I was perched on a rock, observing the white and blue plant before me. I was not sure if I was waiting for something to happen or thinking of a way to approach it safely. I had learned not to underestimate the world I was on thanks to this plant, I was not about to make the same mistake twice.
The plant would twitch every now and then. It’s long and thick leaves full of pulp brushed the ground intermittently. I likened it to a snake flicking its tongue out to taste the surroundings. The blue tendrils running up the plant pulsed, an indeterminable coloured liquid coursed through it as if the plant had a heart that pumped it.
I threw a nearby pebble at one of the leaves, it bounced off with an unremarkable thud. The plant shuddered in response, another eerily animal-like response. For the first time I had to stop and consider what made me certain it was even a plant. Because it looked like one? Because I was told that’s what it was?
What was the difference?
I decided to try something. I channeled my qi into my palm and executed an incredibly basic technique. Heat began to emanate from my palm. I held my palm close to its stem. If it were a plant, it would die. If it were an animal, it would move.
The thing stayed still, allowing the heat to scorch its base. As much as I despised the idea of killing my only sample as it meant the possibility of having to sacrifice another finger, I was sure this was an important test to run.
The plant-like thing held out for a little longer until it was black and the heat was beginning to melt through the outer layer. Then, it hopped out of its hole, scampered away then dug itself a new one, using its giant leaf-looking appendages to dig itself in.
I was stunned, the thing went right back to pretending to be a plant. Which meant it wasn’t an infection or disease we were fighting, it was a creature enjoying a meal.
Now was the incalculable task of killing it. I had no idea how strong it would be, what it would be weak to, and plenty more unknowns. Not to mention the fact that a set of these animals managed to latch themselves onto one of Gutura’s strongest hunting parties.
I already knew that it did not like fire, but that could be said for a great many jungle dwelling creatures, it was more likely that there was something that could do far more damage than fire could. However, it was a good starting point. I began to circulate my qi, it flowed round my body aggressively, ready to jump the moment I channeled a technique.
I thrust my hands forward, just to provide more accuracy for the flames and engaged an old technique that I rarely used. Flames burst from my hand, molten yellow and red in colour. They engulfed the shivering white creature in a matter of seconds. I approached it, dousing it even more. I could barely see the creature now, it’s thick white leaves were now black and charred, the pulsing blue veins were no longer pulsing.
I ceased my fiery onslaught and looked at what was left. It was barely recognisable. The shape was there but the colour, it’s cunning whiteness, was entirely eradicated. I kicked a leaf and it snapped off easily, falling to the floor and crumbling a little more upon impact.
I scrambled down the mountain as quickly as I could. I sprinted across one of the swaying rope bridges, it groaned loudly as I ran. I ignored it and entered the giant tower that was the Hall of the Mountain Gods. I ran up the staircase, ignoring my feverish panting and aching legs. I didn't even glance at the massive mural that caused me to pause every other time I’d passed it. Eventually the tower melted into the mountain and the carved walls became rocky and rough.
I turned a corner to the infirmary and found it was extremely crowded. I tried to push my way through but someone grabbed my shoulder. I shook it loose and carried on but someone grasped at me again. I turned around to see what was going on when all of a sudden two pairs of arms arrested me. They slammed me against the wall and pushed my face viciously into the jutting rocks, splitting my lip.
“Found him,” one of them shouted.
“Slippery fuck,” the other complained. With fire the only thing on my mind I warmed the surface of my skin with qi until I was so hot the two assailants let go of me, reeling at the sudden heat scorching their hands.
“Get him!” One of them shouted but I had already backed away from the bunch of people who in that time had all looked my way, angry faces were all I could see.
“This is urgent, please let me through. We can dance after I’m finished.”
“Funny, you see… We have something pretty urgent to attend to as well,” said a man who walked through the sea of disciples. He was dressed in the robes of an Elder.
“That’s great, how about you get on with that and I’ll get on with mine?” I asked, full of hope.
“That won’t do,” he shook his head.
“I’ll ask one more time,” I said. Knowing that lives were on the line.
“Go on then,” he ushered me to continue after a long pause. He was toying with me.
“Please move, I have knowledge that could save lives. You can have me when I’m done.”
“We want you now,” he said. He fizzled and crackled slightly, little bolts of lighting began to hop randomly from his skin. A full-body technique.
“That’s too bad,” I said as I channeled one of my own. My body duplicated many times, each iteration began swaying and undulating in the eyes of my opponents yet I was perfectly still. Another illusion technique. Every movement I made would be infinitely more difficult to keep track of thanks to this.
