Beneath Me

Back at the exchange center, they had gotten a private room.

The room looked extremely sturdy. Formations which radiated extreme sturdiness pulsed around in the room, giving the illusion of safety.

"The Iron Glory sect members might cause some trouble for us." Tanner frowned heavily. Ethereality had run out a while ago, and he was currently back in the Royal Blue Armor.

"Hm, however, I did not plan on staying here for long, and my sect can easily crush them." Allen snorted. His Swift Battle Armor was actually the green robes. Fluttering his arms, he gestured for the treasures.

"I have twenty Grade 2 Fire Demon Cores, ten Grade 3 Lava Fanged Snake Cores, and some Grade 3 Lava Golem Cores."

"If we exchange these for points, we can get good amounts of stuff. However, the true treasures here, Two Superior Grade Fiery Fruits and an Seven Petal Azure Flower." Tanner brought out the items.

The Azure Flower looked extremely beautiful. A formless Qi radiated around it, giving off a certain might.

Ranks of plants were split into five – Common, Inferior, Earth, Superior and Heaven Grades. The Azure Flower was Earth Grade.

The Fiery Fruits, were a different story altogether. A faint fire burned gently around them, giving off warmth to those who held it. It's flames were extremely pure, and when it was consumed, it could be used to refine a mage's flames.

"We'll trade the Cores for points and share evenly for the team. I only need one Fiery Fruit." Arnold said.

"I'll take only three petals. Qi isn't much use to me anyways." Tanner shrugged. He wasn't planning on leaning Qi Casting any time soon, so he couldn't care less. However, it gave off a boundless and supreme might. It could probably save his life, given the right circumstances.

"I do not require a Fiery Fruit. However, the Azure Flower is a different case. I'll take the remaining four petals." Allen stared at the flower.

The Azure Flower was useless to his cultivation. However, if he used it in the next evolution of his horse, it would have a chance of becoming a Holy Beast. He wouldn't place all his hopes on it though, as it was still Earth Grade.

With the four petals, he would have a ten percent chance of evolving the horse. It wasn't much, but he would take the chance. There was no serious price for failure anyways.

_____________

"Search every nook and cranny of the Battlegrounds. I want to find those three!" An Iron Glory sect member was currently shouting. He wore robes which were lined in a silver white color. Depictions of several formless matter, colored in a pale grayish white.

His dark hair stuck closely to his face. He stared at the attendant behind him, looking extremely angry. He had already cultivated his Flowing Metal Technique to it's fourth layer, reaching the stage of Profound Platinum.

All he needed was a pure Fire Elemental Fruit, and he would be able to refine his metal, making it more powerful. However, two of the fruits had been snatched away, one had been picked by some dragon robed person, and the Lava Golem had gone berserk, raising it's Grade by two and utterly destroying anyone who came close.

"Damn it, Damn it, Damn it. Anthony! Find me those three and bring them here, dead or alive!" The silver robed mage couldn't be bothered at this moment. His cultivation was almost complete, he needed that fruit!

____________

"Sir, a five Grade 1 Fire Demons and a Grade 2 leader, a hundred metes away. Should we engage?" A scout walked atop the air. Sprinting quickly, he reached Arnold and reported.

"You guys go, we'll wait here for the news." Arnold could not be bothered. Grade 1 beasts were equivalent to Mid-Tier mages, and the team was full with Advanced realm mages. The fight should be easy.

"Yes sir!" The team mates, in high spirits rushed out happily in the direction of the demons.

"Tanner, when are you going to awaken your next element?" Allen suddenly asked, startling him.

"My cultivation has progressed too quickly. I need some time to cool down and properly lay my foundation. Until then, I shall wait." Tanner sat down in a cross legged position, and began to cultivate.

"What a monster...." Arnold sighed in defeat. He still did not know the origins of the armor that Tanner currently wore, but he didn't ask. Every one had trump cards, including himself.

___________

Several minutes later, the team had not still returned. Arnold's armor, which had been in his ring, suddenly appeared on him. His greaves erupted in flames, blasting him upwards.

Stabilizing himself, he said to the two below, "I'll be right back. There's something wrong here."

"See ya." Allen sat down. A mat appeared under him, and mana began to head his direction. It's rate was extremely slow though.

