CHAPTER 12 : FATE : EVER THE FICKLE MISTRESS

NOTE : If a person is not able to absorb the spirit energy from the spirit stone or light up less than eleven petals, he or she cannot awaken. If the spirit energy is being continuously absorbed from the spirit stone to a point where the spirit stone finishes, he or she will be able to have a second awakening.

As the ceremony unfolded within the depths of the ancient cave, tension hung thick in the air like a suffocating fog.

"And if that is so, then if the spirit stone is over and no petals are still lit. I ask the elders to help me in the second awakening for this child," the clan leader's voice echoed with authority, yet tinged with a hint of desperation.

"Leader, will you let an outsider have our divine knowledge? Aren't you afraid of the ancestors' retribution?" Elder Bi's words reverberated through the chamber, his tone a thunderous roar that shook the very foundation of the mind link.

The clan leader's composure wavered, teetering on the edge of indignation, yet he chose restraint over confrontation, a testament to his unwavering resolve.

Before the leader could respond, Elder Chi interjected with fiery determination. "Elder Bi, second awakening is the will of the gods, and even the ancestors dare not oppose it. Who are you to question such divine decree?" His words lashed out like lightning, each syllable dripping with righteous fury.

The elders of Chi's faction rallied behind their leader, their voices merging into a cacophony of support. Across the chamber, the elders of the Bi family rose in defense, their retorts colliding in a chaotic symphony that reverberated through the cavernous space. In the midst of the heated debate, the mind link descended into chaos, resembling more a bustling marketplace than a council of revered elders.

The atmosphere crackled with tension as the clan leader stood in ominous silence, his very presence a tempest brewing in the air. "He's like a volcano ready to erupt," whispered elder Mei, his voice trembling with anticipation as he maintained a cautious distance, his intuition pulsating with foreboding.

Each passing moment wrapped the clan leader in a cloak of eerie quietude, every word exchanged among the elders adding fuel to the inferno of his mounting fury. Elder Zhong, a few feet away, let out a resigned sigh, his expression a silent admission of the impending storm. "Brace yourselves," he muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible amidst the gathering darkness.

Then, as if summoned by some malevolent force, the clan leader straightened, his towering figure casting a sinister silhouette against the gathering gloom. A sickly hue tainted his breath, a venomous yellow mist that hung in the air like a warning from the abyss. A palpable chill swept through the assembly, a frigid embrace that seemed to emanate from the very depths of the underworld, freezing the marrow in their bones and suffocating them with its icy grip. In the collective consciousness of the elders, the cacophony of their mental link abruptly ceased, drowned out by the deafening roar of imminent peril.

Youths crumpled like fragile petals beneath the weight of the unseen force, their bodies succumbing to the relentless onslaught of invisible pressure. Those who remained standing clutched themselves in desperate embrace, their trembling forms a testament to the horrors that besieged their minds.

The elders' gaze fell upon the clan leader, his visage twisted into a macabre grin that sent shivers down their spines. It was a smile devoid of warmth, a grim rictus that mirrored the grim specter of death itself. As their eyes locked with his, a wave of dread washed over them, their throats constricting with each labored swallow. For in that smile, they glimpsed the abyss staring back at them, a portent of unfathomable darkness looming on the horizon.

"Elders, I trust that my decision will be honored," declared the clan leader, his smile stretching wider, an unsettling display of his unfathomable power. At his words, Elder Bi's throat went dry, his mouth suddenly devoid of moisture as he struggled to swallow the lump of fear rising within him. "Foolish Elder Bi," mused Elder Mei, his disdain palpable as he curled his lips in disdain, a silent rebuke directed at the one who dared challenge the tyrant's authority.

The oppressive weight of the clan leader's aura continued to bear down upon the cavern, its suffocating presence a relentless reminder of his dominion. Yet, unsatisfied with mere dominance, the leader doubled the intensity of his malevolent influence, a cruel display of his absolute control. In an instant, the entire assembly was brought to its knees, the youths sprawled unconscious across the cavern floor, save for two: Zhen, shielded by the protective aura of the lotus, and Hao Tian, spared by virtue of his blood tie to the leader.

As the elders bowed before the tyrant's might, the clan leader advanced toward Elder Bi, each step a thunderous echo of his inexorable advance. With each passing moment, the pressure intensified, crushing Elder Bi beneath its unforgiving weight until he coughed forth torrents of blood, his frail form battered and broken by the relentless onslaught of the leader's wrath.

"Esteemed Elder, I trust my response meets your satisfaction. And if it does, why not lend me your aid?" The leader's grin, like a ghastly specter, loomed over Elder Bi, his eyes piercing through the elder's very soul as he posed the question.

Elder Bi, his resolve crumbling under the weight of the leader's relentless gaze, clasped his hands together and bowed low. "Wise and merciful Leader, this humble servant acknowledges his folly. I am at your command," he murmured, his words choked by the crimson tide that surged from his lips, a testament to the toll exacted by the leader's unforgiving presence.

"Very well. The children lie unconscious, the perfect canvas upon which to commence our endeavor," declared the leader, his grin fading to reveal a mask of eerie calmness, the oppressive aura dissipating like mist in the morning sun.