I squared up for my first proper fight as a cultivator in this life. The Elder recoiled slightly as he saw what I did. He had not expected it, it seems. An illusionist, I could only imagine, was a rare thing in a sect such as the Hall of the Mountain Gods. He charged forward, a lightning encased fist barreled towards me. I knew that parrying that was not an option considering our difference in qi quantity.
I evaded swiftly, he was unable to follow thanks to my full-body technique. At the end of his swing the punch exploded with electricity. Much of the surrounding area was obliterated from the static outburst. Luckily the corridor was quite wide to allow for easy passage for people going to the infirmary.
I was unwilling to let the Elder continue in any sort of combination as it would tire me out further and meant expending a lot of qi that needed to be used offensively.
“That’s enough,” I said. It came out accidentally, I was overwhelmed in that moment by how many times I’d had to cope with situations rather than simply fight, prosper. Rather than survive against this obstacle, like the assassin in Fel Maer, like the ancestor in the tomb of the Broken Doors sect; It was not enough anymore. Surviving was not enough.
I had time to cultivate since I last fought and although it was not going to be anything like the amount that the Elder had access to, it was plenty enough for me.
First came Roshan. My deflective circle of light. A perfect chakram of piercing yellow that floated menacingly behind my back. I was famous for the technique in my previous lives as no one had quite figured out how to replicate it. That covered any projectiles that the Elder may have in mind to throw at me, unfortunately it was not offensive on its own. So, I had to resort to something yet unused.
I channeled a technique I had formulated for use alongside Redemption’s Rose. It meant that using it would be far more efficient than if used with any other soul root and any other cultivation technique.
Fury of a Gentle Petal. Without moving, thousands of petals began to shoot out of my body. They hovered in front of me, creating the image of a delicate rose. The Elder knew better than to charge in, encountering new techniques was always dangerous.
I took a step forward and the beautiful collection of petals lurched forward too. I took another step, and the petals moved forward again. They were collected in front of me but I could see right through them.
I suddenly dispersed them, the petals exploded outwards, catching everyone's attention. Only the Elder remained concentrated. Unfortunately for him, in his desperate attempt to figure out my ploy, dismissed the petals as a mere distraction and focused on my charge. I was so close to him that he was sure my punch was all I had so, when the petals descended upon him, wrapping his limbs, body and face like small red blankets, their qi infused structure creating tiny cuts all over his body, he was suddenly far more worried about the petals than the punch.
He was right the first time, though. Rose’s Kiss, was the technique I was channeling in my punch, and was the real star of the show. The petals opened up his tummy for me to aim at and I smacked him with all my might, pouring qi into the hit.
His tummy twisted and his ribs crumpled. Had I not channeled the technique then that may have been the end of it, and upon colliding with the Elder I realised how bad of an idea hitting him with the technique actually was.
All the qi that I had poured into the punch exploded into the Elder and instantly the tendrils began to form stems around his body. There was one characteristic of a rose that the Elder will have wished did not exist in that very moment.
Thorns. Giant, pointed thorns rose from the stems of qi and pierced savagely everything in their way.
I immediately realised the anger had pushed me too far as the elder fell, blood pouring from the wound in his stomach, out his mouth and his eyes.
I reinvigorated my fury of a Gentle Petal technique and plastered the Elder’s body, aiming to quell as much of the blood flow as possible.
I parted the onlookers as well with the petals. They jumped back in exaggerated fear from the tiny red plant-life. I rushed to the infirmary.
“Move!” I shouted as I approached an empty bed, blocked by a couple of healers. I laid the Elder down, his eyes were barely open. I channeled all my qi into healing. I quickly realised it was too much damage for just me. My thorns had ravaged almost everything with tiny holes, almost none of his organs were functioning properly. He had somehow managed to protect himself from some of the damage, luckily.
I emptied all of my qi into him, focusing on the most life-threatening places first. I was all out of qi incredibly quickly. Luckily the healers nearby had responded and took over as soon as I was finished. I did not have the energy to talk, transferring that much qi in such a short amount of time was an incredibly taxing procedure and the body of a recently reformed delinquent was not quite enough to handle it.
I stumbled to a nearby bed and I saw the girl that I had met during the entry test. She took hold of me and helped me lie down. She looked at me worriedly but I was already closing my eyes.
“Not… Plant,” I tried to say but it turned out I was incapable. I realised then that I no longer had my eyes open and then fainted.
