Adam

Inside the large cave,

Elder Ming gave the boy a talisman, a paperback basic qi training manual, a set of plain white robes and a black and white translucent piece of stone which had the word origin carved inside it.

"This talisman is your identity talisman as an outer disciple. It has your code number, your rank, your contribution point number and name. Or so that's what it usually would show. In your case, your name is blank. Your code is 56213. That is the same code as Brian used to have. It carries his rank and contribution point number as well. Contribution points are the currency in the sect. This and various other variables evaluate your rank. This small booklet is the most basic part of cultivation of qi. It allows you to step into the path of cultivation. As an outer court disciple, you are to wear your uniform which is a plain white robe. At least you have to wear it outside your cave within the limits of the sect."

After saying so, Elder Ming paused hesitantly as the boy nodded that he understood. But eventually, the elder sighed and continued to explain.

"This is a unique information crystal. Usually techniques are learned from jade slips, but the head elder has ordered me to give you this more powerful information crystal. All information crystals are unique in the technique they hold. This one contains an … even more special cultivation method. Its name is the Origin Codex. Head Elder obtained it by an unknown method which he refuses to reveal. He treats it as his most prized possession, rightfully so. We think that, this is the most profound technique in the sect or even the entire continent if not the world. A pity it's damaged and only the first 3 stages remain. Else I would claim it to be the most profound technique in the world. The information of this cultivation method cannot be leaked and you are not to reveal its existence or else the entire sect might be destroyed. The only people who know of it are the sect leader, the head elder, me and now you are the fourth person. The method of viewing the information inside the crystal is the same as a jade slip. It detailed in the … basic … knowledge … booklet."

The elder then looked a bit embarrassed and coughed before bringing out another paperback booklet with the words, 'Basic Cultivation Knowledge'. This book was thicker than the cultivation booklet. In fact it was about three times its thickness while being roughly the same length and breadth.

"This book contains all the common knowledge you need as a cultivator. It is usually divided into 3 volumes given by the sect. The first when one joins as a servant disciple. The second when one becomes an outer disciple and third when one enters the inner court. It also serves as the rule book for the sect. The book I'm giving you is a compiled version of it. Memorize it by heart."

Nodding satisfied with a smile, Elder Ming said, "That's all you need for now. The resources allotted to Brian should be inside his spatial ring. The remaining resources and contribution point have to be received from the resources tower. The knowledge book also has a map of the sect and its surrounding area. I shall take my leave and leave you to get used to your new home."

The boy nodded and clasped his hands before bowing.

The elder nodded again before leaving the cave and flying away on a flying sword.

The boy's expression became serious.

'There is no free meal in this world. Either you hunt for it or you work for it. If someone does you a favor, you are bound to repay it. Why would Simba have such an attitude change? I could sense that he is definitely not such a kind individual. He is very fearsome and has a bloody scent on him. He should have killed me or at least given me a strict punishment. Elder Ming also didn't have to tell me all these things. He didn't even have to escort me personally. There is something wrong here. No matter. I shouldn't pay it any mind for now.'

He shook his head to clear it of his disturbing thoughts. He went around the cave, inspecting it.

The cave had three rooms: The living room (or do it seems), the cultivation room and the crafting room.

The living room was the first room at the entrance. Its also the biggest. There is a shelf or more like cubby holes. They were empty. There was a stone on the ceiling which glowed in the dark. There were also beast skin mats on the floor. The wall next to the entrance had a small diagram of some sorts.

The cultivation room was comparatively smaller. It had a small mat in the center of a bigger diagram in the center of the room. There were cubby holes filled with what the boy presumed were jade slips. The room also had a small fountain sprouting from a complicated looking diagram.

The crafting room had a big pot or something similar sitting on a diagram in the center of the room. There was also another diagram on the ceiling above the pot. The cubby holes in this room were filled with many plants and crystal bottles some of which had pills. There were also a few lumps of metal in the cubby holes. On one side of the room there was a similar diagram from where a fountain sprouted.

After finished with his inspection, the boy back went to the cultivation room. Sitting on the mat, he felt a wave of freshness and vigor rush into him. Surprised at the feeling but calming down quickly, he savored it. He looked at the things Elder Ming had left him. He opened the book on common knowledge and began to read.

The book was very detailed and explained to him lots of matters concisely. For example, the diagrams he had seen were actually formations. The pot in the crafting room was an alchemy cauldron. The formation at the door was a concealing and protection formation. The one under the mat he sat on was a spirit gathering formation. The water from the fountains was not regular water but instead spirit water which could help in cultivation and alchemy which is the art of making pills.

