Pathway To Eternity 30 We Are Adventurers, Are We Not?

It was around six hours after his encounter with the Revenant that Jufeng was able to leave the haven. According to the words of the grand elder, the attack on him was a soul based one. When he stepped on the heavenly seal, It directly attacked his soul bypa.s.sing his body. The only effect on his body was when he was thrown flying from the force-field. After regaining full consciousness, he had been checked thoroughly and was declared fit to return to his dormitory. The banging headache he was having when he first woke up had subsided too after resting.

Heavens tears.

He was not dead and had neither broken bones nor damaged dantian. He had been fortunate, on this, he would agree with the elders. After he had recovered, he had learned about Su Ming, the female cultivator who had saved his life. She had given him the expensive yellow pill after he was thrown into their midst. He wanted to thank her for saving his life but he was told she was still recuperating. He would thank her later, he was in her debt for that.

As he was going towards his dormitory, he tried to remember the past event but he could only remember stepping on something that felt like a thunderbolt. He couldn't remember what the revenant's force-field looked like or what happened after he saw himself flying away from it due to the impact. Nothing at all.

In many ways he could have been dead during the encounter. The Revenant could have beaten him into a pulp and then turned him into ash. Even from the effect of the heavenly seal, he could have died so easily. But thanks to the timely intervention of disciple Su Ming, of elder w.a.n.g Xiu and the grand elder.

Yet again, he was in the debt of elder w.a.n.g Xiu.

Not that he wasn't happy for her help, he was worried about dying before paying his debt. He couldn't afford to die with debt tied around his neck. He didn't want the Karma of debt to tag his soul in the afterlife on the road to reincarnation. The most important thing was for him to be alive and he was grateful for this. As long as he was alive, he would have the chance to pay his debt.

Sighing, he continued walking towards the male dormitory.

He arrived at the male dormitory, went straight into his room and locked the door behind him. He took out some turtle meat and lily tubers from his spatial sac and started chomping down on them.

Oh, how much he missed the turtle meat in what was less than a day. Maybe that was what death experience brought to his body and soul. After having his fill, he sat in the lotus position and began to meditate.

The Soul Pith technique his grandmother taught him was invaluable. He began attuning his breathing to the rhythym of the technique. Few hours later, his mind had become peaceful enough for him to think with clarity.

He had to be ready for their adventure to the forsaken palace the following day. Adventure or their demise? Why were they so much in a hurry to their death? He couldn't back out now, that would be a disappointment to himself and his friends. Besides, he really wanted to see what a place like that would look like.

His curiousity won over.

He checked his items. Food, water, milk, bronze sword and rope. What would he even do with a rope? To tie himself? After what happened to him recently, he should be getting an armor of solid steel or something. Then, he remembered the mountain bark talisman he bought at the market from the antique dealer. He quickly rumaged through his spatial sac and found it. He put it near the other items in a matter of future need.

He closed his eyes and commenced his cultivation. He was at the early stage of Zhuji but the amount of spiritual energy that he would need to advance to the next stage would be ridiculously high. This was due to the vast size of his dantian and his soul orb of liquid light. The effect of the astral primal cultivation technique.

By the time he opened his eyes, it was the earliest period of the following morning. This was the day that commenced the sects free events week.

The luminary week.

The Last-Swords luminary week would be starting on that very day. The week when the disciples, the acolytes and the elders would be having all the days of the week to themselves to enjoy as they deemed fit. They could organize events, compet.i.tions or anything else they wanted as long as it was in accord with the rules and regulations.

But for Jufeng and his friends?

Adventure week.

All their planning led to this day, the day that began their journey into the world outside. They had all agreed to meet near the gate where they would cautiously exited the sect's premises. Being new disciples, they were not allowed to go outside on their own without the supervision of a senior disciple or an acolyte. The rules of the sect. Only disciples from the third level could go out on their own because by that time, they would have what it takes to survive out there at the least.

But Chenric and DaXia had no intention of bringing any senior anyways. They had already planned it out.

He checked his items again before departing his room. He arrived at the gate to find the siblings were already there, waiting. Did they even slept at all?

"h.e.l.lo DaXia, Chenric."

