2 Chapter 2: Core
"Yes, anything. But first let me ask you, what is your name and why are you here?" Ling asked the woman.
"I am Wang Luo. Daughter of the Head of the Wang Family" she replied with a smug look on her as if she was looking down on Ling. Ling noticed it but ignored it because he was used to it because of his past life.
Wang Luo's smug face became serious."There is an upcoming banquet and it just so happens to be my best friend's engagement party. All the famous families and academies are invited and are being held in the territory of the Wang family. I want the beast core of a Dark Lightning Leopard so I sneaked out of the house with my guard and called one of my friends to come to help me hunt one. We hunted one and even injured it but it escaped through this cave."
"I recall the original owner traveling to a city to attend a banquet. Maybe they were invited and sent the original owner first to bring gifts for respect. It must be the same banquet." Ling thought. "So my lady, Wha-" Ling was suddenly interrupted by the young man beside Wang Luo.
"Luo'er, why did you tell him all that. He's just an ordinary kid trying to get your favor. We might as well kill him here to avoid later gossips about you going in the Ghost Valley." the young man looked at Ling with killing intent.
Ling just stared at the young man, not bothered by his killing intent.
"Qing Shao, why do you always want to kill people. He already said that he was traveling so he must not be from around here and he already said he would do anything so why not take him up on his offer." Wang Luo scolded Qing Shao and Qing Shao stared daggers at Ling, blaming him.
"Listen up ugly kid-" before Wang Luo finished her sentence, Ling immediately complained.
"Ugly?! Who are you calling ugly?!" Ling tried rushing towards her but was stopped by the middle-aged man immobilizing Ling.
"Hey, kid. Why are you reacting like that? My lady just said you are ugly because you really look ugly." adding fuel to Ling's rage.
"Me?! Look at me?! How dare you call m-" the middle-aged man sheathed his clear sword and used it as a mirror for Ling to use.
"Look."
"Th-this... Why do I look like that..." Ling was surprised. His long, elegant white hair became short, lice-riddled black hair. His crimson eyes that looked like it can see right through any lies became black dull and apathetic eyes. His jade-like appearance that was a sight for sore-eyes even curing it became the cause of that very sore eyes. Ling did not believe it.
"Looks like my eyes are playing tricks on me." Ling continued to rub his eyes until it became red.
"Now you see that my lady isn't lying, are you still not going to apologize?" the middle-aged man's aura became very dominating that even Qing Shao began gasping for air but Ling didn't even flinch. Ling just continued to stare at the ground refusing to accept reality.
"You little-" the middle-aged man swung his sword in the direction of Ling's head but was interrupted by Wang Luo.
"Stop that, Wang Lao. We are already wasting time." Wang Luo yelled then turned in the direction of the dumbfounded Ling. "I understand my mistake. Ling, I am sorry for calling you ugly. Can you listen to my request already so that I can go home already?" Wang Luo tried to sound apologetic but for Ling, it sounded more like an order than an apology.
Ling smiled trying to hide his humiliation. "Alright, my lady. You wish for me to enter that cave with you right?"
"Yes. You will serve as the bait for the Dark Lightning Leopard. You will also check if there's treasure inside and report to me if there is. As for Qing Shao and Wang Lao, you will act as my guards when we enter the cave. You said you were being suppressed by the mana inside so we will be waiting for you on a spot near here and when we see the Leopard, we kill it using poison-type mana but avoid damaging the body so much when you attack."
"What's mana?" Ling looked at Wang Luo confused.
"Mana. The source of life. All mages have them. Don't you know?" Wang Luo looked at Ling asking if he has common sense.
"Isn't that called Qi?"
"Qi? What's that?" Wang Luo was looking at Ling puzzled.
After hearing that, Ling immediately steered their conversation away from that topic. "They don't know Qi but know how to absorb the source of life." Ling thinking deep. "Senior Wang Luo, are there stages to these 'mages'?"