"Respected Elders, assume your positions," intoned the clan leader, his voice a low rumble that reverberated through the cavern, commanding obedience with its quiet authority. And so, with a single command, the stage was set for the unfolding of their would be designs.

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"Foolishness! To think that my ties to family could dull my senses so much!. How could my decision making be clouded by mere guess!" Zhen thought, his eyes fixed on the approaching arrow.

As the arrow sliced through the air, Zhen's instincts surged to life. With reflexes honed by years of training and survival, he sidestepped the projectile with effortless grace, the arrow whizzing past him harmlessly.

In the heartbeat that followed, Zhen's mind remained eerily calm, a tranquil island amidst the tempest of chaos. With calculated precision, he sprang into action, his movements fluid and deliberate.

Engaging the first guard, Zhen danced around his opponent with the finesse of a master swordsman. With each strike, he deflected the guard's blows with uncanny accuracy, his movements a deadly symphony of grace and efficiency.

As the second guard rushed to join the fray, Zhen's focus remained unbroken. With a lightning-fast maneuver, he disarmed his assailant, the guard's weapon clattering to the ground with a metallic clang.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhen delivered a swift and decisive blow, incapacitating the second guard with a single strike. The field echoed with the sound of their clash, a testament to Zhen's skill and resolve in the face of danger.

With the two guards now sprawled unconscious on the ground, Zhen surveyed the aftermath of his swift victory. His gaze drifted downward, settling on the hastily stitched wound in his abdomen. "Well, this is just fantastic," he muttered, dismay coloring his tone as the stitches on his right side gave way, blood flowing freely like a ruptured dam. "If this keeps up, I'll be bidding farewell to the land of the living sooner than I'd like," he thought grimly.

Turning his attention back to the fallen guards, Zhen wasted no time in ensuring their permanent silence. With a deft strike, he swiftly dispatched them, crimson spray painting his face in macabre patterns.

"It's high time I shed this cumbersome armor," he decided, swiftly divesting himself of the metallic burden. As the weight lifted from his shoulders, he felt a sense of relief wash over him, the trickle of blood from his wound abating slightly in response.

"Curse that spirit," Zhen grumbled, frustration lacing his words as he lay sprawled on the grassy field. "I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. If I head to the camp, it's torture and certain death. But if I venture into the forest, the animals won't resist the scent of blood that clings to me. It's a choice between torture and torn-apart death."

With a resigned sigh, he considered his options. "But perhaps the forest offers a sliver of hope," he mused. "If I can drag these bodies along, they'll make for fresh meat. It's not an ideal plan, but it's the best shot I've got."

With grim determination, Zhen seized the leg of the nearest guard and began the arduous trek towards the forest, his mind set on evading the imminent threats lurking in the shadows of the night.

"Their fire torch might have been more efficient, but the risk of attracting unwanted attention from the animals is too great," Zhen muttered to himself, weighing his options as he trudged through the undergrowth. "This method will have to suffice for now."

His back still arched to protect the delicate stitching, Zhen draped a cloth over the exposed wound and focused on dragging the lifeless guard deeper into the jungle.

Entering the forest, he found himself engulfed by towering trees, their canopies blocking out the moonlight. In the eerie silence, the occasional howl of distant animals and the buzz of insects filled the air, accompanied by the steady rhythm of Zhen's breathing and the clinking of his metallic boots against the forest floor. The scent of blood lingered thick in the air, a grim reminder of the task at hand as Zhen pressed forward into the depths of the wilderness, each step echoing through the stillness of the night.

As Zhen ventured deeper into the forest, the shadows seemed to grow thicker, swallowing the feeble moonlight that struggled to penetrate the dense canopy above. The air was heavy with an ominous stillness, broken only by the distant cries of nocturnal creatures.

Every step felt like a descent into a realm of darkness and uncertainty, the silence amplifying the pounding of his heart and the rasp of his breath. The tangled underbrush seemed to twist and coil like serpents, threatening to ensnare him in their grasp with each passing moment.

With the weight of the lifeless body dragging behind him, Zhen's senses were heightened to the slightest rustle of leaves and the faintest whisper of movement. His mind raced with thoughts of unseen predators lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce on their unsuspecting prey.

The oppressive atmosphere pressed down on him like a suffocating blanket, filling him with a primal sense of dread and urgency. Every instinct screamed at him to flee, to escape the sinister embrace of the forest before it consumed him whole.

But with grim determination, Zhen pressed on, his resolve unwavering in the face of the encroaching darkness. For in the heart of the wilderness, amidst the tangled maze of trees and shadows, lay the key to his survival. And he would stop at nothing to claim it, even if it meant confronting the horrors that lurked in the depths of the night.

As Zhen delved deeper into the dense foliage, his thoughts raced with urgency. "My priority now is to find a water source, if possible, a river is the best, before dumping this body," he murmured to himself, the words barely audible over the cacophony of the forest.

But fate, ever the fickle mistress, had other plans in store.

"Is my luck that bad?" he murmured, the words lost in the night's embrace.

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Mass release(SUNDAY) :

160 stones = 2 chaps

200 stones = 4 chaps

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