Sundering Sword

The angsty teenage girl had blue and green hair, the robe which she wore was ripped at the sleeves, and she had a veil covering half her face.

"You're… you're Daoist Book?!" Yu Shi blurted out, almost bringing up his afternoon tea.

"Yes. Why? Do you have a problem with the way I look?" Daoist Book stared daggers at Yu Shi so much that his hair stood up on end.

With a quick cough and a scratch of the back of his neck, he shook his head, "No problem, Madame Book, no problem whatsoever." His face went bright red. Obviously, he'd never expected the austere Daoist Book to be so… young. Usually, artifact spirits were ancient souls tethered to objects near the ends of there lives. It was a method of escaping death, after all!

"Who are you calling Madame? It's Daoist Book to you, twerp." The Library Spirit huffed, slamming her foot to the floor, shaking the entirety of her endless collection of books with it.

"Right. My apologies." Yu Shi bowed deeply, almost putting his head below his knees, quickly turning his head to his companion who also stood there in shock.

Sha Ku, for what it was worth, wasn't as surprised as Yu Shi. No, he was quickly trying to assess the likelihood of the situation. Spirit Artifacts are usually born one of two ways; an artifact at the Peak of Sky Rank or higher is birthed into the world, in which case it will suffer heavenly tribulation and be born into existence from the heavens; or, like his right finger man, Yan Huang, an experts soul would be imbued in an artifact by one of a numerous amount of magical techniques!

What Sha Ku was trying to figure out, was, is this Daoist Book, a natural-born artifact, created by heavenly tribulation, or was her soul made part of the ancient library?

Noticing the pleading eyes of Yu Shi, Sha Ku quickly intervened, "Ahem." He cleared his throat, "Daoist Book, please excuse my friend. He's about as quick-witted as a monkey-bat, and half as resourceful. To be honest, I mainly keep him about as a favour to his sister, whom I greatly admire." Sha Ku quickly explained, portraying Yu Shi as a halfwit, and a liability.

"Oh? Someone you greatly admire?" Daoist Book's voice became softer for the first time, "Why do you admire them?" She asked, holding the book that Sha Ku so desperately wanted close to her chest.

"Well, how can't I admire, Senior Sister, she's clever, beautiful and has a level of eccentricity that sparks my imagination alight." Sha Ku rubbed his nose whilst looking directly into Daoist Book's eyes, obviously not hiding the real meanings behind his glib complements.

"But… you're so young. Little, Sha Ku was it? How do you expect her to ever respect you?" Daoist Book's voice became low, showing a glimpse of insecurity.

"Damn. I sometimes forget I'm stuck in this… body." Sha Ku gritted his mind's teeth and started to grind them… although he was a loyal and heartfelt man in his past life, only ever having the one Daoist Partner throughout his life, Sha Ku would often use his rugged… looks like a weapon, "Kind of hard to pull off when I'm four foot tall." He cursed in his mind.

"Big Sister… ahem… Daoist Book." Sha Ku spoke clearly but was interrupted by Daoist Book.

"No. No. Big Sister is fine." She spoke, a massive grin growing across her face.

"Well, Big Sister." As he spoke the words Daoist Book's face looked like it might split apart from the force of her smile, "Big Sister, I often feel like age isn't truly representative of one's maturity. I often feel older than I am and need to garner respect for that person. Then wait for my mortal coil to catch up with my spirit, do you know what I mean, big sister?" Sha Ku tried to carefully put his thoughts into a web of feeling that might appease the Library Spirit.

Enthralled by his words, Daoist Book handed the Heartblood Flames straight to Sha Ku, carefully not allowing it to fall. Then she swiftly glided to one spot at the other side of the library, following along an old undisturbed bookshelf until she reached a book called, "Sundering Sword Technique." Which she also carefully placed in Sha Ku's hands.

"This technique may not be the most useful or the most powerful, but it'll help you gain insights into the Dao of Sundering, an ancient and powerful Dao which if mastered can become a deadly force within the world." She had a happy smile stuck across her face, endlessly showering the praise upon the book.

As they the duo of Sha Ku and Yu Shi left the library, Daoist Book made sure to remind them that they had to visit again soon, especially after Sha Ku had finished the Sundering Sword Technique, as she'd show him about the library and even let him take a peek at the 'forbidden section,'

whatever that may or may have not meant.

The two soon left, in a bit of an urgent manner. Daoist Book had taken a real shine towards Sha Ku, which crept Yu Shi out to the point of no return, although personally, he was just happy her scornful gaze was removed from his body. Just thinking of it made shudders run through his body like seeing someone's bone pop out of their arm for the first time!