"h.e.l.lo Jufeng."

"You came earlier than me. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for long. Where's Yingjie?" Asked Jufeng looking around.

"He's yet to arrive."

"We still have ample time for him to be here."

"You see why we came early? So we don't keep you all waiting."

Few minutes after that, Yingjie rushed over to them using the flashsteps.

"h.e.l.lo Daxia, Chenric, Jufeng. So sorry, got caught up in some things. All good now."

He looked at them apologetically.

"Don't worry, we are still on time."

They quickly arranged themselves and headed towards the gates. They came to the gates and Chenric showed the acolytes the level three token showing he was a senior disciple. The token he had bought from one of his sources. They were ushered through the sect ident.i.ty array that confirmed they were true disciples of the sect before they were allowed to go outside.

Once outside, Chenric brought out the map, checked it again and pointed to his far right..

"That direction will take us to JinJin village according to the map."

"This is it. Everybody be watchful and be careful."

"We need to stay closer and move swiftly."

"True. We don't know what's out there."

"Okay, let's go."

Fairly equipped, the four young cultivators, three who were about to enter the Zhuji stage and one who had already become a Zhuji cultivator embarked on the journey to find the Forsaken palace. The dimensional palace of the ancient Jade emperor Wan Bao.

Their journey at the beginning was easier, they would move rapidly with flashsteps, slowed down for few minutes and took off again. They were doing like that for few hours when they came to a clearing where they found another group of kids around their age. Three of them were struggling with some things in the clearing while the fourth one, a girl, was crouching at the side looking worried.They stopped when they saw the kids who immediately notice them too making the girl spoke out in low voice.

"Stop. Don't come any closer. We don't want you scuppering our efforts."

The four of them cautiously approached the other kids. DaXia lowered her voice too.

"We need to pa.s.s through the clearing. We are going to JinJin village."

The other kids looked at them and started laughing quietly.

"JinJin? And why do you want to pa.s.s through here to JinJin?"

"And why not?"

The girl among the other kids shook her head staring at them.

"After this clearing is the Eleros s.h.i.+vering river which you don't want to enter. The river will take you to the Akeros wolf creek where you will find the Akeros wolves which you don't want to do. Why do you want to do that when you can take the normal road? Isn't that foolishness? If you help us, we'll show you the way and take you half-way."

"Foolishness your head. We can take any way we want."

"Satisfy yourselves."

"Calm down DaXia."

Chenric tried to restrain his sister.

"What is it with the clearing?"

"We are trapping the Eddaros hare"

"What's with the hare anyway? Why is it so important to you?"

"Let's do it like this, if you help us to catch it, we will tell you the reason."

"Why should we do that?"

"Sorry, we are not interested. Thanks for the offer but we'll like to be on our way?"

One of the boys gestured for them to stop.

"Okay wait. There are golden crystals inside the hare. Nine mythic crystals."

"How do you know there's a magical hare with nine golden crystals?"

"Yes, how do you know and the adults don't know?"

"We over heard them talking about it. Then, we started tracking the hare, for four months we were doing that with little sleep. We tracked its movement, how it appears and when it appears. We saw it appeared two times. Do you know when? Half solar alignment at a place filled with the lucent spirit gra.s.s and the honey bud seeds. We spent one month gathering the items and we planted them here early this morning. Going by the past events, the hare should be appearing very soon."

"Wow, you did all that? That's insane."

"And how do you intend to catch it or kill it?"

"Xuan Tu here has a s.p.a.ce lock talisman that needed seven people minus the shooter. That's why we are struggling to make a way but we couldn't. We were thinking of taking a risk when the hare appears. Before he activate it, six of us with these empty spirit tablets need to be at the six points we already marked. When he activate the talisman, we need to infuse the stones with Chi just enough to hold the hare in place for s.h.i.+ Xiang to shoot her arrow."

"Okay, give us a minute."

The four of them put heads together, delibrated on the matter and agreed to help them as long as they get something from it. Although DaXia prefered for them to be on their way.

"What do we get from it if we help you?"

"We give you two of the crystals."

"Four and we help you."

"Okay, four then."