Casualperv Click the
I was perched on a rock, observing the white and blue plant before me. I was not sure if I was waiting for something to happen or thinking of a way to approach it safely. I had learned not to underestimate the world I was on thanks to this plant, I was not about to make the same mistake twice.
The plant would twitch every now and then. It’s long and thick leaves full of pulp brushed the ground intermittently. I likened it to a snake flicking its tongue out to taste the surroundings. The blue tendrils running up the plant pulsed, an indeterminable coloured liquid coursed through it as if the plant had a heart that pumped it.
I threw a nearby pebble at one of the leaves, it bounced off with an unremarkable thud. The plant shuddered in response, another eerily animal-like response. For the first time I had to stop and consider what made me certain it was even a plant. Because it looked like one? Because I was told that’s what it was?
What was the difference?
I decided to try something. I channeled my qi into my palm and executed an incredibly basic technique. Heat began to emanate from my palm. I held my palm close to its stem. If it were a plant, it would die. If it were an animal, it would move.
The thing stayed still, allowing the heat to scorch its base. As much as I despised the idea of killing my only sample as it meant the possibility of having to sacrifice another finger, I was sure this was an important test to run.
The plant-like thing held out for a little longer until it was black and the heat was beginning to melt through the outer layer. Then, it hopped out of its hole, scampered away then dug itself a new one, using its giant leaf-looking appendages to dig itself in.
I was stunned, the thing went right back to pretending to be a plant. Which meant it wasn’t an infection or disease we were fighting, it was a creature enjoying a meal.
Now was the incalculable task of killing it. I had no idea how strong it would be, what it would be weak to, and plenty more unknowns. Not to mention the fact that a set of these animals managed to latch themselves onto one of Gutura’s strongest hunting parties.
I already knew that it did not like fire, but that could be said for a great many jungle dwelling creatures, it was more likely that there was something that could do far more damage than fire could. However, it was a good starting point. I began to circulate my qi, it flowed round my body aggressively, ready to jump the moment I channeled a technique.
I thrust my hands forward, just to provide more accuracy for the flames and engaged an old technique that I rarely used. Flames burst from my hand, molten yellow and red in colour. They engulfed the shivering white creature in a matter of seconds. I approached it, dousing it even more. I could barely see the creature now, it’s thick white leaves were now black and charred, the pulsing blue veins were no longer pulsing.
I ceased my fiery onslaught and looked at what was left. It was barely recognisable. The shape was there but the colour, it’s cunning whiteness, was entirely eradicated. I kicked a leaf and it snapped off easily, falling to the floor and crumbling a little more upon impact.
I scrambled down the mountain as quickly as I could. I sprinted across one of the swaying rope bridges, it groaned loudly as I ran. I ignored it and entered the giant tower that was the Hall of the Mountain Gods. I ran up the staircase, ignoring my feverish panting and aching legs. I didn't even glance at the massive mural that caused me to pause every other time I’d passed it. Eventually the tower melted into the mountain and the carved walls became rocky and rough.
I turned a corner to the infirmary and found it was extremely crowded. I tried to push my way through but someone grabbed my shoulder. I shook it loose and carried on but someone grasped at me again. I turned around to see what was going on when all of a sudden two pairs of arms arrested me. They slammed me against the wall and pushed my face viciously into the jutting rocks, splitting my lip.
“Found him,” one of them shouted.
“Slippery fuck,” the other complained. With fire the only thing on my mind I warmed the surface of my skin with qi until I was so hot the two assailants let go of me, reeling at the sudden heat scorching their hands.
“Get him!” One of them shouted but I had already backed away from the bunch of people who in that time had all looked my way, angry faces were all I could see.
“This is urgent, please let me through. We can dance after I’m finished.”
“Funny, you see… We have something pretty urgent to attend to as well,” said a man who walked through the sea of disciples. He was dressed in the robes of an Elder.
“That’s great, how about you get on with that and I’ll get on with mine?” I asked, full of hope.
“That won’t do,” he shook his head.
“I’ll ask one more time,” I said. Knowing that lives were on the line.
“Go on then,” he ushered me to continue after a long pause. He was toying with me.
“Please move, I have knowledge that could save lives. You can have me when I’m done.”
“We want you now,” he said. He fizzled and crackled slightly, little bolts of lighting began to hop randomly from his skin. A full-body technique.
“That’s too bad,” I said as I channeled one of my own. My body duplicated many times, each iteration began swaying and undulating in the eyes of my opponents yet I was perfectly still. Another illusion technique. Every movement I made would be infinitely more difficult to keep track of thanks to this.
