The Old Paves Way To the New (1)

On a remote mountain of a poisonous forest, inside a dark cave; there was a hidden place in its deep depths after crossing the labyrinth tunnels with seals and traps, a sentient door that required blood entry, and a body scan from malicious guards.

Within a gloomy closed space, with small lights flickering around from blue lamps; the place was still bounded by darkness. Silhouettes of robed men above could be seen, with pairs of red eyes shrouded by hoods looking piercingly at the single person below.

Everything was not apparent to see in the dark however it seemed they were sitting in chairs, floating above.

The hawk eyed person below trembled silently, pressured by the gazes of his higher ups. As one of assassins holding positions at the most bottom, he knew this room was where any assassin would report. And only information deemed valuable, could be adequate to be shared at this place.

As such, an assassin that achieved this honorable deed could gain fame and reputation among their circles. The hawk-eyed person was exuberant of this, but this sacred place continued to torture his mentality.

He heard a rumor about this place, which every assassin that lied or given wrong information, had mysteriously died in carnage. It was either eaten by thorn parasites which slowly eat one's inside while having pricked by thorns of those worms that kept multiplying.

Or a scene which an assassin was found in his house, full of blood across the entire house, making the shoes of that entered drenched in crimson liquid. It was mind boggling for a single person to warrant that amount of blood. It was said that the person continued to bleed out of death but was consistently given supply of blood.

The evidence was clear, with all kinds of deep and long cuts in his wrists, legs, and waists.

Aside from getting fame and benefits according to their report; if their information was not great, their benefits gained could not be compared to the risk of torturing death.

But the hawk-eyed person was extremely confident. Aside from the legend which he heard of a ten year old kid at the extreme west having twin element; what was that kid, which only aged at around five, with its proficiency of controlling wind that let the white-striped tiger unable to catch him in their play?

He had embraced this challenge of entering this nicknamed place, "The Red Council", fully prepared of any outcomes. As to rid his rampant emotions; he tried to become confident, curling his lips upward while still looking below on the red floor in respect.

"A kid around the age of 5, which had already awakened its innate ability, with a strength to tame a peak mortal realm beast. Are all these presumably correct?" An old voice resounded out, powerful and cold, but with a tinge of incredulity.

The hawk-eyed remained impassive yet he was apprehensive inside, fearing they would not believe his words. He responsively said with a somber tone, "I've witnessed it with my own eyes. I'll stake my life of its credibility."

After his words of resolve, silence suddenly prevailed as if the persons above had now properly thought of the information, when it slightly convinced them that it was probably genuine.

Afterwards, another middle-aged voice spoke out, forceful and requiring attention, "We'll dispatch elites for this subject. Any objection?"

Throughout the dark, the silhouette of the one who spoke out seemed to shift his gaze towards his group, in response to his last sentence. The hawk-eyed person speculated it, imagining that pair of red eyes to direct at the others.

"None"

"I gladly oblige."

"Naturally."

All kinds of assents were uttered out loud, every voice filled with potence with their respective fame and reputation to back it up.

But suddenly, someone dissented.

"I refused. I think we need core elites to do the job." A voice tone, seemingly coming out from a man at his twenties, reverberated. It was a deep contrast to those old and experienced voices.

After hearing it, everyone looked at the source of voice, their eyes fixed at that person. Even the hawk-eyed person who kept looking at the floor, had finally lifted his head subconsciously, wanted to catch that person's appearance.

However, he could only grasp a glimpse before he immediately look at the ground below, without waiting a beat.

It was because at the same moment, all those red eyes had transfixed their gazes to him. Their different and horrible auras brought out tremendous pressure to him, letting him broke out cold sweats. It was a rule in this place to bow down in respect constantly and should be unable to form a little disrespect.

His heart shuddered in fear, felt deeply threatened sensations and danger locking him around. It felt torture every second that passed. However, it was finally gone as the constricting pressure swiftly dispersed.

Those red eyes had ended their piercing gaze to him and were now put back to the silhouette of the man in twenties, around the middle area of the floating chairs.

