1 Cave under the Lake

Nilfer Lake.

Some distance from Nilfer Village.

In the tranquil surroundings of Nilfer Lake, nature was booming with energy. Dawn had arrived and morning dew could still be seen on tree leaves. In these early hours, a young man was fishing alone in the middle of the Lake while sitting on a boat.

The man was quite bold to say as he was fishing in the middle of the lake where most would not tread alone as the lake was large. He was wearing pure white robes and had a straw hat covering his head. This man was Alex Ross, a regular fisher here at Nilfer Lake and came every morning for fishing. Alex was a young man of around seventeen and he had been coming to this lake for the last three years.

One look at Alex and it could be observed that he was very fond of the tranquility of the lake and liked cool wind blowing on his face. Alex had his fishing thread under the water and each of the movements of the reel was being followed by him. When the reel moved and Alex knew that fish was under his catch was the time he moved to catch his fish.

Alex was just fishing as usual when he felt like he was being watched. He turned towards the edges of the lake but could not find anything wrong and returned to his fishing again. But there was still a creeping feeling of crisis he was feeling.

Suddenly he heard a shout coming from the edge of the lake "Young master Alex, hurry.. get out of the Lake immediately, we have trouble" Alex knew this voice, it was one of his guards that his family sent to protect him. He turned the instant and found that the guard was in a state of panic, he knew this must be something major.

"Coming, wait for me." He replied loudly and started gathering his things in a hurry. He was about to start rowing the Boat, but a big splash came from the water at that instant.

It was not one splash, actually, there were two splashes and immediately two dark-clothed guys who had their faces hidden using masks jumped from the water to his boat. Alex was now in a state of fear and panic, he knew that the people who came were cultivators and how could he save himself, and he wasn't even a cultivator.

"Yooouung Maaaster, Noooo" Another sound came from the edge of the lake but Alex could not see anything. This was because one of the guys who jumped in the boat instantly drew a Sword and had stabbed him in the heart, all these happened very quickly and Alex could not even do anything to save himself.

Alex could not keep his balance when he was stabbed and fell off the boat while his straw hat flew with the wind. Even when falling he could see the assassin's eyes which were red and were ruthlessly looking at him. When he fell the water started to pull him in and his limbs were slowly stopping. The stab was in his heart and he knew there was nothing he could do.

The only thought he had was that even in death he could do nothing. He was useless and could not even save himself; even now he was looking towards the heavens with an unwilling look in his eyes. He was starting to suffocate now and his body continued to go deeper in the water. Now he had finally closed his eyes while his body was already twenty feet below the surface.

By now there was already a fight that started above the lake between the assassins and Alex's guards. But inside the water was totally opposite, Alex was already unconscious and dying but from the depths of the Lake a light came and started spiraling Alex's body which was slowly carried towards the depths of the lake where an illuminated cave could be seen.

Slowly Alex's body went inside the cave and the waters of the lake turned silent. Whereas the cave that had been illuminated was now normal and could not be found if searched with normal eyesight.

*

Alex was in a special state, he started to see his life from the day he was born to the day he died like he was dreaming. He saw his past where he the third young master of the Ross family used to roam the markets of Wildenburg with his friends with full pride.

He saw his younger days with his family where his brothers and cousins had much fun and all used to support each other. He saw his parents who loved him dearly and his grandparents who doted on him.

He saw all of his memories with his family flowing like water in front of his eyes; this went on till a certain memory was incurred. His thirteenth birthday was seen and his heart fluctuated, he could see the day when he the third young master of Ross Family, was finally declared trash at cultivation.

This was because he was found to have blocked meridians and this did not allow him to use any Qi and blocking any prospects of future cultivation. But he was not heartbroken, he tried harder at training thinking that heavens would have mercy at him and he would be able to cultivate.

But this did not happen; even the enemies of his family targeted him by mocking and humiliating him whenever he was out in the market or any gathering. Even others in his city took this chance to attack him to provoke his family, day after day for a full year he took this suffering.

His parents could not watch his grief and cooked up a plan to send him far away so that he would be safe and out of their enemy's hands. He was sent out secretly without informing any unwanted personnel of the family and for three years he had been away from home, but who knew he would be found and the enemies this time did not show leniency but attacked for his life.

When his dreamlike state ended, Alex awoke with a start. He found that he was in a dark place where very little light entered. He tried looking around and could not see anything except a well like structure.

He stood up and was greeted by an ancient voice "Hmm you survived?" Alex tried to look out for the source of the voice and could not find it and in a fearful voice asked "Hello, who are you? Did you save me? Where am I?"

Just as Alex asked these questions he saw a source illuminating from the cave-like structure. Finally, the light converged and a dragons head materialized in front of him in its spectral form.

First Alex was afraid but as he was brought up in a Cultivation family and had some knowledge of things which others did not know, he could instantly make out that the head in front of him was of at least an immortal and he could not offend him.

He instantly kneeled down and said "Immortal". This brought about some surprise in the dragons head, the immortal asked: "How are you sure I am an Immortal, boy?"

"I have read it in a book from our family's library. Could sir immortal please answer me where I am and whether it was you who saved me?" asked Alex in a humble way.

"Yes, it was me that saved you, and you are currently in an underwater cave inside the lake" answered the Dragon. Alex knew that the immortal would not easily save him so he asked: "Could you tell me the reason, I know there must be some reason you helped me?"

The Dragon answered "You can call me Inferno from now. And yes I saved you because I noticed that you had blocked meridians and am unable to Cultivate. I have lived in this spectral form for over three thousand years and would surely dissipate over a year or two. But I was lucky to have found you by chance."

"You boy, have a special physique called blessed fire physique, and though it is not a rare physique not one who has such a physique would actually come to this cave. Today I found you by luck, I have a way to help you cultivate do you want to cultivate?" asked Inferno.

"Umm Inferno Sire, I know there is no free lunch in this universe. Could you also inform me why you are being so kindhearted to me?" asked Alex cautiously thinking of something.

"Hahahaha good boy, you are not unintelligent. I will inform you that there is a certain risk in the method as well and this gift that I will give you is not free, you have to form a soul contract with me whereby once you are strong enough you would have to complete a mission for me" answered Inferno.

"Could you tell me what sort of risk and what is the mission that I have to face?" asked Alex while being cautious. Inferno sensed the cautiousness and said in an angry voice "You would have to face some troubles at certain intervals of cultivation and the mission would be something you would become aware of only when you are strong enough. And why are you so cautious about, you already do not have any way to cultivate and now that I have given you a chance, you are being cautious?"

"No, no Sire, it was my mistake. I am ready for it whatever I face at least that is better than not cultivating at all. I understand that there will be risks for every good thing. And I thank you for your benevolence." Alex replied in a more humble way while kowtowing towards Inferno.

"You will receive two more things with my soul, and after this, I will dissipate of existence forever, a portion of my memories will explain what you have to do with the two other things. So first let us form the contract, you have to say this- By the laws of Heavens and the thirteen gods, I Alex forms a soul contract with Inferno the dragons dying soul to fulfill his mission when I possess the strength to fulfill it." Inferno said to Alex.

The same thing was replied by Alex and within seconds Infernos dying soul entered Alex's body. A heavy pain assaulted Alex and he fainted, while his hands clenched but miraculously there were two things in his hands. One hand contained a black pearl of the size of an apple while the other contained a small jade bottle.