"Yes. The Mage stages are the Mortal stage, Sage stage, Demi-God stage. But before you enter these stages, you must first complete the 5 building blocks of mage hood called states: Mana absorbing state, Body transformation state, Mana core building state, and Complete Mana transfusion state. Why are you asking me? Are you an upcoming mage like me?" Wang Luo's gaze on Ling was filled with curiosity.
"Hmm... Just as I thought... The stages are different and the states are the same but the 'Qi' and dantian part are replaced with 'mana' and mana core. I have to investigate those states before I investigate the stages." Ling planned before agreeing with their plan.
Ling entered the ominous and mysterious cave while Wang Luo and her guards were waiting behind a rock just before the entrance of the cave.
"My lady, why did you send someone of the same age as you inside?" Wang Lao asked Wang Luo sympathizing with Ling.
"Even if he has no mana in him, he can still serve us by being the sacrifice. After he dies, we can obtain information about this mysterious cave and later send people to inspect this cave and check for treasure." Wang Luo smiled like an evil mastermind.
"My lady you really are smart!" "That's my Luo'er. Using people for her own gains. I love it"
They did not notice that behind them were lots of eyes containing rage.
...
Meanwhile, Ling already knew about the creatures stalking them and Wang Luo's 'master plan'. "Good thing I sensed the rage aura surrounding us before. Now then, where is that leopard." Ling closed his eyes and let his qi flow through the air, using his qi as sensors.
...
When something reacted to his qi, Ling immediately opened his eyes and rushed towards it.
...
Ling catches his breath then sighed. "Good for me. The leopard is already dead. Now then. What is this large core doing here."
The leopard's body laid there lifeless beneath a glowing red core. It was the size of a basketball and it looked like it sucked the qi of the leopard making the leopard's body wrinkle like a raisin.
"It really is a Blood-sucking dragon's core. I remember seeing one in Heaven's lair. All I heard about it was its core can suck blood and qi from its enemies and it will it the remains of the dead ones. I can't believe I really am seeing one here." Ling casually walked towards the core. "I can now cultivate the Shadow Soul Reaping technique I obtained from the throne using this core but it will take some time. Maybe I can cultivate my original technique a little so I can defend myself when they come here."
Ling cultivated for 5 hours reaching Qi Absorbing state 3rd rank before hearing footsteps approaching his location. "Looks like they're already here". Ling temporarily stopped cultivating and immediately covered his body with his qi, completely becoming invisible before continuing his cultivation.
...
3 familiar humans and 2 overjoyed demons can be seen entering the cave.
"Take this middle-aged man and put him in the Red room so the core can absorb his mana and become bigger. Imprison these young ones so we can feed the younger man to small demons later and the other one can satiate our desires." one demon ordered the other.
"Okay but I get first dibs on this girl tonight."
"No. Our leader always gets first dibs right?"
"Oh, I forgot. This girl is flawless like jade and her body can captivate any living things that I forgot about the leader. He's so scary, I heard he once killed 50 mages by himself."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah enough with your chit-chat. Hurry up and throw that man in the Red room already."
"Okay"
....
"These dumb humans... How did they find our hideout? Maybe something led them here." the demon that was talking to himself did not notice Ling behind him.
Ling snapped the demon's neck quietly. "Hmm... Wang Lao? Looks like they were captured. What kind of guard are you when cannot even notice the obvious malicious aura that's being directed at you and the one you're guarding..." Ling mumbles to himself.
Ling looked at his once-scrawny looking arms and said: "Looks like I succeeded." Ling smiles before picking up Wang Lao's sword using it as a mirror. "My skin, hair, and eyes are back to normal. I didn't know that cultivating my original technique, the Heavenly Body Refining method can bring my old appearance and body back. It even made my senses became sharper." Ling was surprised but at the same time satisfied.
Ling began to think of a plan. "I should hide the leopard's body now and wake Wang Lao. I will help him save that girl and boy and kill those demons while looking like this. After they get out of the cave, I will leave the leopard's body inside where they can see it easily and go take the dragon's core so I can cultivate the Shadow Soul Reaping technique somewhere and after go to that banquet."
Ling then approached Wang Lao's unconscious body and began slapping him till his cheeks became red.