The hawk-eyed person inwardly sighed in relief, as all of his safety alarms had stabilized and regained its tranquilness. He could not kept his calm yet after what recently happened, as he still clearly felt how at that time he would be suddenly killed any moment doing such grave mistake.

The reason for his actions was because of that voice sourcing from a man in his twenties. Every assassins knew of that man as it was the rising genius of this organization.

To become part of the council, one must be a late stage cultivator after the mortal/body-strengthening realm, the "Nipping Bud Realm" or also called as the "Condensation Realm".

It must be stated that the "Mortal Realm" cultivators still remained on the boundary of being mortals, hence it was called as such name. However, the "Nipping Bud Realm", had surpassed the limits of being human and had taken the first step to enter the path of godhood.

It was terribly difficult to ascend of this realm. It was because of the tedious requirement of needing knowledge to breakthrough, and also demanding a rare cultivation book. Moreover, the cultivation book for the said realm was treated as heirlooms even in the city, making it arduous to find.

To cultivate was also demanding of abundant resources. One without help of material things could not ensure the success of his cultivation. To grasp resources, it must assure a large deal of money. Without financial power and even status and identity, to get resources was nighly impossible in this era.

This era greatly controlled its imposition of power. It was due to historical experiences of countless havoc in the lands from the raging wars, either internal conflict and disorder or traitors.

But the most vital thing was that cultivation was to defy the heavens. After achieving a breakthrough in the "Nipping Bud Realm", a tribulation would occur. The heavens would not forsake its subjects to rebel.

Hence, every person that became a cultivator in "Nipping Bud Realm", was famous and had its name resounded out in many places. That showed how extremely difficult was to ascend of the said realm.

Before this new era, more than a million years ago, not everyone was capable of cultivating. It required for a person to be compatible with the essence of heaven and earth. That would determine the talent and was classified to grades and types. As a result, the prospect of being a cultivator which was required to begin cultivating the "Mortal Realm", was one out of ten thousand.

As of this current era, it was ten out ten. Basically, everyone could become a cultivator. However, it still depended of one's compatibility or termed as "talent" by the general public. As such, people would tend many years to cultivate.

Moreover, one need to buy a cultivation book which even a standardized version was priced at one gold. A sum which ordinary people could not attain, for their monthly assurance was only at the scale of few silvers.

But this standard version of a book could only send someone to a small stage breakthrough after years of cultivation. It was said five to six years each, to get from early stage to middle, then to late, until peak. It was an overall of 15 to 18 years.

That's why only those with status and identity could allocate their rich finances to get high-end cultivation books pricing from a hundred gold to a thousand. That would minimize their cultivation time to spend their lifetime for a mere opening phase of cultivation, the "Mortal Realm".

It was much more arduous if to cultivate into the "Nipping Bud" realm. The cultivation book of this realm priced at ten thousand gold, and incredibly rare to be found. That was only the standard version, and what more if it were the high-end products.

So even if the prospect was ten out of ten to become "Mortal Realm" cultivators, there were still considerable amount of normal humans. And the prospect of "Nipping Bud Realm" with the said difficulties, requirements and processes, it was one in a hundred thousand.

If it was the past, with weak constitution of humans of the past era, it was one in a million!

That proved how renowned the rising genius of the assassin's organization, "Voltar Xulem". A man in his twenties who was already a late stage "Nipping Bud" realm, capable of entering the Red Council despite of the age.

Bearing a first letter V in one's first name, which proved his identity as a vampire. Voltar had a vampire's blood coursing through his veins along with a human's. He was a half-vampire but that didn't extricate him to be named with a first letter V.

With innate physical abilities and extreme wisdom, he attained the "Nipping Bud Realm" at the age of 15, surviving the tribulation alone without external help of items.

Even of the identity of an assassin, his achievement could not be hidden as his name resounded throughout the far land. The hawk-eyed person had taken this man as someone worthy of worship. A man he greatly respected.

That's why he subconsciously wanted to see this man.