I squared up for my first proper fight as a cultivator in this life. The Elder recoiled slightly as he saw what I did. He had not expected it, it seems. An illusionist, I could only imagine, was a rare thing in a sect such as the Hall of the Mountain Gods. He charged forward, a lightning encased fist barreled towards me. I knew that parrying that was not an option considering our difference in qi quantity.
I evaded swiftly, he was unable to follow thanks to my full-body technique. At the end of his swing the punch exploded with electricity. Much of the surrounding area was obliterated from the static outburst. Luckily the corridor was quite wide to allow for easy passage for people going to the infirmary.
I was unwilling to let the Elder continue in any sort of combination as it would tire me out further and meant expending a lot of qi that needed to be used offensively.
“That’s enough,” I said. It came out accidentally, I was overwhelmed in that moment by how many times I’d had to cope with situations rather than simply fight, prosper. Rather than survive against this obstacle, like the assassin in Fel Maer, like the ancestor in the tomb of the Broken Doors sect; It was not enough anymore. Surviving was not enough.
I had time to cultivate since I last fought and although it was not going to be anything like the amount that the Elder had access to, it was plenty enough for me.
First came Roshan. My deflective circle of light. A perfect chakram of piercing yellow that floated menacingly behind my back. I was famous for the technique in my previous lives as no one had quite figured out how to replicate it. That covered any projectiles that the Elder may have in mind to throw at me, unfortunately it was not offensive on its own. So, I had to resort to something yet unused.
I channeled a technique I had formulated for use alongside Redemption’s Rose. It meant that using it would be far more efficient than if used with any other soul root and any other cultivation technique.
Fury of a Gentle Petal. Without moving, thousands of petals began to shoot out of my body. They hovered in front of me, creating the image of a delicate rose. The Elder knew better than to charge in, encountering new techniques was always dangerous.
I took a step forward and the beautiful collection of petals lurched forward too. I took another step, and the petals moved forward again. They were collected in front of me but I could see right through them.
I suddenly dispersed them, the petals exploded outwards, catching everyone's attention. Only the Elder remained concentrated. Unfortunately for him, in his desperate attempt to figure out my ploy, dismissed the petals as a mere distraction and focused on my charge. I was so close to him that he was sure my punch was all I had so, when the petals descended upon him, wrapping his limbs, body and face like small red blankets, their qi infused structure creating tiny cuts all over his body, he was suddenly far more worried about the petals than the punch.
He was right the first time, though. Rose’s Kiss, was the technique I was channeling in my punch, and was the real star of the show. The petals opened up his tummy for me to aim at and I smacked him with all my might, pouring qi into the hit.
His tummy twisted and his ribs crumpled. Had I not channeled the technique then that may have been the end of it, and upon colliding with the Elder I realised how bad of an idea hitting him with the technique actually was.
All the qi that I had poured into the punch exploded into the Elder and instantly the tendrils began to form stems around his body. There was one characteristic of a rose that the Elder will have wished did not exist in that very moment.
Thorns. Giant, pointed thorns rose from the stems of qi and pierced savagely everything in their way.
I immediately realised the anger had pushed me too far as the elder fell, blood pouring from the wound in his stomach, out his mouth and his eyes.
I reinvigorated my fury of a Gentle Petal technique and plastered the Elder’s body, aiming to quell as much of the blood flow as possible.
I parted the onlookers as well with the petals. They jumped back in exaggerated fear from the tiny red plant-life. I rushed to the infirmary.
“Move!” I shouted as I approached an empty bed, blocked by a couple of healers. I laid the Elder down, his eyes were barely open. I channeled all my qi into healing. I quickly realised it was too much damage for just me. My thorns had ravaged almost everything with tiny holes, almost none of his organs were functioning properly. He had somehow managed to protect himself from some of the damage, luckily.
I emptied all of my qi into him, focusing on the most life-threatening places first. I was all out of qi incredibly quickly. Luckily the healers nearby had responded and took over as soon as I was finished. I did not have the energy to talk, transferring that much qi in such a short amount of time was an incredibly taxing procedure and the body of a recently reformed delinquent was not quite enough to handle it.
I stumbled to a nearby bed and I saw the girl that I had met during the entry test. She took hold of me and helped me lie down. She looked at me worriedly but I was already closing my eyes.
“Not… Plant,” I tried to say but it turned out I was incapable. I realised then that I no longer had my eyes open and then fainted.
Casualperv Click the