The pale green winds appeared around him again. The winds seemed to gain more solidity as they revolved constantly.

Tanner, who was still cultivating began to frown. His cycle of mana began to move wildly, damaging his organs. His pushed his control to the peak and forcefully took hold of it.

"I was right about forceful elevation. I cannot even control my internal mana." After circulating his energies for thirty cycles, he sighed, exasperated.

His hands flickered, and three azure petals appeared in them. Giving off a faint aura, the petals radiated pure and vast might.

Skee!

A Grade 2 Earth Worm appeared from the ground. Sensing the Azure petals, it rushed frantically towards them. Twenty metes away, it burrowed into the ground.

A trident appeared in Tanner's other hand. Piercing the floor, he shouted lightly, "Water Wave Rain!"

Several waves of water suddenly appeared. They compressed into sharp, pointy daggers and dug into the ground without restriction.

A muffled screech came from the ground, indicating that the beast was dead.

"My Energy Manipulation has improved considerably along with my level, I have no problem manipulating water into different forms." Tanner muttered happily.

"Hm?" Allen said.

"It's nothing." Tanner said and inspected his stats.

[Data]

Name: Michael Tanner

Level: 9

Mana: 320/320

HP: 100/100

EXP – 0/1500

[Stats]

Strength – 20.1

Agility – 28.1

Speed – 27.1

Intelligence – 22.1

Energy – 220/220

[Magic]

Water

– Advanced realm

– Beginner stage

[Miscellaneous]

Points – 0

Stealth – 5.2

Magic Control – 30.0

Charm – 6.1

Bravery – 5.1

Resistance – 9.0

"My Magic Control increased quite significantly." Tanner smiled.

"Arnold isn't back yet, something is wrong." In that moment, a feather flew into the air and exploded violently.

Staring at each other, they instantly sprinted towards the feather.

____________

"What will that do?" A huge burly man kicked, sending Arnold flying back like a sand bag. He bounced heavily on the ground before coming to a stop.

The man seemed extremely angry. His hands looked charred, the result of a feather colliding with his fist.

"He has already begun to refine the flames. However, two would be useless to him, as his cultivation is not that high yet. He has another." a mage walked from behind the burly man, clad in purple robes, which draped over his feet.

"Where are my teammates?" Arnold coughed out a mouthful of blood.

"Oh them, they'll probably be killed by the Grade 5 Lava Golem that I released." The purple robed mage said casually.

Pu ci!

A phoenix feather flew from Arnold. The purple robed mage had let his guard down, and the feather exploded as it reached him, knocking him several hundreds of metres away.

"Die!" the burly man flew forward. He punched out, and a brown fist Qi flew forward.

"Embrace Of The Phoenix." The image of a phoenix appeared. It spread it's wings and furled itself into a ball, protecting Arnold who could not still get up.

"How long will you last?" The burly man kept punching, releasing fist Qi after fist Qi. The image seemed to destabilize, and the phoenix became vague.

A small pit had been created from the shockwaves. As Arnold spotted the enraged purple robed mage flying towards him on a beast, he despaired.

"Wolf Claw Strike!" A milky portal appeared, giving off a sense of otherworldliness. A huge wolf stepped out of the portal, it's claws fully elongated. Sensing it's target, it howled and struck out, it's claws giving off a lunar sheen.

Azure Qi, flow!

Quickly circulating the mighty Azure Qi in his body, Tanner punched out plainly.

A mighty Qi spread out. The wolf and the Azure Fist Qi collided, giving off faint sparks.

"Awoo!" The wolf suddenly glowed. It's power increased by twenty percent, but it still could not defeat the Qi in front of it.

"Explode!" Tanner swung his arms, and the Azure Qi exploded, reducing the wolf to countless light particles which flew back at the purple robed mage.

Looking even further enraged, the purple robed mage said coldly, "Good! Good! Even an Advanced mage dares to challenge me. I shall show you the gal between us! Summoning Wave!" A wave of beasts suddenly erupted from the portal. As they were moving quickly, Tanner could not find the time to discern their grades.

"Rock Fang!" The burly man appeared, casting the Expert level spell of the Earth Element, Rock Fang. Several fangs coated in silver appeared behind him, and he swung his arms, "Go!"

"Hmph! Useless! I will show today that you are beneath me!" Tanner shouted, and struck forward.