have the bad luck of cooperating with some loose cultivators using demonic methods. But against cultivators from sects, numbers are always necessary, especially if all gathered here are all loose cultivators. Then again, they are not in place to be choosy on allies. Then the young man heaves a long sigh. Wiping the sweat on his forehead. 

“Anything interesting?” The middle aged man wondered. The young man is always confident and seeing him constantly frowning these last two days is quite concerning.

“All predictions are well within what I previously had. It's when I take into account the one from Tianhe sect, that’s where things get cloudy. Like I am missing a key piece of information that will make or break any further predictions.” The young man answers with a frown

“You can divine the location of a hidden spirit vein within the kingdom of Jin but cannot divine the action of one cultivator?” The young man nods, “Hmmm. Then again, cultivators of the Tianhe sect quite rarely involve themselves in mortal matters such as this. If any appears, their cultivation methods and techniques are very distinct from each other. Maybe this is the case?”

“Perhaps. But this can lead to various outcomes not predicted at all.” the young man bites his teeth. “Maybe we should le—

“Shhhh. Keep it to yourself.” The middle aged man stops him just in time. Morale already took a blow after the additional cultivator from Tianhe appeared. If the group diviners says this then the group might just break already and maybe even come to infighting. Ties made with benefits can only strain this much. Besides, he has grown attached to the young man. Reminds him during the early days of his cultivation when he still had his hopes.

“Tell you what boy, I will take care of this cultivator from Tianhe. I survived according to all your predictions, correct? There shouldn’t be any problem. Just remember all my warnings.” The middle aged man then reassures the young man. The latter wants to speak but the short range teleportation array he has set triggers. Three heavily cloaked figures appear. All five loose cultivators immediately stood, cup their hands, and bowed

“Greetings, young sect leader!” All said at the same time

“I have confirmed it myself! There’s a hidden spiritual vein deep under Jin!” The leader in the middle shouts boastfully. This means that he can resurrect the Yougu sect after clearing the land.

“Senior brother, wait.” A female voice beside the leader interrupts.

“There seems to be one person less.” She scans once more. “Where’s the thief?”

“He departed.” The young man came forward then bowed, “He lost his right arm then decided to leave with his meager gains.”

“Hmph! Pathethic! This is why loose cultivators are unreliable!” The leader spat which draw frowns from the five loose cultivators

“This wasn’t within the prediction. What exactly transpired?” The female is more level headed and question

“A cultivator from the Tianhe sect arrives. He is the one that destroyed the thief’s right arm.” the young diviner answers

“Tainhe sect!?” The leader exclaimed, his voice faltering for the first time

“That’s right! You assure us that the Tianhe sect will not intervene but here is one! Even if we won, how will you deal with them!?” The Gu cultivator moved forward unbowed. At his words, the other two loose cultivators followed suit.

“He is still one cultivator. I’m sure we can improvise our approach for just one more. But the general plan remains unchanged. After all, we are still double their number. If just the appearance of one more cultivator shakes you like this then perhaps what my senior brother said is right.” The Gu cultivator clenches his fist. Then looks around and sees that the two others are already backing out from supporting him. While the middle aged man and the young diviner weren't moved.

“I am hasty with my judgement. I ask the young leader’s generosity to forgive me.” The Gu cultivator swallowed his pride and bowed. The other two repeat his example. The young sect leader looked at his junior sister. Truthfully it will be so much easier to just kill the three with clearly shaky loyalty and turn them into puppets. But his junior sister shakes her head once more. After all, they need proper cultivators and not just puppets. So the young leader reluctantly nods.

“We thank the young sect leader for the generosity.” the three said at the same time

“All of you do not need to worry about Tianhe or other sects. Leave this matter to us. Just follow the plans and predictions. No sect cultivators will add grudges just for a mortal kingdom. Besides, we have given them a chance to leave. If they die then it is because of their own decision. We have ways to handle their respective sects after.” She concludes this matter

“Then, this one and the young diviner will personally deal with the one from the Tianhe sect. I’m sure this will settle all anxiety.” The middle aged man offers. The other three loose cultivators glared. They have voiced their doubts and will get less favor and rewards. Now the middle aged man and the diviner curry more contribution. But none dare voice their opinions again.

“Very well, you do that.” Then the female look at her senior brother, nods, and took a step back

“The time is near! Make your final preparation! Once the capital and the province is cleared, all of you shall become the new elders in my resurrected Yougu Sect!”

“Understood!”