It explained the functions of the identity talisman in full and gave some uses of contribution points and how to earn them. The white robes he had been given were fitted with a simple protection formation. It gave detailed explanation on how to view jade slips. The books detailed the many rules of the sect. It also gave details of first 6 cultivation levels up to Nascent Soul. The details of the six realms: Body refinement, Foundation establishment, Core formation, Mind refinement, Soul formation and Nascent Soul were given. In the sect, anyone above Nascent Soul was no longer a disciple but an elder.

The books mentioned the ranks of disciples in the sect as well. Servant disciples are of Body refinement. Outer disciples make up the Foundation establishment and Core formation realms. Inner disciples are of Mind refinement and Soul formation. Nascent soul realm disciples may remain in Inner court or if their combat strength is similar to that of Soul severing, they may get a chance to be Core disciples. If one had the combat power of the higher realm, they could similarly rise in rank as well. After ordinary elders are head elders like Simba and above them is only the Sect Master. Parallel to elders and head elders are Guardians and Head Guardians. They do not leave the sect unless there is fatal disaster to it. They also usually remain in seclusion to reach a higher realm. Some Head Guardians are stronger than the Sect Master. They are the true powerhouses of the sect.

After reading the entire book in one sitting, the boy didn't feel any weariness. Instead, he felt fresh and energetic due to the formation on which he sat. Though he couldn't remember all that he read. He could remember 70%. It was already 6pm now. He had arrived at the sect at 12pm. That means he took 5 hours to read the book at his fast pace.

He got up and stretched his body before going to the entrance before locking the cave with the formation. He had learnt the method from the book. Then he went back to his cultivation room thinking that it was weird that no one came to greet him. He was a new comer after all. In the forest, everyone would visit when they knew of a strong new comer. This seemed to apply in the city as well. So why not here. He shrugged and drank some water from the fountain. It tasted like the most pure thing he had ever consumed. He drank greedily when he discovered that the water also made him more comfortable than the spirit gathering formation.

'Now for the pill I bought at the auction. I will leave everything else for later. I hope this can cure my amnesia.'

He took out the crystal bottle containing the mysterious pill from his backpack which he had kept by a wall of the cultivation room.

Popping open the bottle, he felt a clarity in his mind that far surpassed anything he had felt before. He was dazed for a few seconds before thinking, 'That confirms its ability. Now to see how effective it is.'

He directly swallowed the pill from the bottle without putting it on his hand.

Once inside his mouth, the solid pill suddenly became a liquid which he couldn't stop himself from swallowing. As the liquid went down his throat, he felt a weird sense of heat and chill at the same time. The feeling continued down and spread throughout his body before quickly receding and going to his head. The feeling was more comfortable than anything and he moaned in pleasure. But that moan quickly became one of pain as he felt an irresistible pain from his heart, dantian and brain. The medicine penetrated his every pore and when it entered these three regions, it had an abnormal reaction with something in his body. The pain was so unbearable that he fainted.

His body let out a baleful qi which could not be suppressed and spread to the entire sect in seconds.

Everyone in the sect, the disciples, the elders, the guardians, the heads and even the sect master and hidden powers felt a fear grip their heart. It felt suffocating and none could defend against it. When this feeling was at its peak, they felt a commanding shout from the depth of their souls shouting,

"REND!"

This caused all the disciples to either cough blood of faint. The elders collapsed to their knees and everyone else only barely held themselves. As soon as that shout echoed in their souls, it vanished along with the suffocating feeling of fear.

In the boy's cave, one could see a fleshy covering on his body holding back a red light from leaking. After 15 minutes, the red light receded and the mass of flesh fell off the boy's body to turn into an unconscious large snow white wolf. The wolf had a black circle on its forehead.

As both boy and wolf slept, the entire sect was in a commotion looking for the enemy. But, they found nothing. The only thing different that they found in themselves is that their soul seemed to have improved slightly. This was also discovered by a servant disciple who had promptly advanced to the foundation establishment stage when everyone else was too busy looking for assailants to notice. Even the higher cultivators failed to notice this phenomenon. Said disciple was later heavily rewarded in contribution points.

***

At midnight, the entire sky above the African Continent was overcast with black clouds as lightning of every color flashed. But there was no sound of accompanying thunder.

In a cave in the outer court of the Kong Sect, a fair skinned black haired boy's onyx black eyes opened to reveal a lighting surge and he said in a voice that blended with his surroundings,

"My name is Adam Potestas Fulgur. I am the incarnation of lightning."

He fainted after saying so as if it had taken all his energy.

As Adam proclaimed his name, all the lightning vanished and a resounding thunder roared as if all the thunder from all the lightning had accumulated to be released at once. No one could defend themselves from the might of the thunder which shook heaven and earth.