They hurriedly introduced themselves. Apart from s.h.i.+ Xiang, each of the remaining six took an empty spirit tablet and got into position. After waiting for over one hour, the hare appeared so suddenly that it looked as if it teleported. The hare's level of speed was truly frightening.

Xuan Tu quickly activated the talisman and the others infused their Chi into the spirit tablets. The hare sensing something was wrong tried to leave but was locked in place. This allowed s.h.i.+ Xiang to kill it with one shot.

That was it? Jufeng couldn't belive the hare was dead just like that. If only everything was as easy as this, life would be wonderful. They finished sharing the crystals when a voice suddenly sounded.

"Fair or not, I need those crystals."

They turned towards the voice and saw a middle aged man wearing a thick black robe.

"Do you think you are the only one tracking the Eddaros hare. The reason why we allowed you to finish killing it was because the hare could smell anyone from evanesce core and upward several miles away. Now that you know, give me those crystals and I will consider letting you go before others arrive."

"They belong to us, our spoilt. We are not giving them up."

"Alright then, don't blame me for being vicious."

"Run." Screamed s.h.i.+ Xiang.

With a wave of his, threads sp.a.w.ned from him and spiraled towards the running kids. The threads locked them in their tracks in webs.

s.h.i.+ Xiang shouted in terror.

"It's the Recluse black spider. The demon spider."

"Yes, it's me. Do you think it was some ordinary boy? I warned you before."

The demon spider was reaching Lai Chun, the youngest boy among the other four, when two other voices echoed in.

"Effidel, do you think we'll simply allow you to take those crystals?"

"In your dreams, black spider."

Two ladies in red robes streaked into the area riding two giant needles. They belonged to the Red Lories Circle, a circle of sacred beast of the bird family.

"Even though we want those crystals, those kids earned it fair and square. The crystals belong to them. We cant allow you to take them."

"You two? Why are you always a thorn in my flesh, you cursed red birds?"

He stared at them with a wry smile.

"Good thing then that I came with some friends."

Two more figures materialised from the cover of the trees. They wore black robes and looked more ancient than Effidel. They were holding a pair of dangerous looking fang shaped weapons.

"Oh, how touching."

Five men in green robes carrying green staffs descended from the sky. They had arrived quietly on a cloud.

"The Brotherhood?"

"I believe the Emerald Brotherhood will not get involved in this little matter."

Effidel looking worriedly at the men in green robes. The situation was getting more complicated than antic.i.p.ated. Why were they all after some little red crystals? He only wanted to use it for his advancement, he had been stuck at the peak golden core stage for tens of millions of years. Was that too much to ask for?

"Oh no. We are only here for the crystals. You all can carry on with your disputes."

"And if we say no?"

The leader of the Brotherhood hit the base of his staff on the ground and a gust of wind rushed towards one of the back-up demons. As it neared him, the wind turned to mighty sharp teeth biting down on him. The demon blocked it with his own move but was knocked back hard against a tree.

"Your choice. But we don't have the time for words."

They all raised their staffs and raging storm started to gather around them.

The Red Lories immediately fled the area. It was already out of their comfort zones. They were only late stage golden core sacred beast cultivators who love monitoring their environment. How could they face four late stage golden core cultivators led by a peak stage golden core who was at the edge of forming a nascent soul. Their lives were more precious to them.

Reena who had been watching from an undetectable distance was about to send in her phoenix sword when she noticed another light blazing sword streaking towards the storm. She held back her sword and spreaded her divine sense. In an instant, she discovered the source. It was one of the elder of the Last-Sword sect. Alright, she would stay back and continue to watch from a distance.

The blinding sword collided with the force-field shattering it to pieces.

"What?! A middle stage nascent soul? Run!"

The Emerald Brotherhood quickly ascended and disappeared on their flying cloud.

"Run!"

The demons hurriedly streaked away too like lightning.

"Disciples."

"Elllllder w.a.n.g Xiu?"

They quickly bowed as they greeted her after being freed from their web bondage.

"We can explain, elder w.a.n.g Xiu."

She looked at them and began to laugh.

"I know you can. But for now, we need to focus on where we are going next"

"..." DaXia.

"..." Chenric.

"..." Jufeng.

"..." Yingjie.