"What do you look so smug about?" He turned to look at Sha Ku, who's chest was puffed out far too profoundly for the four-foot kid that he was.

"Just nice to know, I still got it." He chuffed; his face had a look of pride plastered upon it. This was probably the best he felt since his rebirth.

"You're how old exactly?! You shouldn't be thinking about such horrid things Sha Ku! They're meant for the older generation. As your senior brother, it is my responsibility to shield your mind from such corruption!" Yu Shi explained as they walked out of the library, his hand placed on Sha Ku's shoulder, explaining to him the virtues of chastity, unfolding into a long drawn out speech about the virtues of keeping one's Yang Energy as pure as the skies in the ninth heaven!

Sha Ku simply nodded along to Yu Shi, indulging him; "I don't think senior brother Yu Shi knows what I was so proud about… he… he can't think I was proud because that spirit took an interest in me… could he? Uh… my hubris is born out of my skills of manipulation, dear Yu Shi…" Sha Ku sighed to himself, he'd let his senior brother have this one. After all, he found it heart-warming that someone on Demonic Peak would be willing to play the role of a familial brother to him.

As they came down the red staircase, they ran into a pair of bloodshot eyed boys, roughly the same age as Yu Shi. They were, of course, Bing Yuanshan and Song Yi!

Song Yi had his clothes ripped all over, the purple tunic and robes he had been wearing had multiple three-pronged claw marks torn all over his apparel; faint traces of blood could be seen by a careful eye, as they tried to blend into the deep purple robes.

Bing Yuanshan, on the other hand, he wasn't nearly as troubled as Song Yi. No, in fact, he stood there a smile on his face, looking rather pleased with himself, the polar opposite of the exhaustion cast upon Song Yi's deeply bagged eyes.

"You two look like you've had an eventful afternoon." Yu Shi joked as the sunset off in the distance.

"Haha!" Bing Yuanshan burst out laughing, his overbearing nature starting to come to fruition, courtesy of the Frost Archon's Wrath.

Clasping his hand over his mute friend's shoulder, he grinned from ear to ear, "Me and Brother Song had a great time!"

With his other hand, he waved in the air, as if painting the scene of a mighty battlefield, "It was remarkable, and I have to say the highest floor of the earth ranked library was worth it! We faced a mighty Scarlet Clawed Beast to enter the top level!"

"A Scarlet Clawed Beast?!" Yu Shi said with some shock, he was familiar with the beast, to say the least. He'd grown up near herds of them, they have outrageously strong constitutions for a third-ranked beast, which was of course, equivalent to a Qi Core cultivator! His Yu Clan used to test all kinds of new poison recipes on the poor unsuspecting beasts.

Of course, though, the Yu Clan would declaw them when they were young! The beasts were incredibly deadly if their claws were allowed to come to fruition. Not to mention their hide was like iron and their mighty head, which was that of a crocodile!

"However, did you manage to beat it?" Sha Ku said with excitement, he let a good war story better than most!

"Well, I can't be accredited too much for it, haha." Bing Yuanshan scratched his cheek nervously.

Over the next twenty minutes, Bing Yuanshan proceeded to explain how the beast had, for some, absolutely refused to attack Song Yi at first! It simply clawed away at Bing Yuanshan! Swiping over and over again!

Luckily, thanks to Bing Yuanshan's intense movement techniques, he'd barely been able to avoid the beast! Unfortunately, in a hallway, you often can't dodge a creature that takes up half the volume of the place!

The beast eventually cornered Bing Yuanshan, swiping at him! Luckily for him, Song Yi dove on the horrified young man, absorbing the blows!

Apparently, the moment it clawed at Song Yi, though, it had a look of horror and froze, maw wide open! Like an odd version of a gobsmacked human being.

Bing Yuanshan didn't hesitate to use his ancient Ice Spear technique, piercing through its soft upper jaw in a single blow, going straight through the other side it's head!

Sha Ku looked with incredible intent, his curiosity had been erected, "It panicked when it attacked Song Yi, and before that, it refused to attack him… Song Yi is only at the Qi River Stage. It's not possible, Demon Beasts at that level wouldn't even fear a Coloured Star Cultivator, choosing to die rather than flee… so, what secret are you hiding my dear elder brother, Song Yi?" Sha Ku's eyes become sharp and deadly, analysing his friend with the utmost scrutiny.